Chopin: 4 Ballades, 4 Scherzi / Ashkenazy

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Listening to these superb transfers of Ashkenazy's first complete cycles of the Ballades and Scherzos, which were recorded in the mid-1960s and have been out of the catalog for more than 20 years, is a startling reminder of why the Russian, then only in his 20s, became the dominant Chopin interpreter of his generation. While Ashkenazy's interpretive style had been anticipated by players such as Dinu Lipatti and Solomon, no one else had ever played so much Chopin with such selflessness. This is not to say that Ashkenazy's Chopin was bland, but that it eschewed histrionics and personal idiosyncrasies while missing none of the passion or emotional content of the music. His use of understatement in the G Minor Ballade brings the listener inside the work as more theatrical performances do not. In the F Minor Ballade, he creates an aura of mystery from the opening notes, sustains the labyrinthine narrative line with intensity and intimacy, and concludes with a passionate conquest of the coda. His equally inspired account of the other Ballades and all of the Scherzos make this one of the finest Chopin discs in the catalog. --Stephen Wigler

Tracks:

Ballade No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 23
Ballade No. 2 In F Major, Op. 38
Ballade No. 3 In A Flat Major, Op. 47
Ballade No. 4 In F Minor, Op. 52
Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op. 45
Scherzo No. 1 In B Minor, Op. 20
Scherzo No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 31
Scherzo No. 3 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 39
Scherzo No. 4 In E Major, Op. 54

Amazon.com

Listening to these superb transfers of Ashkenazy's first complete cycles of the Ballades and Scherzos, which were recorded in the mid-1960s and have been out of the catalog for more than 20 years, is a startling reminder of why the Russian, then only in his 20s, became the dominant Chopin interpreter of his generation. While Ashkenazy's interpretive style had been anticipated by players such as Dinu Lipatti and Solomon, no one else had ever played so much Chopin with such selflessness. This is not to say that Ashkenazy's Chopin was bland, but that it eschewed histrionics and personal idiosyncrasies while missing none of the passion or emotional content of the music. His use of understatement in the G Minor Ballade brings the listener inside the work as more theatrical performances do not. In the F Minor Ballade, he creates an aura of mystery from the opening notes, sustains the labyrinthine narrative line with intensity and intimacy, and concludes with a passionate conquest of the coda. His equally inspired account of the other Ballades and all of the Scherzos make this one of the finest Chopin discs in the catalog. --Stephen Wigler

Customer Reviews:

Elegant, Understated Chopin.......2001-01-24

This is the first Ashkenazy recording of Chopin I've ever heard, and initially I was very surprised. I have Ashkenazy's Rachmaninoff and Beethoven, and his interpretations of both composers are very passionate and fiery, and of course technical challenges are not an issue for him. So you'd think with Chopin he'd really cut loose, especially since the Ballades and Scherzos give a pianist ample license to do so. Yet these interpretations are remarkably understated, and the attenuated passion here creates an entirely different listening experience of these pieces, since very few pianists can resist the temptation to rip into the first and third ballades, or the third scherzo. The consistency of Ashkenazy's vision is remarkable across these eight extremely varied pieces, which are drawn from every stage of Chopin's career, and they really grow on you after a while. Ashkenazy's approach works wonders on the final ballade and scherzo Chopin wrote, when the composer's moods became more introspective and ambiguous, and he was really testing the boundaries of romanticism. Both interpretations of these are superb in their aristocratic restraint and Ashkenazy's unfaltering grasp of the complex story each tells.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this as the one and only interpretation of the Ballades and Scherzos, but it's essential if you're really into these pieces and want a countervailing treatment to hold in opposition to the unbridled fury of Zimerman's rendition of the Ballades, or Pollini's blisteringly intense treatment of the Scherzos (ditto for Pollini's Ballades for that matter). At this very generous price it's luxury you can afford, and I don't think there's another recording of both the Scherzos and Ballades on one disc, with such a masterful pianist playing them.

Brilliant!..........!.......2000-07-03

Only three exclamation marks can express how powerful Ashkenazy's playing is. These days everybody plays the Ballades and Scherzi so it's hard to sift the "good" from the "bad". Of course, it's always a matter of taste, but few would say that Ashkenazy is a poor performer. He really is a hero for lovers of Chopin's music. The second Ballade (trk. 2) will send chills through your skin, especially at the point when the enchanted lake performs its strange magic and the piece reaches a climax into a funky mazurka-style...wow. Also, there has been no better interpretation of the Scherzo No. 2, its essence never lost to virtuosity (similarly the first Scherzo).

As with all Chopin played at this level, there is a certain amount of interpretation. But, with Ashkenazy, it is never showy, always intelligent and insightful, reminding us more of Chopin than the player himself.

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