Chopin: 4 Ballades; Fantaisie, Op. 49; Prelude, Op. 45

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This disc is typical of Pollini's Chopin playing. There is always feeling in the music, and it is consistently expressive, in Pollini's patrician way. But if you want to hear a pianist getting his hands dirty in this music, this is definitely not the disc for you. Pollini's poetry is always refined; even his stormy outbursts are elegant. Although the Fantasie seems underpowered--and Pollini, with his extraordinary technique, still takes an unwritten extra beat for comfort when he has to skip from the top of the keyboard to the bottom--the remaining performances are extraordinary enough in their way to be well worth hearing, providing their own unique perspective on Chopin. Just don't expect the passion of Rubinstein. At 48:16, this is quite short measure for a contemporary full-price CD. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Ballade No.1 In G Minor Op.23: Largo - Moderato - Presto con fuoco
Ballade No.2 In F Major Op.38: Andantino - Presto con fuoco - Agitato - Tempo I
Ballade No.3 In A Flat Major Op.47: Allegretto
Ballade No.4 In F Minor Op.52: Andante con moto
Prelude In C Sharp Minor Op.45: Sostenuto
Fantasie In F Minor Op.49: Marcia. Grave

Amazon.com

This disc is typical of Pollini's Chopin playing. There is always feeling in the music, and it is consistently expressive, in Pollini's patrician way. But if you want to hear a pianist getting his hands dirty in this music, this is definitely not the disc for you. Pollini's poetry is always refined; even his stormy outbursts are elegant. Although the Fantasie seems underpowered--and Pollini, with his extraordinary technique, still takes an unwritten extra beat for comfort when he has to skip from the top of the keyboard to the bottom--the remaining performances are extraordinary enough in their way to be well worth hearing, providing their own unique perspective on Chopin. Just don't expect the passion of Rubinstein. At 48:16, this is quite short measure for a contemporary full-price CD. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Making a case for Pollini in the Ballades?.......2005-11-01

Piano recitals tend to bring out good reviewers here at Amazon, but Pollini's Chopin Ballades haven't been well described yet. Each reviewer seem to have strong thumbs-up or thumbs-down opinions. They declare that Pollini is either in top form or has lost his touch completely.

As to the bare facts, Pollini plays all these works faster than the norm--Kissin, who recorded the Ballades in 1998 (RCA), roughly contemporaneous with this 1999 DG release, takes a full minute more for each piece, and Emanuel Ax, in his excellent 1990 RCA release, is almost as slow.

Pollini plays a rich-toned instrument caught close up. There is no air around the piano at all, which accentuates his intensity--these are controlled, almost breathless readings with a minimum of gentle rubato compared to other Chopin specialists like Rubenstein and Moravec. Kissin is also recorded closely on a fine-sounding instrument, although not of this caliber. Ax is given average sound with no special delight in the piano's sonorities.

Pollini doesn't intrude with an overt display of personal expression. For some listeners this disqualifies him, since Chopin playing going back to the age of Paderewski, Rachmaninoff, and Cortot has used the score as a starting point for the pianist's own extempore inspirations in tempo, phrasing, and emotional display. Pollini interpretss the Ballades as heroic, somewhat extroverted pieces--much closer to Beethoven than we usually hear. He is careful to avoid sounding nonchalant, informal, dainty, improvisatory, or fussy. In short, Pollini doesn't re-compose the music.

Kissin also plays the Ballades as big-boned, heroic pieces, but he uses more individual expression than Pollini--he slows down as much as he wants in order to give his own expressive touch free rein. Fortunately, his persoanl ideas are very convincing and musicl. Ax is passionately romantic, especially in the first Ballade, and in addition has a remarkable control over rubato--he's the overlooked contender here.

So, what is the case for Pollini in particular? Anyone who has heard this pianist live knows that he relies not at all on charm or superficial appeal. One is expected to sit up and pay close attention to Pollini's extraordinary ability to carry a piece straight through, in one intense arc of concentration. He uses his right and left hands so independently that there is never an accompaniment--something important is happening in one or both hands at every second. The overall result is mesmerizing--he has a hypnotic effect on audiences, in common with Michelangeli. If you want to be riveted in a breathtaking sweep from first note to last, no one excels Pollini in these works.

Played as only Pollin could play them.......2002-03-09

The four Ballades are Chopin's greatest masterworks. In fact, in my opinion, besides Beethoven's late sonatas, they are the greatest works for piano ever written. However, they are incredibly demanding pieces to play. Not only do they require the utmost technical virtuosty, they also require an extremely keen sensitivity to musical nuances and just an overall excellent level of musicianship. Very few pianists can surpass the technical demands of these pieces, much less understand the nuances that make these pieces so incredibly powerful, personal, and emotional. The great Vladimir Horowitz said that the first ballade was the most difficult piece for him to play convincingly. Rubinstein played passionately, yet he was never one of the truly great technical pianists, so his playing of the ballades was always short of great. Pollini's is the first recording of the ballades that I've ever heard that is truly convincing. He is obviously unmatched in pure technical ability, but beyond that he adds such heart to his playing and elicits the greatest emotion from the depths of the nuances that Chopin wrote in these masterpieces. The only pianist who i think compares in the playing of the ballades is Ivan Moravec, but his recordings are difficult to come by. Get this recording. You've never heard the ballades played this well. chopin would be proud.

Pollini sings, and you'll regret if you don't hear him.......2001-09-25

Like many others, I was waiting for Pollini's interpretation of these extremely serious Chopin music, which happen to be my most favorites of Chopin after Preludes. After several passes into his interpretation I couldn't help admiring how beautifully he have made them sound. I have heard some other performers play them, such as Zimmerman, Arrau and Rubinstein, but none of them impressed me as this one. The first ballade (my most favorite) was an exception, and I prefer Michelangeli which, in his only Chopin recording with DG, made the most beautiful interpretation of this piece. The second ballade is specially impressing. The caressing main melody line, as well as the dramatically violent middle part has never been played this effective before. Third and fourth ballades are also real delights, when you come to notice the emotional generosity that Pollini puts into them. Pollini's presentation of prelude Op.45 captures you so deeply that you can hardly forget this experience. Pollini tells everything that there is to say in ballades, and you're forced to remember that he's one of the best musicians.

Pollini's Chopin Ballades : Craftmanship and nothing else.......2001-07-31

Already owning various of Pollini's Chopin recordings, i was looking forward to being impressed by this release of some of my favorite piano works. And i was - but unfortunately for the wrong reasons. When you listen to records from modern pianists such as Kissin, Zimermann, Argerich, i think it is fair to take their technique for granted - and in this recording as usual, Pollini's technique is fabulous and probably second to none. So, when i hear a performance of any of these artists, i am searching for their interpretative insights, for any new ideas they may bring into the works, or to see how emotionaly involved they can be with the music. And here is where Pollini's lack of involvement makes this recording somewhat dissapointing. He plays everything at top speed and seems to be tossing the works one after another as if to get the work done. It is amazing that at this speed he is able to balance the works and also remain detailed, but that is pretty much all there is here: sound, technique, craftmanship, but the playing as it is should leave most knowledged listeners cold and wishing for more passionate performances.

Awesome fluency.......2001-06-04

Pollini is a strange artist: sometimes he's on song, at other times he sounds cool and uninvolved. This affliction can strike him at any time, with any composer: his Chopin sonatas are glorious, while the polonaises are chilly. His Schubert D959 sonata is outstanding, the D960 a dutiful run through.

On this CD he is really on form, happily enough. In fact I can't recall hearing a more exciting and awesome performance of the Ballades. All his tempi are fast (anyone who can despatch the Fourth Ballade in under ten minutes is pushing back the boundaries of piano playing), and the interpretations are ferocious. But he still maintains his poise and immaculate pianism throughout. Recording quality is excellent: vivid in a pleasing acoustic (the Herkulesaal in Munich).

So would I recommend this CD as a first choice? Probably not: that would be Krystian Zimerman's excellent set, also on DG. His readings are straighter than Pollini's (but full of imagination), and the CD is better filled. Wonderful sound as well. But Pollini would be an superb choice as a second set, particularly as the interpretations are unlike any other I've heard.

Another to consider is Ashkenazy's jam-packed Decca Legends CD which has both the Ballades and the Scherzi, and is at midprice. The 1963/4 recordings have been superbly remastered.

Perahia on Sony is OK but unremarkable (and I'm normally a Perahia fan), while Kissin's RCA disc has excessively vehement playing and metallic sound.

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