Search - Frederic Chopin, Evgeny Kissin :: Chopin: Sonata No. 3; Mazurkas

Oracular

David Cosper | Chapel Hill, NC | 04/16/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must concur with my neighbor. This CD is possibly my favorite of all which I own. Kissin's technical prowess rivals that of pianists twice his age, yet it is neither age nor technique that sets him apart from his peers, but his unmatched sensitivity and insight. This is musicianship of the very highest caliber. Kissin has a special affinity for Chopin. His very natural touch and "declamation" sound like what one must imagine Chopin, himself, must have played. "Natural" is really the best word for Kissin's pianism--his sincerity is almost disarming. I would say that the slow movement of the sonata--itself an unjustly underperformed work--is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, and in Kissin's hands it is absolutely breathtaking. Mr. Del Dotto is right, though. The Mazurka in Am (op.17, no.4) is painfully beautiful. The final barely audible return of the original theme is absolutely haunting. It is true that this is nothing like the Chopin you might be familiar with. Kissin's interpretations are absolutely unique, which may be a turnoff to some. But this is not merely different, it is BETTER. There is nothing in the world like Kissin playing Chopin. Do not hesitate--buy this record."

Technically proficient, but emotionally immature

Evan Stephens | Washington, D.C. | 07/22/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Kissin is still a youngster in the world of Chopin; as much as people like to put him on the pantheon of great pianists already, the truth is that his ideas of dramatic structure are vague, his phrasing is narrow and confined, and he has virtually nothing new or visionary to bring to the music. While he is technically proficient - almost perfect - so is Pletnev, or Volodos, or any one of many who have recorded the same pieces. I would recommend Cortot, Harasiewicz, Horowitz, Ohlsson or Pletnev for any Chopin fan who isn't swayed by the sensationalist hype surrounding Kissin. Give him 20 years, then see what he produces."

Masterful

David Saemann | 02/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am simply incredulous at the fact that these are live performances by a 21 year old pianist. It simply staggers the imagination. What's more, these are not intrinsically virtuoso showpieces, especially the Mazurkas, so we're not hearing a young man with incredible fingers just showing off. The Sonata receives an incredibly mature reading, perhaps too much so. Tempos often are bent and arranged to display the multitude of colors and textures in the piece. Kissin, of course, is up to the fast moments of the work with all flags flying, but what is most memorable is his somewhat wayward attempts to exploit Chopin's tonal colors and harmonies. I have no such reservations about the 12 Mazurkas. The Mazurkas are perhaps the toughest pieces of the composer to bring off, so subtle and varied is their rhythm and colorations. I never have heard better performances of the Mazurkas than these. The approach to tempo is just so, revealing the structure of each work exquisitely. There are traps to idiosyncracy that Kissin avoids marvelously. Combine all of this with fine sound engineering, and you have a spellbinder of a Chopin recital."