Customer Reviews

Chopin: Oeuvres pour Piano [Piano Works]

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This box set, something very difficult to find in the real world, is a must(!) for anyone interested, historically speaking, in how these works should sound along with their evolution from the early 1900's to the present. Why is Cortot qualified for this role? His teacher was Louis Dermier, one of Chopin's last pupils and supposed one of his favourites. This means Cortot is in fact the grandson of the Chopin technique, learning from one who was directly intructed how to play these works. Beyond that, he is one of the most remarkable pianists of his or any time, often criticized from an overextensive rubato, but this is the essence of Cortot. He may be the most informed pianist of all time, not only dissecting the notes on the page, but the mind of the composer and the life at the time that each composition was invented.
Any enthusiast of Chopin must listen to these recordings with an open mind. At first you will shun them, unaccustomed to the way the pieces differ from today, but soon they will grow on you and you hear each piece as if for the first time, and yo realize how far off our modern pianists are from the truth of the music. Most are more tachnically perfect than Cortot, he was often missing or hitting wrong notes, but the emotion behind those notes is what is the real importance of the music, something lost in todays pianists. Someone once said I would rather hear a good pianists wrong notes than a bad pianists right ones. And I cannot think of a more perfect personification of that comment than Cortot. In my mind he ranks as one of the top five pianists of the recording era, along with Hofmann, Richter, Horowitz, Gilels, and Moiseiwitsch. But honestly, I find more enjoyment listening to Cortot than any other single pianist on record, and this cortot box set covers almost three fourths of his Chopin output, so if you enjoy this find his Emi References of the Impromptus, the two great pianists disc are wonderful transfers, the chamber music trio with Thibaudet and Casals, and for the real enthusiast with money, the prades festival contains his last recording which a perfectly flawed rendition of the Third Cello Sonata by Beethoven and a version of Bei Mannern(different than the naxos.)

Well, that may well be the case.

Cortot had won open admiration of Schiff, Cziffra, Michelangeli, Arrau, Solti... just to name a few. His pianism and his Chopin included is so incisive, with myriad of hues from coming from his subtle touch. And the poignancy is such that it is pure poetic ecstasy all through.

Talking about this album, despite the fact that Cortot had a long performing and recording career, the real obstacle is the archive sound. In this album we can have almost the best recording possible, with better transfer than most other trade names by far, be it Naxos or Aura, or whatever for the price of something like Naxos!

Note however that there is some grumble that EMI should instead chose his Preludes recorded in the 30s rather than those of the 40s, and EMI shouldn't have chosen his B Minor Sonata of recorded in the 50s when Cortot was declining... But in the latters we have better recordings and they are more bewitching even if slightless less staggering. Likewise, Barbirolli's accompaniment here may not be the most ideal, yet it is so fresh and so alive to say the least. On the whole, the recording and transfer is much better than what we have in Rachmaninov's box set by RCA.

Enormously enjoybale with so much to learn. And for those find the archive sound hard to bear with, do bear in mind that the pianist whom Schiff listen to most is Cortot, and before Cortot, it was Schnabel!

This collection includes about 75% of Cortot's Chopin Recordings, which makes it the best value for anyone who doesn't already have these recordings. Several redundant recordings of works provide a glimpse into Cortot's mental makeup, and shows us just how much of his musical ideas change over time. Add to that the fact that most of the recordings are wonderful to listen to, and you have a must have recordings!

It's beyond the scope of this review (not to mention the time I have) to discuss all the works here, or even all of the many highlights. Suffice it to say, as a whole, this is some of the most expressive Chopin playing ever put to wax, shellac, vinyl, magnetic tape, digital tape, flash memory, or anything else. The whole approach to this kind of music was different 80 years ago, when the artists were just one generation removed (and sometimes not even that) from the music they were performing, and grew up steeped in the traditions. Today's pianists learn the affectations of the Romantics at music schools and universities, and impressive as they are, they are just that, affectations. As Miles Davis said once regarding the neoboppers who were imitating the likes of him, you can tell it's a copy. While the two- and three-star idiots below me berate this recording because it's not DDD sound and Cortot drops a note here or there, they are missing the flow of the *music,* the understanding of architecture and drama, the communion between composer, performer and audience. Such attitudes, though, do help me understand why modern piano playing has become so obsessed with being correct that it rarely tries to get beyond that to owning the text, making one's approach to it virtually beyond criticism. So many of today's "virtuosos" are too worried about what the audience and critics will think of a finger-slip that they don't worry about anything beyond pressing down every key as directed by the holy score.

But to hear Cortot launch into the Sonata No. 2, for example, is to enter another realm, one where individual notes don't matter as much as the journey. And in his journey, Cortot plays the most extraordinary, perfectly- (and darkly-) shaded funeral march I've ever heard--just listen to those bass notes. Has anyone ever played it that well since then? Rachmaninoff, in his equally ancient recording, comes close, but since...? Sorry, you modern-day Chopinists, you have a lot of work to do.

Other standouts are the Third Sonata, with an otherworldly slow movement, a truly heroic but never overblown "Heroic" Polonaise Op. 53, and the best set of Etudes I've ever heard. Those who think Cortot had serious technical problems might listen to how well he navigates these incredibly difficult miniatures. I don't see today's virtuosi stepping up to the plate to tackle these works, let alone tackle them without the benefit of splicing and overdubbing. The Preludes are almost as satisfying, though other Chopin specialists--Pogorelich, Moravec, Arrau (the early cycle, not the Philips redo), and others have been highly successful and can give Alfie a run for his money. Some other performances here, such as the F minor Fantasy Op. 49, are superb and blow the competition out of the water. (The great, or at least famous Zimerman sounds particularly feeble in comparison.) Listen to Cortot's pedaling in the repeated ascending phrases of the climax (at 10:20 on the recording) and then the lonely, disembodied hush of the coda. Who plays with this richness of expression today? Now, if a little crackle (actually surface noise is well-suppressed by engineers, maybe a little too much) is keeping you from enjoying such extraordinary and unique sounds in the piano literature, then you deserve Lang-Lang.

The Ballades--some of my favorite Chopin--are well-done here, but even better-served on a Music & Arts disc, "Cortot Plays Chopin, the Legendary 1925 - 1929 Recordings," that unfortunately is out of print. (M&A CD-871...hunt for it used on the web; it's worth the effort.) Still, this set is a gold mine of great Chopin-playing, the sort that died in Europe a long time ago.

I just love this set.

What tasteful use of rubato! What beautiful lilting! The guy can spin a beautiful counter-melody with his left hand - Imagine that!

If one were to purchase this set along with Artur Rubinstein's (now at a steal - RCA Gold Seal) and the box set by Vladimir Ashkenazy (London) you would have all you would need to experience the heart and soul of Chopin.

It is a shame that recordings like these are disappearing from the catalogs.

Snookie

Finally picked up this set, since it was dirt cheap here on amazon ($23.62 new for 6CDs.) The seller, Zoverstocks sent this big box in a padded bag, so the rear of one of the cases was damaged.

Since I already own a ton of Cortot's Chopin (because each one is a treasure), I wanted to find out how many of these performances I already had in my collection. Turns out a lot of it I didn't already have, which I am very happy about. In order to determine what I already had, I did a full inventory of the contents, using a discography and the liner notes, labeling the things that appear elsewhere on CD. For the curious, I will post the info here:

CD 01
01 Berceuse - 1920 - Pearl 9386 and Biddulph Complete Acoustic Victor Rec
02 Chant Polonais - 1923 - Music & Arts CD-615, Biddulph LAB 014~15
03 Op. 10 No. 5 - 1923 - Biddulph Complete Acoustic Victor Rec
04 Op. 25 No. 9 - 1923 - Biddulph Complete Acoustic Victor Rec
05 Op. 25 No. 11 - 1923 - Biddulph Complete Acoustic Victor Rec and Pearl 9386
06 Impromptu 1 - 1922 - Pearl 9386, Biddulph LAB 014~15
07 Impromptu 2 - 1925 - Biddulph LHW 020, Pearl 9386, M&A CD-317 / CD-4871
08 Op. 25 No. 1 - 1925 - Biddulph LHW 020, Pearl 9386, M&A CD-317 / CD-4871
09 Waltz Op. 64/2 - 1925 - Biddulph LHW 020, Pearl 9386
10 Berceuse - 1926 - M&A CD-317, CD-4871, Biddulph LHW 020
11 Ballade - 1926 - Biddulph LHW 020, Pearl 9386, M&A CD-717
12 - 18 Preludes 1926 - Naxos
19 - 22 Sonata 3 - 1931 - M&A CD-717, Biddulph LHW 001

CD 02
01 Prelude Op. 28/12 - 1928 - Only available in this set
02 Nocturne - Op 9/2 - 1929 - Naxos 8.111245, Biddulph LHW 001
03 - 06 Sonata 2 - 1933 - Music & Arts CD-717, Biddulph, Brilliant 99228 / 99230
07 Polonaise no. 6 - 1933 - Naxos, Music & Arts CD-717
08 - 11 4 Ballades - 1933 - Biddulph
12 Fantasie - 1933 - Music & Arts CD-717, Naxos 8.111035
13 Tarantelle - 1933 - Toshiba TOCE-6661~65(5 set) / TOCE-7817

CD 03
01 Barcarolle - 1933 - Toshiba TOCE-6661~65(5 set)
02 -25 Etudes - 1933/34 - Naxos, Philips 456 751-2 (GPOTTC)
26 - 29 Waltzes - 1934 - Naxos, TOCE-11199~203(5 set)

CD 04
01 - 03 Concerto 2 - Barbirolli - 1935 - M&A CD-717, Pearl 9491, Naxos 8.110612
04 Impromptu 3 - 1933 - Naxos 8.111023
05- 18 Waltzes (complete) - 1943 - Sirio 530014, Shinseido SGR-8102

CD 05
01 -24 Preludes - 1943 - Philips 456 754-2(GPOTTC), Shinseido SGR-8104
25 - 36 Etudes Op. 10 - 1942 - Shinseido SGR-8103

CD 06
01 -12 Etudes Op. 25 - 1942 - Shinseido SGR-8103
13 - 14 2 Chants Polonais 1939 - Naxos, Biddulph 020, Pearl 9396, M&A CD-662
15 Nocturne No. 4 Op. 15/1 - 1952 - Naxos
16 Nocturne No. 5 Op. 15/2 - 1949 - Naxos
17 Nocturne No. 7 Op. 27/1 - 1952 - Naxos
18 Nocturne No. 15 Op. 55/1 - 1947 - Naxos
19 Nocturne No. 16 Op. 55/2 - 1947 - Naxos
20 -22 3 Nouvelles Etudes - 1949 - Naxos
23 Prelude - Op. 45 - 1950 - Naxos
_________________________________________________________

As you can see, only one performance is only available here. Where Biddulph, Naxos or Pearl is available, I suggest those transfers ahead of these. Unfortunately, all bu the Naxos are now out of print. Hopefully Naxos will continues their series and cover everything.

The performances in this box set are wonderful! You just don't hear Chopin playing like this anymore, thus making Cortot's special way with Chopin that much more special. Words really can't describe Cortot's playing, so I won't even try. Suffice to say that if you love Chopin, you owe it to yourself to get this set. I gave this set 5 stars, but I have to mention that EMI's (as usual) overfiltered transfers leave something to be desired. They cleaned up these mono recordings nice, but in doing so, washed away some of Cortot's lovely tone.

One last point, the reviewer who estimated that 75% of Chopin's recordings are here is incorrect. It's actually around 50%. Much of the remaining 50% is on Naxos Historical and I strongly recommend each and every one of those splendid issues. The transfers on Naxos are in another league compared to this set, but they unfortunately have not covered every performance in this set. Hopefully, they will eventually.

This collection includes about 75% of Cortot's Chopin Recordings, which makes it the best value for anyone who doesn't already have these recordings. Several redundant recordings of works provide a glimpse into Cortot's mental makeup, and shows us just how much of his musical ideas change over time. Add to that the fact that most of the recordings are wonderful to listen to, and you have a must have recordings!

Probably, the decisive presence of Alfred Cortot in what concerns Chopin's piano music has not kept in mind far enough. His authoritative conviction is the final outcome of a progressive decantation of a thoughtful analysis. But basically, his rapport emerges from a new approach established and nurtured by the musical Impressionism.

It's not a mere casualty Cortot also had been an authority playing Ravel and Debussy. The Impressionism understood the new generations a new facet of the beloved son of Poland. Cortot not only showed the world Chopin was far beyond of being that troubled romantic spirit, in which the nostalgia and existential loneliness worked out at unison with the Romantic vision of the XIX century. We never should forget the Romanticism was in many ways a distorted mirror that forged stereotypes and signed (in terms of Jung) a previous feature in the collective unconscious.

Cortot was aware and made us to note Chopin was first and foremost a poet, a musical thinker and also a fervent patriot. He explored the score with his well known wisdom and conveyed us to unvisited territories based on new modulations, accents and tempi never heard before.

A crucial evidence is for instance, his unequalled version of the Second Sonata (available on Music and Arts). The way he plays the first movement talks by itself. Another convincing sample is his memorable Polonaise Op. 53 or his approach of the Barcarolle.
On the other hand, the undeniable fact that Dinu Lipatti, Magda Tagliaferro and Samson Francois had been renowned masters about Chopin's piano music adds another important evidence for this statement. And personally, I have no doubt that Benedetti Michelangeli was also influenced by this closer look.

Finally we should remind the closer friendship and narrow musical collaboration with Pablo Casals was another primordial factor to bring us back another image about Chopin.

His influence still endures over the countless pianists of this new century. That's why this set must be collected for any hard music lover. Cortot was a fundamental turning point in what concerns Chopin repertoire, specially when we are in his bicentenary.

I purchased this CD set on the advice of other reviewers because I wanted a collection of Chopin works and it seemed that Cortot was one of the best pianists who performed Chopin's works.

I cannot write about his musicianship compared with other artists--please read the other reviews. But I will say that if you're planning to purchase this set, be prepared that the quality of the recording is really not that good. I did not heed the warnings of the other reviewers. It sounds like Cortot is performing in the middle of a waterfall.

Perhaps this recording will grow on me, but I'm going to look elsewhere for a set of Chopin works that I would listen to on a regular basis.

Thanks for reading.

I have not purchased the CD but listened to the one minute sample of the first etude opus ten. I am not a fanatic diehard stickler for technique but there were at least 30 or so mistakes/slips. This makes me reluctant to purchase the disc.