I was enjoying listening to the CDs in this set so
much that I took CD3, containing the Etudes, with me in the car a couple
of weeks back. That day, while working assiduously at my desk, some
music-lover was removing my radio/CD, player complete with Etudes, from
its housing, thoughtfully smashing my car window and causing other collateral
damage. So if any MusicWeb visitor is guilty of this heinous crime,
all I would like to say is TOUGH, because a lovely lady in Holland called
Jacolien, who works for Joan Records who in their turn produce Brilliant
Classics, listened to my sad story and replaced the stolen disc by return.
Pretty impressive, I thought.
What of the discs? Brilliant have gone for eleven pianists
altogether, most of them Dutch and several of them relatively young.
There are no ‘big’ names, with the possible exception of Cor de Groot,
who died in 1993. They all, however, have impeccable credentials, and,
if they are not familiar to us, certainly deserve to be. This, and the
fact that some of the recordings use Pleyel pianos from 1842 and 1847
- the kind of which Chopin himself was so very fond – gives a welcome
variety to the interpretations and tone-colour. The set would be a good
buy even if the performances were mediocre. But they are not; all of
these players are well worth hearing, and there are many outstanding
musical experiences to be had here.
Above all, it emphasises for me the astonishing technical
mastery and tonal imagination that Chopin possessed in such ample measure.
In a sense he’s still an underrated composer, however popular
some of the work may be. The best-loved Preludes, Etudes, Mazurkas and
Waltzes are here; but the very greatest music lies in the more extended
pieces, the Ballades, Scherzi and Sonatas.
Disc1, with an assorted selection of pieces, is possibly
the least satisfying, consisting mainly of what could be disparagingly
described as ‘salon music’ ( in the strict sense, I suppose, all of
Chopin’s solo piano music is such), though the Tarantella in Ab op.43
is an attractive rarity. The Dutchman Frank van de Laar is the committed
and stylish pianist here.
Disc 2 features the youngest of the soloists, Folke
Nauta, in the Polonaises and Polonaise-style pieces. Here we have some
justly celebrated works; the great A major "Military" Polonaise,
as well as op. 53 in Ab. But there also rather less familiar ones such
as the powerful op.26 no.1 in C# minor, and more extended works such
as the fine op.61 Polonaise-Fantaisie in Ab or the Andante Spianato
op.22.
Disc 3 contains the two main sets of Etudes, as well
as the three later Etudes which are far less musically interesting,
and have no opus number as they were composed for the piano ‘Method’
of Moscheles and Fétis. The presence of op.10 and op.25 makes
this one of the most important discs, and a considerable challenge for
any pianist. Martijn van den Hoeck, winner of the Franz Liszt competition
at Utrecht back in 1986, rises to this challenge in a distinguished
way. His technique is flawless, but he equally importantly succeeds
in characterising the individual pieces strongly yet without distortion.
In the ‘Revolutionary’ study (track 12), he strives to emphasise the
pathos and courage implicit in the piece, rather than give a barn-storming
performance. But these readings are not under-powered; he is stirringly
dramatic in the B minor Etude, op. 25 no.10, and the ‘Winter Wind’ study
that follows. This is, for me, the finest disc in the set.
Disc 4, containing twelve of the Nocturnes, brings
our first meeting with a period instrument, in this case an 1842 Pleyel
played by Bart van Oort. The playing is sensitive and expressive, eschewing
sentimentality, and giving these often overplayed pieces a certain classical
poise. One of the best-known is op.9 no.2 in Eb, and here I looked for
more information than I got from the booklet, as the ornamentation played
by Oort was much more elaborate than I was used to. I wanted to know
if this was simply a different text from that in normal use, or whether
the pianist had decided to extend the embellishments in his own way.
No answer I’m afraid, though to balance this, I should say that there
is a very informative essay by Oort himself about Pleyel pianos, and
their ideal suitability for Chopin’s music.
Unfortunately, we aren’t told what instrument we are
hearing on most of the CDs, though clearly it is a modern one used on,
for example, the next disc of Nocturnes, where we have the young Dutch-born
pianist of Israeli family background, Yoram Ish-Hurwitz. As with Disc
4, I found myself wondering whether grouping a whole set of pieces together
like this, when they inherently share such strong characteristics, is
the best way to hear Chopin’s music. Might not the pianists, too, have
been better served by the opportunity to present balanced programmes?
Maybe; on the other hand, the practical difficulties of compiling such
programmes would be huge. And one does get fascinating juxtapositions
in Ish-Hurwitz’s selection of Nocturnes. For instance, the soothing
lullaby of op.27 no.2 in Db major feels like the perfect answer to the
disconsolate C# minor of no.1, and similarly, the stern G minor of op.37
no.1 is softened by the serenade-like no.2 in G major.
With the four Scherzi and the F minor Fantasy on Disc
6, we encounter the first of the larger scale works which, for many
musicians, reveal Chopin at his greatest. The pianist on this recording
is Alwin Bär, who is splendid in both the frantic outer sections
of the first Scherzo and in its Christmas carol based calmer middle
part. All of the Scherzi are restless works, though each has its more
tranquil episodes, and Bär is superb at capturing the almost schizophrenic
(scherzophrenic??) nature of these extraordinary masterpieces.
He completes this disc with two exquisite works; first
the Berceuse in Db, companion piece to the Nocturne op. 27 no.2. Here
I feel Bär gives a rather mannered performance, succumbing too
quickly to rubato, rather than let the simplicity of the melody establish
itself. On the other hand, the wonderful Barcarolle that follows, correctly
identified in the booklet as one of Chopin’s supreme achievements, is
much more successful.
Exquisite miniatures dominate the next two CDs. The
Waltzes are collected on CD7, where Martijn van der Hoek gives brilliant
and elegant performances, not missing the gently nostalgic qualities
of such numbers as the Op.Posth. waltz in Eb, which concludes the disc.
Disc 8 is one of the most interesting, as it brings the great Cor de
Groot interpreting the Mazurkas, in a recording dating from 1988, five
years before his death. I suggest starting with track 24, which contains
op. 33 no.3, a piece which was the subject of a famous row between Chopin
and the composer Meyerbeer. The latter apparently insisted that the
piece was in duple time (all Mazurkas are of course in triple time);
Chopin simply couldn’t believe the obtuseness of this, and came close
to physically attacking Meyerbeer, which, given Chopin’s temperament,
meant, one could safely say, that he was pretty angry! See what you
think; I’m firmly with Chopin, and it only confirms what I’d
always thought about Meyerbeer.
Cor de Groot plays these wonderful little pieces with
imagination, charm and great idiomatic freedom, using a Pleyel piano
from 1847. De Groot was himself a distinguished composer, and there
is an imaginative quality in his playing which makes it stand apart
from that of the other pianists. To give just one example, track 13,
op.17 no.4, is one of the most memorable performances in the whole boxed
set, with the pianist using the almost harp-like sonorities of the 19th
century instrument to enhance the pathos of this magical and extraordinary
little piece. This disc contains the earlier sets of Mazurkas, op.6,
7, 17, 24, 30, 33 and 41, later ones being found on CDs 10 and 13.
The interest on CD9, which contains the two concertos,
lies partly in the accompanying orchestra. Described as ‘Rotterdam Young
Philharmonic’, it is a joint venture, the booklet notes tell us, between
the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rotterdam Conservatory.
We aren’t informed of the balance of students and professionals; whatever
that may be, the orchestra plays more than competently. Chopin’s orchestration
is no great shakes (though it’s nothing like as bad as Berlioz and others
have suggested) yet, under their conductor Arie van Beek, they tackle
it with gusto, and there is some expressive playing from the various
wind soloists, as well as warm, rich string sound.
What of the soloist, the Italian Paolo Giacometti?
Musically, these concertos do not stretch pianists anywhere near as
much as the Sonatas or Ballades for example, and it’s important to remember
that both works are remarkably early, being composed in Chopin’s late
teens. Giacometti performs with elegance and some poetry, though he
does not have the imagination of Argerich, the supreme interpreter of
these works. To take one small example, at the outset of the development
in the first movement of the second concerto, where Argerich fines the
dynamic level down to a magical pianissimo, Giacometti is prosaically
mezzo forte. Nonetheless, these are performances worth having,
and the balance between orchestra and soloist is pretty well ideal.
CD 10 is a kind of ‘loose-ends’ disc, in that it contains
Chopin’s works for piano and orchestra other than the concertos, and
nine more of the mazurkas, from op. 50 and 56, played by Cor de Groot
on the 1847 Pleyel. In the concerted pieces, the soloist is Arthur Moreira,
accompanied this time by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra under Dimiter
Manilov. Moreira turns out to be a rather aggressive soloist, attacking
the flourishes in the introduction to the ‘La ci darem’ Variations
with surprising violence. He continues to produce a hard tone throughout,
and there is a lack of the sort of wit and elegance this music cries
out for. The contribution of the orchestra is mostly very acceptable,
though I have rarely to hear a woodwind section with noisier keywork;
a horrid clattering emerges from in particular the clarinets, which
doesn’t do anything for the music. Moreira is much more at ease in the
lovely ‘Fantasia on Polish Airs’ op.13, and the third piece, ‘Krakowiak’,
based on a Polish folk-dance from Crakow, receives an enjoyable
enough performance, all the way from its very beautiful slow opening
to the lively dance with which it concludes. It’s good to have these
comparative rarities, though Moreira, it has to be said, remains disappointingly
heavy-handed and prosaic. (The booklet, by the way, gives no information
about soloist, orchestra or conductor, which is a very odd omission).
The sonatas, which occupy Disc 11, are inevitably a
central pillar of the Chopin repertoire, and Fred Oldenburg performs
all three – the two mature sonatas, plus the early op.4 C minor work,
which is rarely heard. It isn’t a particular remarkable or attractive
piece; even in the Larghetto, one searches in vain for all but
the faintest pre-echo of Chopin’s distinctive later style. I feel the
finale to be the best as well as the most characteristic movement; in
it Chopin develops that kind of restless, stormy mood he was to use
so superbly in the Scherzi and Ballades. Here, he lacks the expressive
vocabulary to create sufficient contrast
With the Sonata no.2 in Bb minor, op. 35, we are in
completely different territory, the tonally ambiguous opening immediately
declaring Chopin’s harmonic daring. The movement that grows out of this
statement is a dramatic and satisfying one; Oldenburg gives a musical
and accomplished performance, but seems reluctant to emphasise its drama.
That tendency, perhaps a Classical rather than Romantic view of these
works, persists throughout this and the 3rd Sonata, so that
the ultimate impression is of small-scale, perhaps rather limited performances.
However, let’s be clear; Oldenburg may not be the most imaginative
of pianists – compared say to a Pollini or an Argerich - but he understands
this music, how it is put together, what makes it tick. What you get
may be fairly low-octane, but it is genuinely stylish, intelligent playing,
and technically superb too (e.g. the glittering Scherzo of the 3rd
Sonata, track 10). Rather disarmingly, though slightly oddly, these
mighty works are followed by three of Chopin’s tiniest works, the Ecossaises,
op. 72 no.3., all of them totalling 2:24!
The 24 Preludes of op.28, in their miniaturist perfection
of form and expression, make a welcome contrast to the structural inconsistencies
of the Sonatas, great though those works are. The pianist is Paolo Giacometti,
last heard in the Concertos on Disc 9, and equally successful here in
these pieces at the opposite end of the Chopin spectrum. The preludes
are a huge challenge for a pianist, in that they are mostly so short,
yet each one has to be immediately characterised so very sharply. I
felt Giacometti was able to do this wonderfully well, and that in addition,
there is a feeling of an unbroken chain of thoughts, almost as if they
had been recorded at one sitting. This may be an illusion, but if so,
it is one that works remarkably well. The recording for this disc seems
closer than that of the others, sometimes uncomfortably so; there’s
quite a bit of ‘mechanical’ noise, as well as some distortion at climaxes,
e.g. in the ‘Raindrop’ prelude. The booklet, again, lets us down here;
the lovely ‘extra’ prelude, op.45 in C# minor is included, but no mention
of it. Giacometti, though, is a performer whom I would pay good money,
and lots of it if necessary, to hear again. He is simply masterly.
The final disc features yet another Dutch pianist,
Pieter van Winkel, performing the Ballades and Impromptus. For me, the
Ballades represent the very summit of Chopin’s achievement; not only
do they exploit the potential of the piano in an unprecedented way,
they point the way forward to the more subtly descriptive music of the
late 19th and early 20th century, such as that
by Grieg, Sibelius and Debussy. Winkel turns in really fine performances;
passionate, sensitive and imaginative, with a wide tonal range. He is
particularly good at portraying the sinister undertones of pieces such
as the first Ballade. The Impromptus are less searching music, revelling
as they do in surface brilliance and pianistic sonorities; Winkel brings
out their beauties with equal assurance. The disc is completed, appropriately
enough, by a final group of Mazurkas, those of op. 59 and 63, played
once more by Cor de Groot on the 1847 Pleyel.
It’s been a marathon but deeply enjoyable and instructive
experience listening to these recordings. It has confirmed for me Chopin’s
rightful place as one of the supreme masters of 19th century
music, and one of the very most influential. It has also opened my eyes
to the impressive number of fine pianists to have emerged from Holland
in recent years, something of which I was quite unaware. Above all,
this set is a major achievement, for which all lovers of the piano and
of Chopin’s music should salute Brilliant. Financially, it represents
almost unbelievable value (£32.99 at Amazon UK or $28.57 at Berkshire
Record Outlet) and musically, it is simply a gold-mine.
Gwyn Parry-Jones
COMPLETE CONTENTS
CD1
1. Introduction & Variations on
"Je Vends des scapulaires"
from Hérold's "Ludovic",
in B flat major Op. 12
2. Rondo in C minor Op. 1
3. Variations sur un air national allemand,
in E major Op. Posth.
4. Ronoo a la Mazur, in F major Op. 5
5. Allegro de Concert Op. 46
6. Bolero in C major Op. 19
7. Introduction & Rondo in C minor Op. 16
8. Tarantella in A flat major Op. 43
9. Souvenir de Paganini
Total time [74'35]
Frank van de Laar, piano
Producer: Pieter van Winkel
Recording engineer & editor: Peter Arts
Recorded: 29 September, 12-13 October
Muziekcentrum Frits Philips, Eindhoven
CD2 - POLONAISES
1. Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante
Op. 22 in E flat major
2. Polonaise Op. 26 No. 1 in C sharp minor
3. Polonaise Op. 26 No. 2 in E flat minor
4. Polonaise Op. 40 No. 1 in A major "Military"
5. Polonaise Op. 40 No. 2 in C minor
6. Polonaise Op. 44 in F sharp minor
7. Polonaise Op. 53 in A flat major "Heroic"
8. Polonaise-Fantaisie Op. 61 in A flat major
Total time: [77'14]
Folke Nauta, piano
Producer: Pieter van Winkel
Recording engineer & editor: Peter Arts
Recorded: 21 June, 11 September 1998
Rotterdam Conservatorium
CD3 - ETUDES
12 Etudes Op. 10 (a son ami Franz Liszt)
1. No. 1 in C major, allegro
2. No. 2 in A minor, allegro
3. No. 3 in E major, lento ma non troppo
4. No. 4 in C sharp minor, presto
5. No. 5 in G flat major, vivace
6. No. 6 in E flat minor, andante con molto espressione
7. No. 7 in C major, vivace
8. No. 8 in F major, allegro
9. No. 9 in F minor, allegro molto agitato
10. No. 10 in A flat major, vivace assai
11. No. 11 in E flat major, allegretto
12. No. 12 in C minor, allegro con fuoco
12 Etudes Op. 25 (A Madame la Comtesse d'Agoult)
13. No. 1 in A flat major, allegro sostenuto
14. No. 2 in F minor, presto
15. No. 3 in F major, allegro
16. No. 4 in A minor, agitato
17. No. 5 in E minor, vivace
18. No. 6 in G sharp minor, allegro
19. No. 7 in C sharp minor, lento
20. No. 8 in D flat major, vivace assai
21. No. 9 in G flat major, allegro assai
22. No. 10 in B minor, allegro con fuoco
23. No. 11 in A minor, allegro con brio
24. No. 12 in C minor, allegro molto con fuoco
Trois Nouvelles Études,
composées pour la Méthode de Moscheles et Fétis
25. No. 1 in F minor, andantino
26. No. 2 in D flat major, allegretto
27. No. 3 in A flat major, allegretto
Total time: [68'16]
Martijn van den Hoek, piano
Producer: Pieter van Winkel
Recording engineer & editor: Peter Arts
Recorded: 3-6 October 1998
Rotterdam Conservatory Muziekcentrum Frits Philips, Eindhoven
CD4 - NOCTURNES
Op. 9, 15,32,62, Op. Posth.
1. Nocturne Op. 9 No. 1 in B flat minor
2. Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 in E flat major
3. Nocturne Op. 9 No. 3 in B major
4. Nocturne in E minor Op. 72 No. 1
5. Nocturne Op. 15 No. 1 in F major
6. Nocturne Op. 15 No. 2 in F sharp major
7. Nocturne Op. 15 No. 3 in G minor
8. Nocturne Op. 32 No. 1 in B major
9. Nocturne Op. 32 No. 2 in A flat major
10. Nocturne Op. 62 No. 1 in B major
11. Nocturne Op. 62 No. 2 in E major
12. Nocturne in C sharp Op. Posth.
Total time: [58'21]
Bart van Oort, piano
Piano: Pleyel 1842
Producer: Pieter van Winkel
Recording engineer & editor: Peter Arts
Recorded: 1 / 2 September 1998
Maria Minor, Utrecht
CD5 - NOCTURNES
1. Nocturne Op. 27 No. 1 in C sharp minor
2. Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 in D flat major
3. Nocturne Op. 37 No. 1 in G minor
4. Nocturne Op. 37 No. 2 in G major
5. Nocturne Op. 48 No. 1 in C minor
6. Nocturne Op. 48 No. 2 in F sharp minor
7. Nocturne Op. 55 No. 1 in F minor
8. Nocturne Op. 55 No. 2 in E flat major
9. Nocturne in C minor Op. Posth.
10. Nocturne in C sharp minor Op. Posth.
Total time: [53'38]
Yoram Ish-Hurwitz, piano
Producer: Pieter van Winkel
Recording engineer & editor: Peter Arts
Recorded: 8 / 9 September 1998
Bachzaal, Amsterdam
CD6
1. Scherzo No. 1 in B minor Op. 20
2. Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor Op. 31
3. Scherzo No. 3 in C sharp minor Op. 39
4. Scherzo No. 4 in E major Op. 54
5. Fantasy in F minor Op. 49
6. Berceuse in D flat major Op. 57
7. Barcarolle in F sharp major Op. 60
Total time: [63'11]
Alwin Bär, piano
Producer: Pieter van Winkel
Recording engineer & editor: Peter Arts
Recorded: 11 / 12 August 1998
Bachzaal, Amsterdam
CD7 - WALTZES
1. Grande Valse Brillante en E flat major Op. 18
2. Valse Brillante in A flat major Op. 34 No. 1
3. Valse in A minor Op. 34 No. 2
4. Valse Brillante in F major Op. 34 No. 3
5. Grande Valse in A flat major Op. 42
6. Valse in D flat major Op. 64 No.1 "Minute Waltz"
7. Valse in C sharp major Op.64 No.2
8. Valse in A flat major Op. 64 No. 3
9. Valse in A flat major Op. 69 No. 1
10. Valse in B minor Op. 69 No. 2
11. Valse brillante in G flat major Op. 70 No. 1
12. Valse in A flat major Brown Index 21
13. Valse in D flat major Op. 70 No. 3
14. Valse in E minor Op. Posth.
15. Valse in E major, Brown Index 44
16. Valse in A minor, Brown Index 150
17. Valse in E flat major, Brown Index 133
18. Valse in E flat major. Op. Posth.
Total time: [58'17]
Martijn van den Hoek, piano
Producer: Pieter van Winkel
Recording engineer & editor: Peter Arts
Recorded: 30 / 31 May 1998
Rotterdam Conservatory
CD8 - MAZURKAS
1. Mazurka Op. 6 No. 1 in F sharp minor
2. Mazurka Op. 6 No. 2 in C sharp minor
3. Mazurka Op. 6 No. 3 in E major
4. Mazurka Op. 6 No. 4 in E flat minor
5. Mazurka Op. 7 No. 1 in B flat major
6. Mazurka Op. 7 No. 2 in A minor
7. Mazurka Op. 7 No. 3 in F minor
8. Mazurka Op. 7 No. 4 in A flat major
9. Mazurka Op. 7 No. 5 in C major
10. Mazurka Op. 17 No. 1 in B flat major
11. Mazurka Op. 17 No. 2 in E minor
12. Mazurka Op. 17 No. 3 in A flat major
13. Mazurka Op. 17 No. 4 in A minor
14. Mazurka Op. 24 No. 1 in G minor
15. Mazurka Op. 24 No. 2 in C major
16. Mazurka Op. 24 No. 3 in A flat major
17. Mazurka Op. 24 No. 4 in B flat minor
18. Mazurka Op. 30 No. 1 in C minor
19. Mazurka Op. 30 No. 2 in B minor
20. Mazurka Op. 30 No. 3 in D flat major
21. Mazurka Op. 30 No. 4 in C sharp minor
22. Mazurka Op. 33 No. 1 in G sharp minor
23. Mazurka Op. 33 No. 2 in D major
24. Mazurka Op. 33 No. 3 in C major
25. Mazurka Op. 33 No. 4 in B minor
26. Mazurka Op. 41 No. 1 in C sharp minor
27. Mazurka Op. 41 No. 2 in E minor
28. Mazurka Op. 41 No. 3 in B major
29. Mazurka Op. 41 No. 4 in A flat major
Total time: [74'02]
Cor de Groot, piano (Pleyel 1847)
Recorded: October / November 1988
Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
Recording producer & engineer: Dick van Schuppen
CD9 - PIANO CONCERTOS 1 & 2
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Op. 11
1. Allegro maestoso
2. Romance, larghetto
3. Rondo, vivace
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor Op. 21
4. Maestoso
5. Larghetto
6. Allegro vivace
Total time:[ 73'02]
Paolo Giacometti, piano
Rotterdam Young Philharmonic, Arie van Beek
Recording producer & engineer: C. Jared Sacks
Recorded: 26 / 27 June 1998
Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht
CD 10 - WORKS FOR PIANO & ORCHESTRA
1. Variations on Mozart's "La ci darem la mano",
in B flat major Op. 2
2. Fantasia on Polsih Airs, in A major Op. 13
3. Krakowiak, in F major Op. 14
4. Mazurka Op. 50 No. 1 in G major
5. Mazurka Op. 50 No. 2 inA flat major
6. Mazruka Op. 50 No. 3 in C sharp minor
7. Mazurka Op. 56 No. 1 in B major
8. Mazurka Op. 56 No. 2 in C major
9. Mazurka Op. 56 No. 3 in C minor
Total time: [72'13]
Arthur Moreira, piano (1-3)
Sofia Philharmonic, Dimiter Manolov (1-3)
Cor de Groot, piano (Pleyel 1847) (4-9)
CD11 - PIANO SONATAS 1-2-3
Piano Sonata No. 1 in C minor Op. 4
1. Allegro maestoso
2. Menuetto
3. Larghetto
4. Finale
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor Op. 35
5. Grave-doppio movimento
6. Scherzo
7. Marche funebre-lento
8. Finale, presto
Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor Op. 58
9. Allegro maestoso
10. Scherzo, molto vivace
11. Largo
12. Finale
3 Écossaises, Op. 72 No. 3
13. No. 1 in D major
14. No. 2 in G major
15. No. 3 in D flat major
Total time: [79'11]
Fred Oldenburg, piano
Recording producer: Pieter van Winkel
Recording engineer: Peter Arts
Editor: Fred Oldenburg, Peter Arts
Recorded: 20 / 22 July 1998
Muziekcentrum Frits Philips, Eindhoven
CD12 - PRELUDES OP. 28
1. No. 1 in C major, Agitato
2. No. 2 in A minor, Lento
3. No. 3 in G major, Vivace
4. No. 4 in E minor, Largo
5. No. 5 in D major, Allegro molto
6. No. 6 in B minor, Lento assai
7. No. 7 in A major, Andantino
8. No. 8 in F sharp minor, Molto agitato
9. No. 9 in E major, Largo
10. No. 10 in C sharp minor, Allegro molto
11. No. 11 in B major, Vivace
12. No. 12 in G sharp minor, Presto
13. No. 13 in F sharp major, Lento
14. No. 14 in E flat minor, Allegro
15. No. 15 in D flat major, Sostenuto
16. No. 16 in B flat minor, Presto con fuoco
17. No. 17 in A flat major, Allegretto
18. No. 18 in F minor, Allegro molto
19. No. 19 in E flat major, Vivace
20. No. 20 in C minor, Largo
21. No. 21 in B flat major, Cantabile
22. No. 22 in G minor, Molto agitato
23. No. 23 in F major, Moderato
24. No. 24 in D minor, Allegro appassionato
25. Prelude in C sharp minor Op. 45
Total time: [41'00]
Paolo Giacometti, piano
Recorded: Maria Minor, Utrecht
5 / 6 October 1998
Recording producer & engineer: C. Jared Sacks
CD13 - BALLADES & IMPROMPTUS
1. Ballade No. 1 in G minor Op. 23
2. Ballade No. 2 in F major Op. 38
3. Ballade No. 3 in A flat major Op. 47
4. Ballade No. 4 in F minor Op. 52
5. Impromptu No. 1 in A flat major Op. 29
6. Impromptu No. 2 in F sharp major Op. 36
7. Impromptu No. 3 in G flat major Op. 51
8. Fantaisie-Impromptu No. 4 in C sharp minor Op. 66
9. Mazurka Op. 59 No. 1 in A minor
10. Mazurka Op. 59 No. 2 in A flat major
11. Mazurka Op. 59 No. 3 in F sharp minor
12. Mazurka Op. 63 No. 1 in B major
13. Mazurka Op. 63 No. 2 in F minor
14. Mazurka Op. 63 No. 3 in C sharp minor
Total time: [73'45]
Pieter van Winkel, piano (1-8)
Cor de Groot, piano (Pleyel 1847) ( 9-14)
Recording producer & engineer: Peter Arts
Recorded:
23 / 24 July, 1998
Muziekcentrum Frits Philips, Eindhoven (1-8)
October 1998
Gemeentemuseum Den Haag (9-14)
Various performers