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My Favorite Chopin

80% Recommended by our customers.
Label: RCA
Catalog: Music
Release date: 1997-10-14
Media: Audio CD
discs number: 1
Format: Original recording remastered
Ean: 0090266881321
Upc: 090266881321

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Album tracks: (8)

Polonaise in a Flat, Op. 53

Nocturne No. 17 in B, Op. 62, No. 1

Fantaisie in F Minor, Op. 49

Etude in A Minor, Op. 25, No. 11

Etude in E, Op. 10, No. 3

Ballade No. 3 in a Flat, Op. 47

Waltz No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor Op. 65 No. 2

Scherzo No. 3 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 34

User Reviews:

Written on August 1, 2003
Summary: A wonderful performance by "our boy"
No one can honestly argue that Van Cliburn is poor at Chopin. His lyrical pianism is at its incomparable best, especially (despite what some say) in the "Heroic" Polonaise. Please discount the negative reviews - I was sorry to read them. To date I've not heard one recording of the Polonaise that equals Cliburn's interpretation, except one rare film of Arthur Rubinstein performing it - it was just as good as Cliburn's, though not better. (I think it may be impossible to play it better.) (The film is in the movie, "Carnegie Hall." Amazon sells it, and while the plot is thoroughly ridiculous, the music is incredible.)

It's not only the Polonaise that is marvelous - every other piece is purely beautiful. The "Winter Wind" Etude is dazzlingly furious and is played with spine-tingling eloquence - and faintly wistful and sad is the Waltz in C-sharp minor. The fact that one so young could easily express so many and varied, thoroughly convincing emotions is just one proof of his genius. Your dollars will not go to waste on this CD recorded by one of history's greatest pianists, who has all the best qualities of the legendary virtuosos; while he humbly considers himself "just a tiny mirror of the great legends I have known."

Written on July 8, 2003
Summary: THE ONLY RECORDING OF CHOPIN YOU WILL EVER NEED!
I have NEVER written a review of a CD but, I must DISAGREE with the review of this CD that I just read above.
Van Cliburn's recording of " MY FAVORITE CHOPIN " is the BEST I have ever heard and I have HEARD THEM ALL from Horowitz to Rubinstein! And VAN CLIBURN Blows them all away!
I first heard this recording of " MY FAVORITE CHOPIN " back in 1962 when my late Mother played it for me. I WAS BLOWN AWAY! I have NEVER heard Chopin played with so much Love and Feeling.
I MUST DISAGREE with the review I just saw here.
PLEASE, If you are looking for a TOP NOTCH recording of Chopin.... This is the one you will want to own!
It's the BEST performance of Chopin I have heard played in 50 years!
This is the ONLY CD of Chopin or Van Cliburn Playing Chopin you will ever need!

Written on March 8, 2003
Summary: my first classical music record
When I was young, I learned a couple of Chopin's shorter Preludes on the piano. I liked them so I decided to buy this record and see what some of his other works were like. I was blown away!! It made me a Chopin lover for life. On side 1 of the record (I'll always think of this as a record), the B Major Nocturne is a beautiful interlude between the mighty A Flat Polonaise and F Minor Fantaisie. Side 2 starts off with the 2 Etudes in A Minor and E Major, which contrast sharply in mood, but are equally brilliant. Cliburn's interpretation of the A Flat Ballade is maybe the best I've heard. As a Chopin interpreter, Cliburn strikes a nice balance between the metronome-like playing of Rubinstein and the flashiness of Horowitz. This is a very special recording for me as it made me want to get my hands on recordings of everything Chopin wrote, as well as music of his contemporaries such as Liszt and Schumann. And from there, it was on to many other composers of the various musical periods. But to me, Chopin will always stand above the rest in his originality and his ability to very quickly transport the listener to places of unsurpassed beauty.

Written on November 28, 2002
Summary: I'm just a casual fan, but I like it...
As a non-musician who enjoys almost all kinds of music, I can't critique a classical pianist's technique, or compare one Chopin solo collection to another, as some reviewers can and do. All I can say is that I enjoy this 1961 album enough to keep it. I prefer piano with orchestra to an hour's worth of solo, whether it be the classics or jazz. But this is an affordable introduction to both Chopin and to Cliburn, and was a good seller when it was new. Back then, classical vinyl LP's actually drew mass attention from time to time. My slight disappointment is not with the sounds that come through my speakers, for the music is to my ears lovely. I gave the package less than five stars because I think BMG (The old RCA Victor) made a poor choice in giving two pages of its booklet over to a technical discussion of early stereo technology and gave Chopin, or the circumstances of each composition, no space at all. One gets a brief bio of Cliburn from '58 to '89, but no knowledge of the composer or how these selections fit into his body of work. Read all the reviews before deciding whether to buy it or not. I think it is a good value for the price.

Written on December 2, 2000
Summary: Simply awful!
I have wondered why Van Cliburn has recorded so little Chopin over the years; this CD makes it painfully obvious as to why. A mediocre pianist can get away with being mistaken for a great pianist (usually via media hype) as long as said mediocre pianist stays away from playing Chopin. One listen to this CD and one realizes why Van Cliburn has avoided Chopin like the plague! As I listen to this CD I notice the album picture of Van Cliburn, with folded hands, looking as though he's praying. The poor boy doesn't have a prayer when it comes to playing Chopin! Chopin is the big leagues when it comes to the piano, mediocre pianists need not apply. Van Cliburn's playing on this CD is so mechanical that one wonders if he isn't simply a windup toy. His playing on the first track ("Heroic" Polonaise) makes a lifelong Chopin fan (me) cringe; it's lifeless, no feeling, and one one gets the impression Van Cliburn wishes he was elsewhere; I had the same wish. Lifeless and no feeling applies to the remaining selections also...even more so! Sound quality on this "Living Stereo" recording is definitely lacking compared to the usual excellent sound quality of most "Living Stereo" recordings. My advice is to do what Van Cliburn does with Chopin...avoid this album like the plague!

Comparison map

Wondering how the classical music "My Favorite Chopin" relates to similar classical music CDs? Find out at a glance here:

Price comparison	My Favorite Chopin	The World's Favorite Piano Music	Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1/Rachmaninoff: Concerto...	Van Cliburn: My Favorite Rachmaninoff	Van Cliburn - My Favorite Debussy	My Favorite Brahms
Our price	$9.99	$9.99	$13.99	$9.99	$11.98	$10.99
List price	$11.98	$10.98	$17.98	$11.98	$11.98	$11.98
Lowest used price	$4.99	$2.90	$3.49	$9.10	$5.46	$6.99
Lowest new price	$6.86	$6.14	$11.95	$7.38	$6.73	$6.60
Collectible price	-	-	$20.00	-	-	-
Catalog	Music	Music	Music	Music	Music	Music
Release date	1997-10-14	1992-07-14	1993-01-12	2000-05-16	1999-11-09	1999-11-09
Media	Audio CD	Audio CD	Audio CD	Audio CD	Audio CD	Audio CD
discs number	1	1	1	1	1	1
Format	Original recording remastered	-	-	Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered	-	-
Ean	0090266881321	0090266097326	0078635591224	0090266361229	0090266356720	0090266356621
Upc	090266881321	090266097326	078635591224	090266361229	090266356720	090266356621
Link to shop^* (opens in a new window)	BUY IT NOW^*	BUY IT NOW^*	BUY IT NOW^*	BUY IT NOW^*	BUY IT NOW^*	BUY IT NOW^*
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My Favorite Chopin