Artur Rubinstein - The Chopin Collection: The Sonatas, Fantaisie in F Minor

Chopin (Artist), Rubinstein (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000003EO1
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,293 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35 ('Funeral March'): Grave; Doppio movimento

2. Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35 ('Funeral March'): Scherzo

3. Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35 ('Funeral March'): Marche funčbre

4. Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35 ('Funeral March'): Presto

5. Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: Allegro maestoso

6. Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: Scherzo

7. Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: Largo

8. Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: Finale

9. Fantaisie in F Minor, Op. 49

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chopin of the First Rank from Rubinstein, May 21, 2009

By 

Hank Drake (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Artur Rubinstein - The Chopin Collection: The Sonatas, Fantaisie in F Minor (Audio CD)

Rubinstein never recorded Chopin's First Sonata, which was written when the composer was still a teenager. That piece is largely, and justifiably, forgotten. Chopin's Second Sonata, with its famous Funeral March, figured prominently in his repertoire. He first recorded the work in 1946, a harsh sounding, overdriven performance. The present version dates from 1961 and shows the pianist near his autumnal prime. Rubinstein wisely avoids the first movement repeat, and his tempos are well chosen. This is, on the whole, a rather more mellow reading of this work than one is accustomed to hearing, with a restrained Funeral March. Other fine recordings of this work include Rubinstein's "live" version from Moscow in 1964, Horowitz's 1962 recording on Sony, and the mightiest Chopin Sonata of them all: Rachmaninoff's 1935 RCA recording.

Chopin's Third Sonata figured somewhat less prominently in Rubinstein's repertoire, and this is his only recording of the work. Many of the same attributes from the companion Second Sonata are here also: natural sense of phrasing and tempos, understanding of structural relationships, solid technique, and Rubinstein's inimitable gorgeous tone. The pianist avoids the trap of playing the outer movements too quickly, which would underpin their dramatic effect. Collectors of fine Chopin playing on CD would do well to obtain this version, in addition to Kapell's outstanding mono version on RCA.

The Fantasie in F Minor is a fine makeweight to a fulfilling Chopin recital.

The original producer, Max Wilcox, was in charge of remastering this recording from the original session tapes. Somehow, the Fantasie in F Minor does not sound as "alive" sonically as the Sonatas, perhaps due to overly close microphone placement. But it's pretty impressive given the age of the recordings.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars rubinstein plays chopin sonatas, May 11, 2002

By 

robert radina (st. louis, mo. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Artur Rubinstein - The Chopin Collection: The Sonatas, Fantaisie in F Minor (Audio CD)

The best sui generis of the chopin collection on a par with his performance of the chopin ballades.
The fidelity while not state of the art by todays standards is otherwise excellent and in no way interferes with the enjoyment of this master of chopin.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overly Senior Chopin Sonatas & Fantaisie, September 27, 2008

By 

C. Pontus T. (SE/Asia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Artur Rubinstein - The Chopin Collection: The Sonatas, Fantaisie in F Minor (Audio CD)

With Rubinstein, one can be sure there is always generous beauty of tone, legato and balanced phrasing. This takes you a long way in Chopin, not least in comparison to most of today's digital and note-perfect but largely heartless Chopin players--yes, indeed I'm referring to Yundi Li, Lang Lang and to some extent also Andsnes as well as, it breaks my heart to write it, Kissin of recent years. However, to get the full measure of the incomparable geniality of Chopin's piano textures, there is also a great deal of imagination and sheer energy needed. Here is where the very senior Rubinstein is yielding to the likes of Ohlsson and Argerich.

This lack of imagination and sheer energy are most evident in the cracking Second Sonata. Consequently, the comparatively more well-balanced and smooth sonorities of the Third Sonata are far better suited to Rubinstein's slightly undynamic pianism--very beautiful indeed in the generous lyricism of the first and third movements. The fact that Rubinstein was no less than 74 years old at the time of recording the Sonatas probably explains a lot. Just compare with the explosive 1946 version of the Second Sonata (included as the 11th 'bonus' disc in the unbelievably inexpensive The Chopin Collection--less than $30 on amazon.com!), which is not only one higher level in terms of dynamism and liveliness.

The nearly 50-year-old recording has worn its age quite well. On a final note, Rubinstein's Fantaisie unfortunately is a strong non-recommendation. His seniority is in this case combined with an inapt sense of impatience, which suites the chorale B-major middle section particularly ill.