Customer Reviews

Cui: 25 Preludes

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
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Cui has consistently been considered a minor composer, the less talented of the likes of Rimsky-Korsakov or Balakirev. While I'm certainly no musicologist, I believe that comparing Cui's work with other better known preludes is a sad mistake. Cui's preludes may seem inconsequential, but they are very charming in their apparent innocence. Jeffrey Biegel's playing and style seems absolutely fitting. Beautifully musical and unpretentious. The recording is spacious; the notes played seem to be willing to linger on. When I add all these qualities, I also find myself quite mesmerized by this music. The composer was neither a Chopin nor a Scriabin. Yet Mr. Biegel is giving us the great opportunity of discovering a little gem of unusual perfection.

My ear was caught by some exquisite piano sounds on a New York classical radio station in mid-2007. At the conclusion, the names of composer and pianist must have slid out of the side of the announcer's mouth -- as they so often do -- because I missed them. So I went to the Internet, where I learned that THIS was the CD I had heard. I bought it right away and still play it at home and on the road. It is a joy.

Aside from the first prelude which lacks some of the charm of the rest, the music moves into some endlessly charming pieces that remind me of Satie, Chopin and Scriabin -- without being any of them. Delicate, melodic and obviously the soul of a very thoughful man. I recall that he was a soldier, an engineer specializing in military fortifications, in the last Russian Tsar's army. He was not, however, Russian but had French and Lithuanian parents, one of his forebears having been part of Napoleon's ill-fated army of 1812. I am not a musicologist and cannot convey my apprteciation of this music as well as I wish, but suggest you also read the reviews above with which I agree wholeheartedly. The CD is not expensive, but the music will last a lifetime.Cui: 25 Preludes

In fact, this release from NAXOS is everything the listener
will want from a CD.

The price is affordable, the musical quality is fantatic,
the performance is nothing short of perfect, in my view.

The strength of the release, is the consistency of the
overall listening experience. In fact, for over 30 mins,
there are several numbers, all fitting well with each
other, guaranteeing the attention span of the listener.

One of the litmus tests that should be employed, in
evaluating a composer's works, in my view, is the ability
to take the listener to another level, to another space
and time, another dimension.

On this release, one of the original 5 Russian greats - with
Glazunov, Balakirev, Borodin and Glinka demonstrates that
his talent was worth his reputation as a composer 100 years
later, just with a single instrument: the piano.

It will help, however, to appreciate this work if you've been
exposed to piano pieces from other world-class composers,
such as Erik Satie, Bela Bartok for example.

This is among one of the best piano recordings I own. These works are so well played that, for me, they approach perfection (if such a thing exists). Jeffrey Biegel is one of the finest pianists I've ever heard. Beautiful phrasing, absolute control of the instrument at all times, and a lyrical, rounded tone.