Eduardus Halim Plays Chopin

Eduardus Halim (Performer, Composer), Frederic Chopin (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Eduardus Halim, Frederic Chopin
• Composer: Eduardus Halim
• Audio CD (September 6, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B00004ZARS
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,704 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Mazurkas Opus 59 No.1 in A minor Moderato

2. Opus 59 No. 2 in A flat major Allegretto

3. Opus 59 No. 3 in F sharp minor Vivace

4. Opus 7 No. 3 in F minor

5. Opus 50 No. 3 in C sharp minor Moderato

6. Polonaise Opus 26 No. 2 in E flat minor Maestoso

7. Nocturnes Opus 48 No. 1 in C minor Lento

8. Opus 55 No. 2 in E flat major Lento sostenuto

9. Polonaise Opus 44 in F sharp minor

10. Sonata No.3 Opus 58 in B minor

11. Allegro maestoso

12. Scherzo: Molto vivace

13. Largo

14. Finale: Presto non tanto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Chopin, Fabulous Pianist, More to Come?, October 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Eduardus Halim Plays Chopin (Audio CD)

Reservoir Studio Production's debut recording of Eduardus Halim Play Chopin is by far the best recording of Chopin I have heard in years! I love it, and listen to it constantly. I have heard that this new label is currently recording Mr. Halim playing Granados, and I can't wait until it comes out!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical Halim, May 24, 2001

By 

The O Show "[e-mail]" (SAN DIEGO, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eduardus Halim Plays Chopin (Audio CD)

I saw him perform the B minor Sonata of Chopin in La Jolla, Ca in 1999...the best I have ever heard it played...the tempo, the command, the pedalling--these would make Chopin and Liszt envious...It was the most memorable live performance, and I have seem pianists such as Watts, Barenboim, Feltsman, Pletnev,& Ashkenazy...I have been waiting for over a year and a half for this album to come out, as the Resevoir recording was noted in the program at the recital...I just ordered the cd, so I hope it is similar to that magical performance where the crowd summoned him twice for encores. The Horowitz comparison is legitimate...It is obvious through his color, sonority and pedalling (or lack thereof) that Halim studied with Horowitz, but Halim is very much his own man. I cannot understand why he is not more recognized than he is. Note: His program in La Jolla also included Granados--his style of playing is well suited for the Spaniard.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Winner, August 1, 2001

By 

I.Robert Schwartz (Philadelphia, PA (USA)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eduardus Halim Plays Chopin (Audio CD)

I've listened intently to the this disc and I would like to give my impressions which are all very strongly positive.

First- the program- Being a Chopin program it would have been very easy to fill it with very familiar and beautiful selections taken from his Waltzes, Etudes, Nocturnes, Ballades, and Preludes. Those pieces are quite wonderful but I think they don't equal the depth of feeling found in the Mazurkas and some of the Polonaises. Halim's selections were very compelling examples of the serious Chopin who coupled the beauty of his lyricism with the restless spirit within his breast. The two Nocturnes he chose are wonderful examples of this combination, as are the Mazurkas and Polonaises. The crowning work, his 3rd Sonata, bring to us the very soul of this poetic composer who among composers has a style so unique that it is almost instantly recognizable.

Second- the performance. Halim plays exquisitely. He has the lyricism of a Rubinstein, and some of the bravura of Horowitz with whom he studied. In spite of this, to my mind he plays a little more like Rubinstein than Horowitz emphasizing emotionalism over technical prowess, even though he possesses the latter in spades. He does have some of the percussive quality of Horowitz, but he does not mimic Horowitz who is unmistakable and unparalleled. But more than his similarities to others, he has a way of playing which reveals his own sensitive nature and that of the composer, as well as his true understanding of the music. He is able to communicate to us those vague but overpowering nuances which could so easily be missed by other pianists. No, I found his music very compelling and I was very receptive to his expressiveness.

Third- the recording. The technical quality was as good as any piano recording I have heard, and you know that the piano is a most difficult instrument to reproduce. But the clarity, distortion-free sound and the handling of the dynamic range left nothing to be desired. All in all a winner and a marvelous first outing on this label. I hope it gets reviewed in Gramophone and High Fidelity.