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Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes And Impromptus

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80% Recommended by our customers.
Label: Philips
Catalog: Music
Release date: 1997-08-12
Media: Audio CD
discs number: 2
Ean: 0028945633626
Upc: 028945633626

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Professional Review:

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

User Reviews:

Written on May 16, 2007
Summary: Serious sound issues
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.

Written on November 23, 2006
Summary: You must, among others, have this set.
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.

Written on September 10, 2006
Summary: Returning the "night" to the night piece
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!"

Written on June 7, 2006
Summary: Don't know what to make out of it
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?

Written on April 28, 2006
Summary: A terrible recording full of HEAVY sniffling and a strange hum
Sorry people, either you are deaf in the audio range of human sniffles or it does not bother you but this is a noisy, terrible, annoying, mood killing recording. Along with some obvious slips, the CD starts with a strange hum like somehow a 60Hz signal got in there. Then the entire disk 2 is full of non-stop sniffling. The sniffling stands out there all by itself because there is nothing to mask it. I do not know where the mic's were placed but they seem to be right under his nose. Philips usually does a good job but this one is going back to the reject bin...

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Our price	$17.98	$11.49	$6.99	$6.98	$17.98	$13.99
List price	$17.98	$17.98	$7.98	$6.98	$17.98	$17.98
Lowest used price	$8.87	$7.95	$2.99	$3.07	$7.99	$7.89
Lowest new price	$9.87	$9.87	$3.49	$3.53	$9.87	$9.86
Catalog	Music	Music	Music	Music	Music	Music
Release date	1997-08-12	1996-02-13	1990-03-29	1999-10-19	1997-08-26	1994-04-12
Media	Audio CD	Audio CD	Audio CD	Audio CD	Audio CD	Audio CD
discs number	2	2	1	1	2	2
Ean	0028945633626	0028944483024	0028942297029	0724357357128	0028945295220	0028944226928
Upc	028945633626	028944483024	028942297029	724357357128	028945295220	028944226928
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Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes And Impromptus