Arrau Heritage: Chopin (8 CD box set, APE)

Performer: Claudio Arrau
Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Eliahu Inbal
Composer: Frederic Chopin
Audio CD
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 8 CD box set
Format: APE (tracks)
Label: Philips
Size: 2.17 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Disc: 1
01. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 1 en ut majeur – in C
02. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 2 en la mineur – in A minor
03. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 3 en sol majeur – in G
04. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 4 en mi mineur – in E minor
05. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 5 en ré majeur – in D
06. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 6 en si mineur – in B minor
07. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 7 en la majeur – in A
08. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 8 en fa dièse mineur – in C sharp minor
09. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 9 en mi majeur – in E
10. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 10 en ut dièse mineur – in C sharp minor
11. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 11 en si majeur – in E
12. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 12 en sol dièse mineur – in G sharp minor
13. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 13 en fa dièse majeur – in F sharp
14. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 14 en mi bémol mineur – in E flat minor
15. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 15 en ré bémol majeur – in D flat
16. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 16 en si bémol mineur – in B flat minor
17. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 17 en la bémol majeur – in A flat
18. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 18 en fa mineur – in F minor
19. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 19 – en mi bémol majeur – in E flat
20. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 20 en ut mineur – in C minor
21. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 21 en si bémol majeur – in B flat
22. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 22 en sol mineur – in G minor
23. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 23 en fa majeur – in F
24. Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28, CT. 166-189: No. 24 en ré mineur – in D minor
25. Impromptu for piano in A flat major, Op. 29, CT. 43
26. Impromptu for piano in F sharp major, Op. 36, CT. 44
27. Impromptu for piano in G flat major, Op. 51, CT. 45
28. Fantasy-Impromptu for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 66, CT. 46
29. Rondo à la krakowiak for piano & orchestra in F major, Op. 14, CT. 194

Disc: 2
01. Waltz for piano No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 18, CT. 207
02. Waltz for piano No. 2 in A flat major, Op. 34/1, CT. 208
03. Waltz for piano No. 3 in A minor, Op. 34/2, CT. 209
04. Waltz for piano No. 4 in F major, Op. 34/3, CT. 210
05. Waltz for piano No. 5 in A flat major, Op. 42, CT. 211
06. Waltz for piano No. 6 in D flat major (‘Minute’), Op. 64/1, CT. 212
07. Waltz for piano No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64/2, CT. 213
08. Waltz for piano No. 8 in A flat major, Op. 64/3, CT. 214
09. Waltz for piano No. 9 in A flat major (‘L’adieu’) Op. 69/1, CT. 215
10. Waltz for piano No. 10 in B minor, Op. 69/2, CT. 216
11. Waltz for piano No. 11 in G flat major, Op. 70/1, CT. 217
12. Waltz for piano No. 12 in F minor, Op. 70/2, CT. 218
13. Waltz for piano No. 13 in D flat major, Op. 70/3, CT. 219
14. Waltz for piano in A flat major, KK IVa/13, CT. 221 (B. 21)
15. Waltz for piano in E minor, KK IVa/15, CT. 222 (B. 56)
16. Waltz for piano in E flat major (spurious), KK IVa/14 (B. 46)
17. Waltz for piano in E major, KK IVa/12, CT. 220 (B. 44)
18. Waltz for piano in E flat major, KK IVb/10, CT. 223
19. Waltz for piano in E flat major (spurious), KK IVa/14 (B. 46)
20. Prelude for piano No. 25 in C sharp minor, Op. 45, CT. 190
21. Prelude for piano No. 26 in A flat major (‘Presto con leggierezza’), KK IVb/7, CT. 191 (B. 86)

Disc: 3
01. Scherzo for piano No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20, CT. 197
02. Scherzo for piano No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31, CT. 198
03. Scherzo for piano No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39, CT. 199
04. Scherzo for piano No. 4 in E major, Op. 54, CT. 200
05. Ballade for piano No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, CT. 2
06. Ballade for piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 38, CT. 3
07. Ballade for piano No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47, CT. 4
08. Ballade for piano No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52, CT. 5

Disc: 4
01. Barcarolle for piano in F sharp major, Op. 60, CT. 6
02. Fantasy on Polish Airs for piano & orchestra in A major, Op. 13, CT. 41
03. Nocturne for piano No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 9/1, CT. 108
04. Nocturne for piano No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 9/2, CT. 109
05. Nocturne for piano No. 3 in B major, Op. 9/3, CT. 110
06. Nocturne for piano No. 4 in F major, Op. 15/1, CT. 111
07. Nocturne for piano No. 5 in F sharp major, Op. 15/2, CT. 112
08. Nocturne for piano No. 6 in G minor, Op. 15/3, CT. 113
09. Nocturne for piano No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 27/1, CT. 114
10. Nocturne for piano No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27/2, CT. 115
11. Nocturne for piano No. 9 in B major, Op. 32/1, CT. 116
12. Nocturne for piano No. 10 in A flat major, Op. 32/2, CT. 117

Disc: 5
01. Nocturne for piano No. 11 in G minor, Op. 37/1, CT. 118
02. Nocturne for piano No. 12 in G major, Op. 37/2, CT. 119
03. Nocturne for piano No. 13 in C minor, Op. 48/1, CT. 120
04. Nocturne for piano No. 14 in F sharp minor, Op. 48/2, CT. 121
05. Nocturne for piano No. 15 in F minor, Op. 55/1, CT. 122
06. Nocturne for piano No. 16 in E flat major, Op. 55/2, CT. 123
07. Nocturne for piano No. 17 in B major, Op. 62/1, CT. 124
08. Nocturne for piano No. 18 in E major, Op. 62/2, CT. 125
09. Nocturne for piano No. 19 in E minor, Op. 72/1, CT. 126
10. Nocturne for piano No. 20 in C sharp minor, KK IVa/16, CT. 127 (B. 49)
11. Nocturne for piano in C minor, KK IVb/8, CT. 128 (B. 108)
12. Polonaise-fantasy for piano No. 7 in A flat major, Op. 61, CT. 156

Disc: 6
01. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, CT. 47: 1. Allegro maestoso
02. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, CT. 47: 2. Romance: Larghetto
03. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, CT. 47: 3. Rondo: Vivace
04. Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise for piano & orchestra, Op. 22
05. Variations on ‘La ci darem’ from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, for piano & orchestra in B flat major, Op. 2, CT. 225

Disc: 7
01. Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, CT. 48: 1. Maestoso
02. Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, CT. 48: 2. Larghetto
03. Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, CT. 48: 3. Allegro vivace
04. Fantasy for piano in F minor/A flat major, Op. 49, C. 42
05. Impromptu for piano in A flat major, Op. 29, CT. 43
06. Impromptu for piano in F sharp major, Op. 36, CT. 44
07. Impromptu for piano in G flat major, Op. 51, CT. 45
08. Fantasy-Impromptu for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 66, CT. 46
09. Barcarolle for piano in F sharp major, Op. 60, CT. 6

Disc: 8
01. Scherzo for piano No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20, CT. 197
02. Scherzo for piano No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31, CT. 198
03. Scherzo for piano No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39, CT. 199
04. Scherzo for piano No. 4 in E major, Op. 54, CT. 200
05. Ballade for piano No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, CT. 2
06. Ballade for piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 38, CT. 3
07. Ballade for piano No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47, CT. 4
08. Ballade for piano No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52, CT. 5

Arrau, Virtuoso!!

In this series of Arrau Edition in Philips, works by Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, Mozart, Debussy, Schubert, Schumann, and this Chopin, I have never been disappointed. All of them are the representative recordings of Arrau.

My favorite performance in this box of CDs is the Nocturnes. Prior to this, I have owned the complete Nocturnes played by A. Rubinstein(RCA & EMI), Fou Ts’ong(Sony), Garrick Ohlsson(EMI & Hyperion), but I think that the Arrau’s recording is more perfect, not only in his interpretation but in the sound.

If you love Chopin, if you love Arrau, don’t miss these CDs.