MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

REVIEW
Plain text for smartphones & printers


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

Support us financially by purchasing this disc from
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Legendary Rubinstein!
Complete Nocturnes and Mazurkas
Artur Rubinstein (piano)
rec. Nocturnes: 1936-7; Mazurkas: 1938-9, Abbey Road Studio, London
EMI Classics 730250 2 [3 CDs: 77:38 + 72:43 + 62:03]

The title 'Legendary Rubinstein!' seems absolutely right for a Chopin recital from the great pianist but be warned. Various marketing departments have used this title several times before, as a cursory glance at the results of an internet search will confirm. This collection of three CDs featuring the complete Nocturnes and Mazurkas is actually an historical issue of recordings dating from the late 1930s. Rubinstein's career extended right up towards his death in 1982. Curiously for a tribute album, nowhere does the accompanying booklet give his dates. 

That said, in many respects the booklet is rather good. With so many shorter pieces - there are no fewer than 19 Nocturnes and 51 Mazurkas - the listings of the tracks and the identification of the compositions need to be clearly articulated and laid out on the page, as indeed they are. The details of the recordings, the re-masterings and the engineers are all included, though inevitably some details of these have disappeared with the passing of so many years. There is an admirable essay by Max Harrison, which explains Rubinstein's career in the context of the 1930s when these recordings were made. This then proceeds to introduce the music generally in a lucid and informative manner. Too often these 'tribute albums' concentrate solely on the artist in their booklet notes - the recent Klemperer Bruckner collection, also from EMI, being a case in point. Here the balance between artist and music is perfectly judged, and is a model of its kind.
 
Essentially there are two issues to consider about these recorded performances, and they amount to the music and the recorded sound. The piano sound is accurate but the re-masterings generally opt for this priority over that of atmosphere. Consequently the sound is somewhat unforgiving, except that occasionally - as in the F sharp Nocturne Op. 15 No. 2 - there is a 'frying tonight' background. The same is true of the Mazurkas, whose sound is admirably clear, if allowance is made regarding atmosphere.
 
The set forms a complete collection and is valuable in that regard, especially at bargain price. Moreover, Rubinstein had studied the music afresh at this stage of the career and the performances are thoughtful, imaginative and peerless. All that is lacking is subtlety of piano sound, and with it the subtlety of dynamic shading that only a more modern recording could provide. Rubinstein himself did make such recordings in the post-war era.
 
To conclude: this collection offers excellent value and wonderful performances, but it comes with a health warning about the quality of the recorded sound.
 
Terry Barfoot