Maria Joao Pires ~ Chopin - Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 2 (Op. 21), 24 Preludes (Op. 28)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Chopin's Second Concerto was actually the first that he wrote. Because it was the second in order of publication, the number two has been stuck to it ever since. Actually, most listeners find it the more successful of the two from a purely formal point of view, because he seems more ready to follow his own natural inclinations in the first movement, and less worried about fitting his unusual and attractive melodies into a predetermined structure. In any case, it's slightly the more popular of the two and Pires, who is a fine Chopin pianist, understands and projects the music as if to the manner born. The Op. 28 Preludes make a very satisfying coupling, and are just as well done. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

French Suite No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 813: 1. Allemande
French Suite No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 813: 2. Courante
French Suite No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 813: 3. Sarabande
French Suite No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 813: 4. Air
French Siute No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 813: 5. Menuet I - II
French Suite No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 813: 6. Gigue
Arabeske: Liecht und Zart
Arabeske: Minore I
Arabeske: Minore II
Arabeske: Zum Schluss
Moment Musical In A Flat, D. 780 No. 6
Nocturne In C Minor, Op. 48 No. 1
Nocturne In F Sharp Minor, Op. 48 No. 2
Nocturne In E, Op. 62 No. 2
Piano Concerto No. 14 In E Flat, KV 449: 1. Allegro Vivace
Piano Concerto No. 14 In E Flat, KV 449: 2. Andantino
Piano Concerto No. 14 In E Flat, KC 449: 3. Allegro ma non troppo

Tracks:

Piano Sonata in C, KV 545 `For Beginners`: Allegro
Piano Sonata in C, KV 545 `For Beginners`: Andante
Piano Sonata in C, KV 545 `For Beginners`: Rondo. Allegro
Piano Sonata in E flat, KV 282: 1. Adagio
Piano Sonata in E flat, KV 282: 2. Menuetto I - II
Piano Sonata in E flat, KV 282: 3. Allegro
Piano Sonata in B flat, KV 333: 1. Allegro
Piano Sonata in B flat, KV 333: 2. Andante cantabile
Piano Sonata in B flat, KV 333: 3. Allegretto grazioso
Piano Sonata in A, KV 331: 1. Tema con variazioni
Piano Sonata in A, KV 331: 2. Menuetto
Piano Sonata in A, KV 331: 3. Alla Turca

Customer Reviews:

Still playing beautifully in the 21st century too........2000-06-12

Maria Joao Pires was born in Lisbon in 1944. All the recordings are recent and the sound quality is excellent. Her recordings of the Chopin Nocturnes inspired a lot of five star reviews. I own those as well, and I think the raptorous reviews for those are justified. You may want to read them- you will be treated to similar music here.

Here is what the liner notes say for these CDs: "Her philosophy begins and ends in the self-controlled fervour of her almost maternal concern for the well-being of a work's inherent character, and, ultimately, her knowledge and skills all go to serve nothing more or less than the natural simplicity of musical invention." Needless to say, we would hope for that style, given these stellar works from Bach, Mozart, Chopin etc. I give four stars in an effort to control "star inflation". There is nothing disappointing about these CDs.

Maria João Pires ~ Chopin - Piano Concerto No, 1 · Fantasie op. 49 · Fantasie-Impromptu op. 66 · Berceuse op. 57 / COE · Krivine
Average customer rating:

Five Star

A disappointment.

Stunning!

Touching

I like Pires, but...

Maria João Pires ~ Chopin - Piano Concerto No, 1 · Fantasie op. 49 · Fantasie-Impromptu op. 66 · Berceuse op. 57 / COE · Krivine
Frédéric Chopin , Emmanuel Krivine , Maria João Pires , and Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Maria Joao Pires ~ Chopin - Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 2 (Op. 21), 24 Preludes (Op. 28)

Maria João Pires - Chopin · The Nocturnes

Schubert: Sonata; 6 Moments Musicaux; 2 Scherzi

Chopin: 14 Valses

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B00000IFS1
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.1 In E Minor, Op. 11: 1. Allegro maestoso. Risoluto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.1 In E Minor, Op. 11: 2. Romance. Larghetto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.1 In E Minor, Op. 11: 3. Rondo. Vivace
Fantaisie In F Minor Op. 49
Fantaisie-Impromptu In C Sharp Minor, Op. 66
Berceuse In D Flat Major, Op. 57

Customer Reviews:

Five Star.......2005-05-17

By far the best Chopin piano concerto I have ever heard!!This CD is a must.

A disappointment........2004-08-21

I am a big fan of Ms. Pires, but this recording of Chopin's piano concerto #1 is a big disappointment for me. Her playing in this recording is not spontaneous, not flowing and just plain sluggish. I am not a musician but I trust my ears... Over the years, I have listened to a number of Chopin's #1 recordings (Rubinstein, Indjic, Ax, Argerich, Ohlsson, Old Pires recording with A. Jordan, Pollini, Zimerman, Vasary, Perahia to name a few), and I have to say this time Ms. Pires does not deliver. Her interpretation of the favorite Fantaisie-Impromptu is another sad disappointment. The playing is too slow and mixed with strange nuances.

I tend to like her old recordings with Erato label much better, such as her renderings of Mozart sonatas, Chopin waltzes and Schubert Impromptus. I think her old recordings were more straight forward, more sincere, with total emphasis on the service of the music, rather than using music to display her supreme technique.

Stunning!.......2001-12-31

The most lyrical performance you will ever hear of Chopin's First Concerto. Absolutely the most beautiful interpretation. Stunning and not to be missed.

Touching.......1999-10-17

An Amazing larghetto (second movment) make this performence a must have. Pires make it beautiful and touching in all ways (as she also did in the nocturnes). My favorite recording of the first concerto is Zimerman's new recording which hasn't arrived to the U.S. If your intending to buy a recording of this concerto wait for Zimerman's new disc (it will be worth the wait).

I like Pires, but..........1999-06-28

Here she employs almost irritatingly slow tempi in the first and third movements of the concerto maybe in order to produce crystal tones, which was pretty succesful in her performance of Chopin nocturnes. But, unfortunately, I feel that her beautiful tones don't compensate for the musical momentum, which is desperately essential to this concerto that was written by young and ambitious Chopin.

Average customer rating:

Great Mood Music

Classical Weepies

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005EBP
Release Date: 1994-04-05

Tracks:

Adagio Op. 11
'Notre Dame': Intermezzo
'L'amico Fritz': Intermezzo
Adagio
Canon
String Quartet In D Major Op. 11 No. 11: Andante cantabile
Pavane pour une infante defunte
Concerto For Clarinet In A Major, K622: Adagio
Orfeo ed Euridice: Ballet (Act II)
Serenade In C Major Op.48: Pezzo in forma di sonatina (Excerpt)
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 Op. 11: Romanze (Larghetto)

Customer Reviews:

Great Mood Music.......2000-10-12

Literally everyone who hears this recording asks about it. I had the cassette tape version. When the tape wore out, I replaced it with the CD version. Get the CD. The dynamic range is impressive.

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21: Maestoso
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21: Larghetto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21: Allegro vivace
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 1 In C Major, Agitato
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 2 In A Minor, Lento
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 3 In G Major, Vivace
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 4 In E Minor, Largo
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 5 In D Major, Allegro molto
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 6 In B Minor, Lento assai
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 7 In A Major, Andantino
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 8 In F Sharp Minor, Molto agitato
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 9 In E Major, Largo
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 10 In C Sharp Minor, Allegro molto
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 11 In B Major, Vivace
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 12 In G Sharp Minor, Presto
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 13 In F Sharp Major, Lento
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 14 In E Flat Minor, Allegro
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 15 In D Flat Major, Sostenuto
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 16 In B Flat Minor, Presto con fuoco
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 17 In A Flat Major, Allegretto
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 18 In F Minor, Allegro molto
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 19 In E Flat Major, Vivace
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 20 In C Minor, Largo
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 21 In B Flat Major, Cantabile
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 22 In G Minor, Molto agitato
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 23 In F Major, Moderato
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 24 In D Minor, Allegro appassionato

Amazon.com

Chopin's Second Concerto was actually the first that he wrote. Because it was the second in order of publication, the number two has been stuck to it ever since. Actually, most listeners find it the more successful of the two from a purely formal point of view, because he seems more ready to follow his own natural inclinations in the first movement, and less worried about fitting his unusual and attractive melodies into a predetermined structure. In any case, it's slightly the more popular of the two and Pires, who is a fine Chopin pianist, understands and projects the music as if to the manner born. The Op. 28 Preludes make a very satisfying coupling, and are just as well done. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

As If Chopin Were Playing Himself.......2005-11-15

This performance of Pires is absolutely stunning. Her expressionism is romanticism personified in every bar. The second piano concerto, in particular, is worthy alone of such praise for Pires plays as if she were channeling Chopin himself. Not merely is the composer reborn in this performance but one gains a sense of the entire romantic movement itself. Specifically, there is a lilting unease and a daunting sense of the vague as if Pires were approaching the listener with a kiss only to draw away at the most magnificent moment of the soul's awakening. A novice to classical music may not percieve the sublte nuances of romanticism's overtones and undertones. For this reason, the preludes may sound "boring." I have to admit I don't even like them. But the orchestral flavor of the concerto is cosmopolitan enough, and the theme simple enough, that most anyone can appreciate this beautiful recording.

A vague sense of unease........2002-11-02

I'm a bit divided on this recording. I truly loved Pires reading of Chopin's Nocturnes, but this CD left me feeling a little disapointed. Perhaps I was just expecting too much, but I don't think so. I really enjoyed the second concerto, here it is played in the same bold, confident manner married with great sensitivity that was so effective in her recording of the Nocturnes, but I confess to some difficulty with the 24 Preludes. Chopin's great outpouring of his feelings for George Sand and has long been one of my favourite pieces of music and although there is certainly much to admire in this passionate reading, I felt that it lacked the grace and delicacy that others have found in this work. My late piano teacher for example played the Largo, (No.9 in E) in a way that would move you to tears, what a pity she never recorded it! I would be lying if I said that I regreted buying this CD, I've enjoyed it a great deal, however that vague sense of unease with the Preludes remains, spoiling what would otherwise be a great reading.

Fire and Ice.......2002-01-07

Issued in 1994, this recording predates by two years her famous performance of Chopin's Nocturnes, but is equally rewarding. Both Concerto in F minor and 24 Preludes op.28 feature the highest pianistic eloquence and in her interpretation are fabulously sensitive, lyrical, dreamy, and full of passion. This is Chopin with perception of tenderness and drama of human existence. The recording is crystal clear. The CD won the "Grand Prix du Disque Frédéric Chopin" Warsaw Competition in 1995.

Average customer rating:

With Passion

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000PDZQSI
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Maria João Pires ~ Chopin - Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 · 14 Waltzes

Average customer rating:

Pires plays Chopin
Interesting, idiosyncratic, imperfect

Maria João Pires ~ Chopin - Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 · 14 Waltzes
Frédéric Chopin , Armin Jordan , Maria João Pires , and Orchestre National de l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000026FDD
Release Date: 2000-06-27

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.1, Op.11 In E Minor: Allegro Maestoso
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.1, Op.11 In E Minor: Romanze (Larghetto)
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.1, Op.11 In E Minor: Rondo (Vivace)
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.2, Op.21 In F Minor: Maestoso
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.2, Op.21 In F Minor: Larghetto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No.2, Op.21 In F Minor: Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

'Valse Brillante', Op.34 No.3 In F Major
'Grande Valse', Op.42 In A Flat Major
Op.64 No.1 In D Flat Major
Op.69 No.1 (Op. Posth.) In A Flat Major
Op.64 No.2 In C Sharp Minor
Op.70 No.1 (Op. Posth) In G Flat Major
Op.69 No.2 (Op. Posth.) In B Minor
KK IVa No.15 (Op. Posth.) In E Minor
'Valse Brillante', Op.34 No.2 In A Minor
Op.64 No.3 In A Flat Major
Op.70 No.2 (Op. Posth.) In F Minor
Op.70 No.3 (Op. Posth.) In D Flat Major
'Grande Valse Brillante', Op.18 In E Flat Major
'Valse Brillante', Op.34 No.1 In A Flat Major

Customer Reviews:

Pires plays Chopin.......2005-10-05

Maria Joao Pires is a Chopin interpreter par excellence. Her performances of these works always leaves me with a satisfied feeling within. Highly recommended.

Interesting, idiosyncratic, imperfect.......2001-07-14

Maria-Joao Pires is my favorite pianist. Chopin is my favorite composer. For sentimental reasons connected with my first years in Paris, the waltzes are my favorite compositions. All of that having been said, I must admit to some indecision about these two disks.

The waltzes are so crammed onto the second disk that there is scarcely a beat between any two of them. The result is almost one long waltz in 14 or more segments. I say 14 "or more" because Pires plays almost no two segments of any one waltz in identical fashion. Her diverse approaches to repetitions within a given waltz are fascinating: differences in tempo, in tonality, in use of pedal, in mood. In my many listenings, I have been tempted frequently to stop and replay in an effort to catch the nuances of this studio recording. Why the publishers of the waltzes have packed the disk so tightly is an annoying mystery. Justice is not done to the remarkable interpretations of the pianist. (The otherwise useless liner-notes remind us that "for this recording, Maria-Joao Pires has chosen the same order as Dinu Lipatti." While the respect for the late Lipatti is touching, Lipatti's placing of the "grande" and "brilliante" waltzes at the beginning and the end makes them something like bookends that obscure the more modest waltzes at which Pires excels.)

Although I am not as familiar with the concertos, I find this recording satisfying -- except in the upper octaves, in which the solo instrument sounds pathetically tinny, almost like the "plinking" of a toy piano. (I should speak, rather, of "one" of the solo instruments. The disk contains the almost unacknowledged solo work of Michel Garcin, one of the most respected horn-players of our day, performing here with the Monte Carlo Orchestra under the baton of Armin Jordon.) It is deplorable that the sound-engineers or producers (or someone) has failed to give Maria-Joao Pires the tonal reproduction that her extraordinary performance deserves.

Finally, it is a mystery to me why the line drawing of a naked woman graces -- or disgraces -- the packaging of these disks. The artist is an obscure Frenchman named Charlemont, whose only known relationship to Chopin was a sharing of some of the years of the 19th Century.

I would not willingly part with these disks -- but, technically, they do not come even close to the magnificent Pires recordings of the Chopin Nocturnes.

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