Chopin: Four Scherzi

Frederic Chopin (Composer), Ivo Pogorelich (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Ivo Pogorelich
• Composer: Frederic Chopin
• Audio CD (April 13, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B00000IIXP
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,692 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Wonder of the Modern World, May 22, 2000

By 

Joe Moreno (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chopin: Four Scherzi (Audio CD)

Thankfully I'm one of the few who hasn't read a word of professional criticism doing injustice to this unparalleled recording. It is, by any measure, undeserving of petty remarks about Mr. Pogorelich's unorthodox approach to these works. That is precisely what makes this CD so special: an unconventional interpretation paired with extraordinary technique whose result is awe-inspiring.

The B minor Scherzo is a performance of extreme contrasts, the outer sections being incredibly fast while the slow middle section is taken at a slow, rapturous pace. Even with the astounding Pogorelich playing as if he were possessed, one is able to revel in the depth of the tones brought forth. It's an experience to die for, but thankfully it can be had for a mere $15.

You would be doing yourself a disservice if you passed up the opportunity to own this recording. It is a true marvel. Just remember to leave your preconceptions at the door.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Chopin Masters, November 28, 1999

By 

Mike Shakinovsky (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chopin: Four Scherzi (Audio CD)

Chopin has been played by any number of masters, virtuosos and technicians. Ivo Pogorelich outdoes most eveyone in this rendering. The clarity and sensitivity of interpretation in these performances brings a new sparkle to the old cherished notes. The audio quality of this recording is wonderful too. Highly recommend. Also, recommend his interpretation of the 2nd Piano Concerto (Chopin).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant, infuriating artist doing what he does, May 9, 2009

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Chopin: Four Scherzi (Audio CD)

I doubt that any contemporary pianist comes close to Pogorelich for dividing criticism. He is adored and loathed in equal measure, and since I am (sort of) among the adoring, it saddens me that the carpers seem to have won. Not here at Amazon, where the fans turn out, but in concert, where apparently Pogo has gone as overboard as Mr. Tholin notes.

There are only a few infuriating things to cope with here. The worst is the banging that makes Scherzo #2 unlistenable for me. The first chord in Scherzo #1 is also migraine inducing. But Pogo is so original and mercurial, so intent on demanding that attention be paid, I am usually disarmed. He barely knows the meaning of a steady tempo, and on a whim he will rush recklessly ahead, only to stop on a dime. All of which I find delightful, with special praise for Scherzo #1, an abandoned reading no one will else even approximates.

So let's raise a glass of Champagne and two aspirin to this one-off musician, wherever he may reside in Cloud Cuckooland. I can't listen to his Chopin Scherzi too often, but when I do, I am grateful for his existence.