Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Performer: Maurizio Pollini
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalogue: 4779530
Release: 2012
Size: 179 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
24 Preludes, Op. 28 (2011 Recording
01. 1. In C Major
02. 2. In A Minor
03. 3. In G Major
04. 4. In E Minor
05. 5. In D Major
06. 6. In B Minor
07. 7. In A Major
08. 8. In F Sharp Minor
09. 9. In E Major
10. 10. In C Sharp Minor
11. 11. In B Major
12. 12. In G Sharp Minor
13. 13. In F Sharp Major
14. 14. In E Flat Minor
15. 15. In D Flat Major (“Raindrop”)
16. 16. In B Flat Minor
17. 17. In A Flat Major
18. 18. In F Minor
19. 19. In E Flat Major
20. 20. In C Minor
21. 21. In B Flat Major
22. 22. In G Minor
23. 23. In F Major
24. 24. In D Minor
25. Nocturne No.7 In C Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.1
26. Nocturne No.8 In D Flat, Op.27 No.2
27. Mazurka No.18 In C Minor Op.30 No.1
28. Mazurka No.19 In B Minor, Op.30 No.2
29. Mazurka No.20 In D Flat Op.30 No.3
30. Mazurka No.21 In C Sharp Minor Op.30 No.4
31. Scherzo No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.31
Master pianist Maurizio Pollini turned 70 on January 5th, 2012 and DG are celebrating this milestone birthday with a new album of breath-taking Chopin. Pollini’s Chopin recordings are his best-sellers – the complete Nocturnes, released in 2005, have sold more than 100,000 CDs to date.
Chopin: Preludes is a birthday programme of newly recorded solo works: Preludes op.28, four Mazurkas op.30, two Nocturnes op.27, and the Scherzo no.2 op.31. Pollini often feature Chopin’s works in his solo recitals – The Guardian raved, “… he still plays Chopin with the ease that floored even Rubinstein more than 50 years ago …”
As one of the world’s preeminent interpreters of Chopin, Maurizio Pollini could simply rest on his laurels of more than half a century of playing, and let his numerous recordings for Deutsche Grammophon stand as his lasting legacy. Yet this 2012 release is proof that the 70-year-old pianist is still relevant. He has lost none of his technique and clarity, and his playing is as polished as ever. Performing the 24 Préludes, Op. 28; the 2 Nocturnes, Op. 27; the 4 Mazurkas, Op. 30; and the Scherzo No. 2, Op. 31, Pollini demonstrates his characteristic steadiness and control, leaving nothing to the emotions of the moment but letting the music carry its own expressions. It takes a degree of self-effacement to play Chopin without exposing one’s feelings through dramatic changes of dynamics or obvious use of rubato, but Pollini never indulges in Romantic clichés nor gives cheap displays of sentimentality. As a result of his paying close attention to what Chopin wrote, Pollini’s performances are always spontaneous and fresh, uncluttered with the mannerisms of outworn traditions. This brilliant album will reassure Pollini’s many admirers that he still has all of his skills, and it should invite a new generation of listeners to explore his catalog.