Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes And Impromptus

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Claudio Arrau considered the Nocturnes among Chopin's deepest, most searching works, rather than mere descriptive mood paintings, and he plays them that way. The same can be said vis-à-vis Arrau's Impromptus, with brooding textures and cosmic breadth that leave the drawing room behind. --Jed Distler

Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes And Impromptus, Music, Fryderyk Chopin, Claudio Arrau, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb., Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard, Impromptu for Keyboard, Keyboard, Nocturne for Keyboard
Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes And Impromptus
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great set, with a couple let-downs.
  • Serious sound issues
  • You must, among others, have this set.
  • Returning the "night" to the night piece
  • Don't know what to make out of it
 Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes And Impromptus

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by ChopinAll Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
FantasiesFantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
ImpromptusImpromptus | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
NocturnesNocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Arrau, ClaudioArrau, Claudio | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Chopin: Favorite Piano Works
  2. Beethoven: Piano Sonatas
  3. Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas / Vladimir Ashkenazy
  4. Chopin: Waltzes Nos. 1-14
  5. Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 2

ASIN: B0000041ND
Release Date: 1997-08-12

Tracks:

  1. Nocturnes: No. 1 In B Flat Minor, Op. 9 No. 1
  2. Nocturnes: No. 2 In E Flat, Op. 9 No. 2
  3. Nocturnes: No. 3 In B, Op. 9 No. 3
  4. Nocturnes: No. 4 In F, Op. 15 No. 1
  5. Nocturnes: No. 5 In F Sharp, Op. 15 No. 2
  6. Nocturnes: No. 6 In G Minor, Op. 15 No. 3
  7. Nocturnes: No. 7 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No.1
  8. Nocturnes: No. 8 In D Flat, Op. 27 No. 2
  9. Nocturnes: No. 9 In B, Op. 32 No. 1
  10. Nocturnes: No. 10 In A Flat, Op. 32 No. 2
  11. Nocturnes: No. 11 In G Minor, Op. 37 No. 1
  12. Nocturnes: No. 12 In G, Op. 37 No. 2
  13. Nocturnes: No. 13 In C Minor, Op. 48 No. 1

Tracks:

  1. Nocturnes: No. 14 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 48 No. 2
  2. Nocturnes: No. 15 In F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1
  3. Nocturnes: No. 16 In E Flat, Op. 55 No. 2
  4. Nocturnes: No. 17 In B, Op. 62, No. 1
  5. Nocturnes: No. 18 In E, Op. 62 No. 2
  6. Nocturnes: No. 19 In E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1
  7. Nocturnes: No. 20 In C Sharp Minor, Op. Posth.
  8. Nocturnes: No. 21 In C Minor, Op. Posth.
  9. Impromptus: No. 1 In A Flat Major, Op. 29
  10. Impromptus: No. 2 In F Sharp Major, Op. 36
  11. Impromptus: No. 3 In G Flat Major, Op. 51
  12. Impromptus: No. 4 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 66

Amazon.com

Claudio Arrau considered the Nocturnes among Chopin's deepest, most searching works, rather than mere descriptive mood paintings, and he plays them that way. The same can be said vis-à-vis Arrau's Impromptus, with brooding textures and cosmic breadth that leave the drawing room behind. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great set, with a couple let-downs........2007-05-31

Having owned the set for about a year now, I'm sorry to be giving it four stars, as Arrau brings something special to almost every one of Chopin's nocturnes. In short, his playing is occasionally labored, but for the most part he does carry melodic lines very well (and has a very natural and satisfying sense of rubato). The recorded sound isn't terrific, and all things considered I'm giving the CD four stars.

I'd like to add that I don't understand some other reviewer's complaints about heavy breathing or extraneous noises, as on my high-end speaker system I hear nothing out of the ordinary.

3 out of 5 stars Serious sound issues.......2007-05-16

Most other reviewers here are, thankfully, much better qualified to review Mr Arrau's talents and interpretative strategies than I. However, what no one has mentioned up here (to my knowledge anyway) is the abysmal static issue on both discs. Almost every ten seconds a static wave obtrudes itself onto the sound--you can anticipate it and you will cringe every time you hear it (at least I did). It makes Chopin's beautiful numbers unbearable at parts, for Chopin relies so much on a pure and clear atmosphere of pensive motion--and this cannot be maintained on discs encumbered with such noxious static. Stand warned.

5 out of 5 stars You must, among others, have this set........2006-11-24

Arrau's playing is unique, a throwback to the age of the romantic virtuoso of a century long gone. This set is rightfully famous, and is, with the 60's collection by Rubinstien and the 90's set by Pires, the three I have always most loved and recommended, though each is very different in its approach. Of the three, Rubinstein's is the most faithful to the "letter" of Chopin's score, but even then, Rubinstein's indomitable personality shines through. Pires takes some liberties with speed and dynamics-- so she rests nominally in the middle.

Then there is Claudio Arrau, and I agree with another reviewer that the pianist indeed treats each note as if matters. Does he dwell too much, slide into notes, take different dynamic turns, play with a rubato just this side of Paderewski or Busoni, and bathe the music in pedal at times?--yes, all of that. But let's face it, there is no "right" Chopin, and no recorded collection that is the be-all--because if so, it would sell Chopin's genius far short of its due. I and others choose to listen to all the above sets on their own terms and love all of them-- likewise the Cortot, and available selections of Horowitz, Godowsky, Friedman, Hofmann, etc. (Not to mention more recent, sublime interpretations in the concert hall by Tzimon Barto.) In any event, this 70's Arrau set holds its own,in its own way, with any and all of the above.

For years, this was the set I listened to on LP, both at home and transferred to cassette to play in the car. Rubinstein's later became a favorite for me, finally Pires's. For purposes of sound, either of the latter two are preferable, but sound is definitely a secondary issue. Regarding that, I must say that the CD remastering of the Arrau has heightened not only the breathing issues, but also the too-close miking of the keyboard, so that, especially in one channel of the stereo mix, the sound the piano mechanism itself is often heard. That's close miking, too close really, but so what. I can live with it and with Arrau's exchange of breath for the individual quality of his music.

In summary, this set should be in every collection, but so should the others, and perhaps three or four more that could be mentioned-- Cortot, perhaps Ashkenazy and Zimmerman too. Why so many? These pieces are part of the bedrock of romantic pianism, and far deeper in intellectual and spiritual intent than they are often credited with. On that, I agree with Arrau, that Chopin starts here, and should, after a wide foray, also finish here.

5 out of 5 stars Returning the "night" to the night piece.......2006-09-10

Arrau's playing of the Chopin nocturnes emphasizes the extent to which these wonderfully well-crafted works belong to the realm of the night in all its Romantic mystery and, especially, longing (what an odd-seeming word for the 21st century!). Despite what some have claimed, his exquisite rubato is always musically justified and recalls Chopin's pupil Mikuli's comment that "Chopin's rubato possessed an unshakeable emotional logic. It always justified itself by a strengthening or weakening melodic line, by exaggeration or affectation." Always observing a fine cantilena, Arrau repeatedly works wonders in these marvellous pieces, making each into its own unique little self-contained variegated musical universe. In doing so, he fully realizes Liszt's apt depiction of Chopin as "a divine aristocrat, a feminine archangel with prismatic wings!"

3 out of 5 stars Don't know what to make out of it.......2006-06-07

I've always had mixed feelings about Arrau's playing. While at times it can be indescribably beautiful and revealing, which is often the case with his sublime, if controversial, interpretations of Liszt, Arrau nonetheless seems to lack the necessary technique (I don't think that's the case) or the proper understanding to play certain works. Even though his uncanny ability to grasp the spirit of each composer whose music he plays is widely stressed, I think he's not that respectful of Chopin's music on this record - he does turn it into something else. To be sure, Chopin's works are obviously open to various interpretations and it would be risky to finger such or such pianist as having reached the 'true', 'real' Chopin - no one knows exactly what Chopin sounded like and the best we can do here is guessing - but this openness can't be understood as meaning that anything goes, that one interpretation is as good as the other, that there are no bounds or limits to interpretation. Here I think Arrau overasserts himself at the expense of what we know about Chopin's musical identity, as it were, though we can surely be proven wrong in the future. Who knows?
Great Pianists of the 20th Century: The Complete Edition
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Wonderful set
  • Don't buy the whole thing
  • Not Insane
  • insane
  • For the real music lover
 Great Pianists of the 20th Century: The Complete Edition
Great Pianists of the Twentieth Century
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

DancesDances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
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BagatellesBagatelles | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Character PiecesCharacter Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
ImpromptusImpromptus | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
NocturnesNocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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Berlin Philharmonic OrchestraBerlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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AirsAirs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
BarcarollesBarcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00002EITP
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful set.......2004-10-24

This set is for serious piano fans, not for the ones who just start building up a CD library. I sort of agree with one of the reviewers, that there are many repetitions. But if you love piano, you wish to hear the same piece in different interpretations. Indeed, I really like this feature of this set: I can compare the style of various performers.
If you are into piano music, I encourage you to grab this set, if you can find it used (not available anymore at Amazon). I also hope, that there will be a continuation, in which other great pianists, who were left out because of the space limitation, will be included (Prokofiev, Bartok, Dohnanyi, etc).

2 out of 5 stars Don't buy the whole thing.......2001-07-08

I've put a lot of thought into constructing my own piano library, and unless you can easily afford the present set, I would recommend a different approach to collecting piano music. This set emphasizes the piano player rather than the piano composer. Of course both are important. For example, the "Barcarolle" appears in this set EIGHT times. I'm sorry, although I love the piece, if I am going to spend [the money], I would prefer more variety. Where are the Alkan, Medtner, and Szymanawski compositions represented in this set? I appreciate having so many interpretations of the same pieces, but I would also appreciate more exposure to pieces not so popular. The selection by Philips which I consider a somewhat popular selection suggests to me that when Philips constructed this set, they realized most people would be buying the disks separately, and this affected the selection. And it's not just that obscure composers are left out, but also if one spends so much money on piano recordings, you'd think you'd want to buy pieces from a composer in completeness. For example, an alternative way to construct a library would be to combine purchases of complete cycles, e.g. complete Beethoven sonatas, complete Scriabin preludes, etc., along with outstanding recordings of more particular pieces. I'm not sure why someone would want to concentrate so much on so many famous artists, instead of acquiring complete sets of compositions. For me the composer is more important, or at least, if I am going to spend [the money]on piano recordings, I'd prefer more complete, rather than snapshot, exposure to the composers.

5 out of 5 stars Not Insane.......2001-01-02

I had to write this review, as I am enthralled with this set. I have been going through it in order having already purchased a few individual units from the collection earlier. I am not sure what `insane' was talking about as there is NO repetition. Sure some pianists perform the same pieces, isn't that what they did in reality? The idea is to appreciate the different nuances and approaches taken by these artists. You will then enjoy these pieces from a better vantage.

It is a large ambitious contribution to the art of great piano playing. It is a labor of love and represents a tremendous amount of research and cooperation between many record companies. Rather then representing insanity, it is a resource to treasure.

Yes experts can quibble over who was left out, and what performances were inserted. I do not think such a massive undertaking could have been accomplished without someone being able to find faults. Overall however, unless you already have a monumental collection, (it would have to be almost legendary), this incredible set will give you a rewarding look into 74 of the greatest pianist of all time. You will come away with a honed sense of appreciation for your likes and dislikes. You will undoubtedly become someone who will search out recordings and be able to enjoy them for the rest of your life with a refined ear.

The only negative is this price. I would shop around, as it is daunting to spend 2 thousand dollars on such a collection. Of course you do get 200 CD's. However, the used collections might be good to consider.

Enjoy these masterpieces. I am not ashamed of owning this music as `insane' implies. I am proud to have enriched my life.

2 out of 5 stars insane.......2000-10-12

This is not a good library of piano music. The reason is, there is too much repetition. I'm not saying the series is bad. The series is wonderful. But this collection as a whole is a bad libary. For the same money you could collect together (with more effort) an incredible libary of piano music. There are so many wonderful cd's out there, this is just a waste of money. If you can actually afford to spend 2 grand on piano music, then either (1) spend the time and do some research to get a good library of piano music, which will probably include some selections from this collection, or (2) hire someone to do that for you. Personally I would be embarrassed to own this whole collection, since that shows I have put little thought into my purchases of piano music.

5 out of 5 stars For the real music lover.......2000-03-12

This series attempts to present important and representative performances by most of the major pianists of the 20th century. One might quibble a bit with the choices, but the works presented are of consistently high quality, and often do represent what may be the best works of a performer. Since this covers most of the time that recorded music existed, some of the recordings are technically challenged, as there is only so much one can do to enhance an old recording. Still, these appear to have been treated with love and respect in their restorations. Since this series is so large (and expensive!) one is tempted to "cherry pick" through the series, yet by doing so one can easily overlook gems by artists one is less familiar with. This large a set must inevitably have many versions of the same pieces, and takes many hours to listen to. The true enthusiast will appreciate the differences in interpretation, whereas the less experienced listener may find the set repetitive and overwhelming. If one has the time to really dig into this set, it can provide years of exploration and discovery. It would make a wonderful gift for some special music lover in your life ... or for yourself!

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