Customer Reviews

The Chopin Collection

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This 11 CD set is absolutely fabulous. Artur Rubinstein was a great pianist, and he was at his best with Chopin. You simply will not hear better performances of Chopin than these. That is not just *my* opinion; he is widely regarded as one of the greatest interpreters of Chopin of all time. Just do a quick online search if you doubt this, and look at reviews of his other CD releases of Chopin pieces here at Amazon.com.

This is all of the pieces of Chopin that Rubinstein recorded, though it is not all of the recordings he did of Chopin (he recorded some pieces more than once; many of his earlier mono recordings are not included), and it is not all of the pieces that Chopin wrote (because Rubinstein never recorded all of what Chopin wrote). If one wants all of the works of Chopin, one should still buy this set, but one would need to buy a few other CDs of other people performing the few pieces of Chopin that Rubinstein never recorded.

10 of the 11 discs were recorded in the late 1950's & 1960's in good quality stereo sound (though obviously not as high fidelity as is possible now). The last disc was recorded in the 1940's, so the sound is not great, and is mono. Nevertheless, it is still listenable, and the performances are still superb.

It comes with a nice, informative, multi-lingual booklet. English is one of the included languages.

You should buy this set before they raise the price; it is great. This set would be worth buying even if they charged normal retail prices for the CDs (which would be somewhere around $200 for this many discs). I bought an earlier release of this set for around $100 some years ago, and was very happy with the deal. (My brother bought a set of this release, so I know about this particular release, too, and that it includes a multi-lingual booklet, etc.) At the price Amazon is currently selling it, buy before they change their minds and charge what it is really worth!

If you like Chopin, the only way you could possibly be disappointed with this is if you must have current state of the art sound quality, or you have deviant taste in how Chopin should be performed. There simply is no other way you could be dissatisfied.

It's somewhat dismaying to read reviews that begin with something like "Obviously, Rubinstein was a great famous pianist, and this is one of the greatest Chopin recordings EVER!" Clearly, there's no argument with the opening - Rubinstein was one of the titans of the keyboard during the 20th century, and many of his recordings still provide tremendous enjoyment. But for this listener, these justly famous recordings of Chopin - far from complete - are neither the finest examples of this pianist's legacy nor the finest recordings of the works themselves.

I highly recommend this set for the casual listener, who wants to have some Chopin in his or her collection. You can pick it up on amazon currently for about $21 (for 11 discs!!) For that price, this set will sate your appetite, and provide hours - if not a lifetime - of listening pleasure.

For the student of music, or piano, or simply the more discerning listener/collector, this set should be - and needs to be - heard in context. Rubinstein was in his "early" senior years when the recordings were made. Gone is the flamboyance, and risk taking of his youth. In its place was a golden, burnished piano tone, and careful - oh so careful - playing. Careful is good. Careful is meticulous. Careful is boring.

There are those who will jump all over me for suggesting this (particularly those who end the first sentence of their review with the word "EVER!") but there is a monotony associated with this set of recordings - a beautiful monotony to be sure, but a monotony none the less. The playing works for the beautiful Nocturnes and Waltzes, but is far less successful for, say, the Mazurkas which sound like cocktail hour at a senior center.

After two or three discs all the playing begins to sound the same. By five discs it sounds like an interminable concert of notes written by Chopin. Halfway through, you may fall asleep. Beauty without drama has a tendency to become deadly. For fans of Rubinstein - and I count myself as one of his bigger ones out there, I strongly suggest you explore the recently re-issued remasters from the Rubinstein Collection. While sound quality of the earliest recordings in the series varies - the 1930s recordings of the Mazurkas for example - most of the discs sound very, very good. It's the playing, the musicianship, that is in a different league. You can practically see the townsfolk dance to these Mazurkas as you listen to Rubinstein's gleeful, swinging playing from his youth.

These justly famous recordings from the 1960s - Rubinstein's only stereo recordings of Chopin - do not represent this great artist in his prime - this is the playing of an elder stateman. For pop fans, it would be like gaining your inital exposure to Paul McCartney through a listen of Chaos and Confusion In The Backyard and wondering what all the fuss over Beatlemania was about. It's pretty, yet bland - and hardly memorable. Unfortunately, this is true of Rubinstein's final recordings of Chopin as well.

(Although Rubinstein was capable of stupendous playing in his later years, he seldom attained such heights in the controlled legacy atmosphere of the studio. Check out his famous Carnegie Hall concert Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 42or the rarer, and God-like playing of his 1960s Moscow concert Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 62: Recital in Moscow. Better yet, WATCH Rubinstein in Moscow on this recently issued DVD of the performance Classic Archive: Artur Rubinstein - The Legendary Moscow Recital

In conclusion - this is a fine introductory purchase, or second set for the bookshelf. For lovers of the piano however, I strongly urge readers to heed the advice of another reviewer for this listing C. Pontis Tholin (as I did) and explore Garrick Ohlsson's magnificent traversal of Chopin music - all of it. Ohllson's recordings dust off this music and take it out of the salon. His performances sparkle, and provide each and every work with a distinquishing sparkle and personality, bringing Chopin to life as never before. Complete Works Truly revelatory. If you're interested, make sure you check out the pricing at amazon.com/uk. (NOTE - 6/10 - The Ohlsson set is routinely listed on Amazon for about $62 from an overseasl vendor who is reliable - I know because I purchased a set from this vendor as gift for a friend! - At this price, the Hyperion set is a steal)

For Rubinstein lovers, let me also recommend Harvey Sachs' great biography of the master, which you can currently pick up on amazon for a little over a dollar. A great read, Sachs' biography will further your appreciation of this great artist and his music.

There may be better (according to your taste) individual recordings of Chopin's works contained in this set, but not that much better, and certainly not at this price. Artists such as Arrau (Etudes, which aren't in this set & his darker Nocturnes), Moravec's Ballades, Michelangeli's Sonata No.2, Kapell's Mazurkas & Pollini's Preludes come to mind. That being said, Rubinstein's interpretations of all of these works are also outstanding, and nobody can touch him on the Waltzes (well, maybe Lipatti). The only minor disappointment of this set is the subpar recording quality of the Preludes, but the playing of them is still very nice and quite listenable. If you don't already own these works, this is definately the place to start (especially at less than $3 a CD), and if you don't know Rubinstein's sophisticated and aristrocratic readings of Chopin, you must see what you're missing. Highly recommended.

**At the time I printed this review the price was $27.99**

Perhaps no other pianist is so indelibly linked to one composer's music than Artur Rubinstein is to the works of Chopin. One might think of Glenn Gould & Bach, but even the renowned Canadian virtuoso's recordings of JSB are not held in such high esteem as Rubinstein's Chopin catalog. Rubinstein has such an affinity for this music,and performs the works with such a master's touch, that the listener immediately developes an especially affectionate bond with this marvellous 11-cd set from RCA Victor.These performances are some of the absolutely great treasures in the history of recorded music. They have such a wide appeal that they instantly become a must have for your cd library, made all the more tempting by the super-bargain price offered on this re-mastered box set.
Highly recommended & definitely not to be missed!

At less than $30, this has to be one of the greatest bargains currently out there. For many lovers of Chopin and piano playing, Rubinstein's late 1950s/early 1960s RCA survey is the Bible. Undoubtedly, it contains some godly Chopin playing. However, there is too much unevenness and lack of drama for this cycle to live up to its reference status.

Indeed, this is a Chopin Collection and not a complete survey, missing the Etudes, Rondos, Variations, early Polonaises, First Sonata, concert fantasies, chamber music as well as some miscellaneous pieces--most notably the Op post Nocturnes, Mazurkas, Waltzes and Prelude, plus the Op 45 Prelude and Allegro de concert. In contrast to the Ashkenazy set, this collection includes the two Concertos.

Particularly Rubinstein's Waltzes, Mazurkas and Nocturnes are often claimed to be of reference standard (persistently so both by Jed Distler and the Penguin Guide). Indeed, some of them are excellent (the Opp 59 and 68 Mazurkas as well as the Opp 27/2 and 48/1 Nocturnes), whereas too many suffer from what I would call a general lack of drama--that is underplayed contrasts in tempo, dynamics and above articulation (the Waltzes annoyingly much so). Rubinstein tends to play everything in a similarly smooth manner with an unfailing beauty of tone; hence, the results are never less than comfortable. However, the individual imagination--and thus memorableness--of the likes of Ohlsson, Moravec, Pogorelich, and even to some extent Ashkenazy, seldom surfaces. At times, the adjectives tired and feeble may even be used (if truth be told, Mr Rubinstein was no less than between 71 and 80 years old when recording this collection). A striking example emerges when comparing the revolutionary Second and maturely bel canto Third Sonatas: Rubinstein is truly at home in the luxurious sonorities of the Third, whereas the Second is plain bland. Even more interesting is to compare the 1946 mono version with the 1961 stereo version (both of which are included in the collection), where the former completely outshines the latter in terms of dynamism and liveliness. This actually seems to be true in general for Rubinstein's mono Chopin renditions, even though I admittedly have severe problems with the very mono sound.

Notwithstanding the above said, Rubinstein gives us truly spiritual accounts of the Barcarolle, Berceuse, Op 53 Polonaise as well as the Andante spianato & Grand Polonaise. Luckily, the recorded sound is surprisingly good considering its age and the label--in fact, if somewhat dynamically constricted, largely preferable both to the metallic Decca sound given to Ashkenazy's cycle (Chopin: The Piano Works) and above all to the boxy and clunky Naxos sound in the Biret survey (Chopin: Complete Piano Music). Again acknowledging the unbeatable value of this Chopin Collection, it still cannot compare with Ohlsson's reference series for Arabesque, recorded in the most glorious sound on an impeccable Bösendorfer instrument--due to be issued as a boxed set by Hyperion on 11 November (Complete Works, actually already released in the UK at a real bargain price!).

Rubinstein made studio recordings of Chopin's piano works during three distinct periods: early recordings during 1928-1939, a more mature series of mono recordings from 1946 to 1958, and then a series of stereo retakes from 1959 to 1967. I largely agree with G Engler's review for the thoughtful comments on Rubinstein's playing at various phases in his career.

The more extensive and relatively complete sets of the named genres are dated as follows:
--Scherzos: 1932, 1949, and 1959;
--Polonaises: 1934-35, 1950-51, and 1964;
--Nocturnes: 1936-37, 1949-50, and 1965;
--Mazurkas: 1938-39, 1952-53, and 1965-66;
--Waltzes: 1953, and 1963; and
--Impromptus: 1953-54, and 1964.
(I'm aware of only the 1959 complete set of the Ballades.)

To some extent I can understand people's desire for the very best recording technology, but to me this is always of *much* less consequence than the playing itself. I'm willing to put up with some pretty mediocre audio quality for listening to musicianship that strikes me as sympathetically reflecting the composer's background, intent and mood, but I have no time for the best SACD renditions of many popular and acclaimed performers I can think of. Music is never just notes to be played, no matter how technically skillful the performer.

None of Rubinstein's different Chopin recordings can be considered "youthful" - he was already 40 years old when he began these earliest recordings. Nevertheless there are clearly many stylistic differences between his playing in the 1930s and that of the two later series. Unfortunately - and it is indeed unfortunate - by the time Rubinstein began re-recording much of his Chopin in stereo, to replace the mostly discontinued monos that can now be difficult to find, his playing had become, as Engler says, careful, polished, and bland.

But I don't think this description is true of his second mono series. I find the earliest recordings from the 1930s to be both interesting and generally exciting, but if there's such a thing as "definitive" Rubinstein playing Chopin, it's the work he did from the mid-1940s to the mid-'50s. By then his style had settled down, and he knew how he wanted to approach the various pieces, but he still retained his verve and élan that tend to go missing in the later stereos, even though stylistically the two later sets are generally quite similar. For all that the stereos may be more pleasing to audiophiles, the mid-period mono series has much more satisfying playing.

In a way we have Rubinstein to look to for our present sense of what Chopin should sound like. In their own times, Paderewski and then Cortot were each held out to be the most Chopinesque of interpreters - but neither sounds much like the other, or much like Rubinstein, and both can seem foreign to our modern ears. Most Chopin that we now hear is directly descended from Rubinstein's pioneering interpretation and playing.

-------------------
Addendum:
Several reviewers have noted (or complained) that unlike some newer recordings of Chopin by other pianists, various musical genres and individual pieces are missing from this box, or from other sources of Rubinstein's playing. The explanation for this is simple. Rubinstein played and recorded before RCA and other labels started demanding that performers record complete-absolutely-everything of a composer, and thus he played only those pieces that he personally liked and felt comfortable with.

He did record, specifically as sets, the 4 Ballades, the 4 Scherzos, the 51 Mazurkas, 19 of the 21 Nocturnes, 14 of the 19 Waltzes, and 7 of the various Polonaises. He made one recording, in 1946, of 24 of the 26 Preludes; and he never recorded either of the two sets of Etudes at all. Most of these pieces were written by Chopin at different times, and have been given different opus numbers; it's not conceivable that Chopin ever imagined anyone playing, or listening to, more than two hours of mazurkas at one sitting, one right after another.

Much of Rubinstein's Schumann and virtually all of his Brahms piano pieces are sublime - more than any other pianist I know of, Rubinstein manages to inhabit the living spirit of Brahms - but here he was far choosier in which pieces he wanted to play and felt entirely comfortable with. He recorded this and that from here and there - so that altogether there are very few of them, and none at all of the Brahms as a set.

Just enjoy what he chose to give us - and wish that the "outdated" second mono series of Chopin were not so difficult to find and collect. This is not Rubinstein's fault, but rather a lack of due appreciation by RCA.

Rubinstein's stereo cycle of Chopin's recordings has been issued in boxed set for several times, starting with this version. In three respects, this cannot be considered a complete issue: Rubinstein didn't record the Op. 10 & 25 Etudes, he did not record peripheral works like the First Sonata, and this set does not include early stereo versions of the Berceuse and Trois Nouvelles Etudes from the 1950s (in both cases, there are 1960s versions here).

It's no surprise that RCA would choose Rubinstein's last cycle of these works for reissue: recorded in stereo, they are easy to market to a generation accustomed to excellent sound (indeed, some would only consider DDD recordings, leaving this out of consideration). But Rubinstein changed over time, he matured and mellowed, and by the time these recordings were made, he was already considered the elder statesman of Chopin interpreters. In general, his later approach is better suited to larger scale works like the Sonatas, but I prefer the spontaneity of his trailblazing 1930s versions of the Nocturnes, Mazurkas, and Scherzos, and the controlled fire of his 1950s set of Polonaises. There is one mono disc in this set, from 1946, including Rubinstein's first recording of the Sonata, Op 35, and his only version of the Preludes, Op. 28 -- neither of which show the pianist at his best.

These recordings were originally issued as complete sets by genre, and RCA mostly follows the original programming concept (with the exception that the Mazurkas and Nocturnes are published on 2 CDs instead of 3 LPs). While this makes sense from a collector's perspective, I can't imagine wanting to to listen to all of the Nocturnes or Mazurkas in a row. (It would be nice if Sony would issue a box of some of Rubinstein's more imaginatively programmed albums, like the French Recital, Brahms I Love, and Chopin I Love series.) The sound here is from Rubinstein producer Max Wilcox's 1980s remastering of Rubinstein's recordings, which faithfully reproduces the pianist's distinct tone, although it has a bit less presence than BMG's 1999 remastering.

I know what I like, and I like this set of recordings! Rubenstein knew the music of Chopin intimately, and it shows in these fine recordings. Of the 11 disks, only one has recordings from 1946, and it has been digitally remastered so the sound is good. The remaining disks have recordings from the mid-50's to the mid-60's. They too have been digitally remastered and the sound is impressive! [For those readers who were not around in the 50's and 60's, we had impressive sound, not the scratchy recordings of the 20's and 30's.] Rubinstein was a master interpreter when it came to the music of Chopin. I have disks performed by other artists, often excellent, but Rubinstein remains at the top.

Often, I read reviews from self-proclaimed experts who think their expertise is the end-all of advice. I'm not saying their comments should be disregarded, but use caution and common sense when reading such advice. One reviewer says that the music Rubenstein produces is boring and will eventually put you to sleep. It just doesn't affect me that way, unless it is indeed bedtime. Many times I find that the vast majority of reviewers are entranced by a recording, with one or two nit-picking a magnificent production. There are nit-pickers in all fields - recordings are not exempt. This is true value - in cost, and in listening experience!

unfortunately the amazon 'update product info' page doesn't include the ability to offer more accurate track listing information.
their list needed cleaning up in a few places. i added disc numbers, and renumbered the tracks using the box set liner notes booklet disc & track listing for reference & verification. here are the results for anyone interested.

Disc 1
1. Nocturnes Op.9 No.1 In B-Flat Minor
2. Nocturnes Op.9 No.2 In E-Flat
3. Nocturnes Op.9 No.3 In B
4. Nocturnes Op.15 No.1 In F
5. Nocturnes Op.15 No.2 In F-Sharp
6. Nocturnes Op.15 No.3 In G Minor
7. Nocturnes Op.27 No.1 In C-Sharp Minor
8. Nocturnes Op.27 No.2 In D-Flat
9. Nocturnes Op.32 No.1 In B
10. Nocturnes Op.32 No.2 In A-Flat

Disc 2
1. Nocturnes Op.37 No.1 In G-Minor
2. Nocturnes Op.37 Nocturnes Op.37
3. Nocturnes Op.48 No.1 In C Minor
4. Nocturnes Op.48 No.2 In F-Sharp Minor
5. Nocturnes Op.55 No.1 In F Minor
6. Nocturnes Op.55 No.2 In E-Flat
7. Nocturnes Op.62 No.1 In B
8. Nocturnes Op.62 No.2 In E
9. Nocturnes Op.72: No.1 In E Minor

Disc 3
1. Mazurkas Op.6 No.1 In F-Sharp Minor
2. Mazurkas Op.6 No.2 In C-Sharp Minor
3. Mazurkas Op.6 No.3 In E
4. Mazurkas Op.6 No.4 In E- Flat Minor
5. Mazurkas Op.7 No.1 In B-Flat
6. Mazurkas Op.7 No.2 In A Minor
7. Mazurkas Op.7 No.3 In F Minor
8. Mazurkas Op.7 No.4 In A-Flat
9. Mazurkas Op.7 No.5 In C
10. Mazurkas Op.17 No.1 In B-Flat
11. Mazurkas Op.17 No.2 In E Minor
12. Mazurkas Op.17 No.3 In A-Flat
13. Mazurkas Op.17 No.4 In A Minor
14. Mazurkas Op.24 No.1 In G Minor
15. Mazurkas Op.24 No.2 In C
16. Mazurkas Op.24 No.3 In A-Flat
17. Mazurkas Op.24 No.4 In B-Flat
18. Mazurkas Op.30 No.1 In C Minor
19. Mazurkas Op.30 No.2 In B Minor
20. Mazurkas Op.30 No.3 In D-Flat
21. Mazurkas Op.30 No.4 In C-Sharp Minor
22. Mazurkas Op.33 No.1 In G-Sharp Minor
23. Mazurkas Op.33 No.2 In D
24. Mazurkas Op.33 No.3 In C
25. Mazurkas Op.33 No.4 In B Minor
26. Mazurkas Op.41 No.1 In C-Sharp Minor

Disc 4
1. Mazurkas Op.41 No.2 In E Minor
2. Mazurkas Op.41 No.3 In B
3. Mazurkas Op.41 No.4 In A-Flat
4. Mazurkas Op.50 No.1 In G
5. Mazurkas Op.50 No.2 In A-Flat
6. Mazurkas Op.50 No.3 In C-Sharp Minor
7. Mazurkas Op.56 No.1 In B
8. Mazurkas Op.56 No.2 In C
9. Mazurkas Op.56 No.3 In C Minor
10. Mazurkas Op.59 No.1 In A Minor
11. Mazurkas Op.59 No.2 In A-Flat
12. Mazurkas Op.59 No.3 In F-Sharp Minor
13. Mazurkas Op.63 No.1 In B
14. Mazurkas Op.63 No.2 In F Minor
15. Mazurkas Op.63 No.3 In C-Sharp Minor
16. Mazurkas Opus Posthumous In A Minor "À Emile Gaillard"
17. Mazurkas Opus Posthumous In A Minor "Notre Temps"
18. Mazurkas Op.67 No.1 In G
19. Mazurkas Op.67 No.2 In G Minor
20. Mazurkas Op.67 No.3 In C
21. Mazurkas Op.67 No.4 In A Minor
22. Mazurkas Op.68 No.1 In C
23. Mazurkas Op.68 No.2 In A Minor
24. Mazurkas Op.68 No.3 In F
25. Mazurkas Op.68 No.4 In F Minor

Disc 5
1. Ballades No.1 Op.23 In G Minor
2. Ballades No.2 Op.38 In F
3. Ballades No.3 Op.47 In A-Flat
4. Ballades No.4 Op.52 In F Minor
5. Scherzos No.1 Op.20 In B Minor
6. Scherzos No.2 Op.31 In B-Flat Minor
7. Scherzos No.3 Op.39 In C-Sharp Minor
8. Scherzos No.4 Op.54 In E

Disc 6
1. Polonaises Op.26 No.1 In C-Sharp Minor
2. Polonaises Op.26 No.2 In E-Flat Minor
3. Polonaises Op.40 No.1 In A "Military"
4. Polonaises Op.40 No.2 In C Minor
5. Polonaises Op.44 In F-Sharp Minor
6. Polonaises Op.53 In A-Flat "Heroic"
7. Polonaise-Fantaisie Op.61 In A-Flat

Disc 7
1. Sonata No.2 Op.35 In B-Flat Minor "Funeral March" Grave; Doppio Movimento
2. Sonata No.2 Op.35 In B-Flat Minor "Funeral March" Scherzo
3. Sonata No.2 Op.35 In B-Flat Minor "Funeral March" Marche FunÈBre: Lento
4. Sonata No.2 Op.35 In B-Flat Minor "Funeral March" Finale: Presto
5. Sonata No.3 Op.58 In B Minor Allegro Maestoso
6. Sonata No.3 Op.58 In B Minor Scherzo: Molto Vivace
7. Sonata No.3 Op.58 In B Minor Largo
8. Sonata No.3 Op.58 In B Minor Finale: Presto Non Tanto
9. Fantaisie Op.49 In F Minor

Disc 8
1. Concerto No.1 Op.11 In E Minor Allegro Maestoso
2. Concerto No.1 Op.11 In E Minor Romance: Larghetto
3. Concerto No.1 Op.11 In E Minor Rondo: Vivace
4. Concerto No.2 Op.21 In F Minor Maestoso
5. Concerto No.2 Op.21 In F Minor Larghetto
6. Concerto No.2 Op.21 In F Minor Allegro Vivace

Disc 9
1. Waltz Op.18 In E-Flat "Grande Valse Brillante"
2. Waltzes Op.34 No.1 In A-Flat "Valse Brillante"
3. Waltzes Op.34 No.2 In A Minor "Valse Brillante"
4. Waltzes Op.34 No.3 In F "Valse Brillante"
5. Waltz Op.42 In A-Flat "Two-Four"
6. Waltzes Op.64 No.1 "Minute" In D-Flat
7. Waltzes Op.64 No.2 In C-Sharp Minor
8. Waltzes Op.64 No.3 In A-Flat
9. Waltzes Op.69 No.1 In A-Flat "L'adieu"
10. Waltzes Op.69 No.2 In B Minor
11. Waltzes Op.70 No.1 In G-Flat
12. Waltzes Op.70 No.2 In F Minor
13. Waltzes Op.70 No.3 In D-Flat
14. Waltz Opus Posthumous In E Minor

Disc 10
1. Impromptus No.1 Op.29 In A-Flat
2. Impromptus No.2 Op.36 In F-Sharp
3. Impromptus No.3 Op.51 In G-Flat
4. Impromptus No.4 Op.66 In C-Sharp Minor "Fantaisie-Impromptu"
5. Barcarolle Op.60
6. Trois Nouvelles ÉTudes Opus Posthumous
7. Bolero Op.19
8. Berceuse Op.57
9. Tarantelle Op.43
10. Andante Spianato And Grand Polonaise Op.22 In E-Flat

Disc 11
1. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.1 In C
2. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.2 In A Minor
3. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.3 In G
4. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.4 In E Minor
5. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.5 In D
6. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.6 In B Minor
7. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.7 In A
8. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.8 In F-Sharp Minor
9. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.9 In E
10. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.10 In C-Sharp Minor
11. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.11 In B-Major
12. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.12 In G-Sharp Minor
13. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.13 In F-Sharp
14. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.14 In E-Flat Minor
15. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.15 In D-Flat "Raindrop"
16. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.16 In B-Flat Minor
17. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.17 In A-Flat
18. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.18 In F Minor
19. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.19 In E-Flat
20. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.20 In C Minor
21. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.21 In B-Flat
22. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.22 In G Minor
23. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.23 In F
24. Preludes Op.28 Prelude No.24 In D Minor
25. Sonata No.2 In B-Flat Minor Op.35 "Funeral March" Grave; Doppio Movimento
26. Sonata No.2 In B-Flat Minor Op.35 "Funeral March" Scherzo
27. Sonata No.2 In B-Flat Minor Op.35 "Funeral March" Marche FunÈBre: Lento
28. Sonata No.2 In B-Flat Minor Op.35 "Funeral March" Finale: Presto
29. Berceuse Op.57
30. Barcarolle Op.60

There is no need to comment on the fame and ability of Artur Rubinstein. It is well known that he is the best interpreter of Chopin. My only concern when buying this CD set was the quality of sound. Most of the recordings were made from the 1940's to the 1960's, so I did not expect much in terms of sound quality. However, I was greatly surprised when I heard these CDs. Tough the sound is not quite like a state of the art recording, it is very good. Only if you turn up the volume to a very high level you would hear a low hiss. Other than that, the recording is excelent. I really recommend it. The performances are excellent and the price is good for an 11 CD set.