Customer Reviews

Eduardus Halim Plays Chopin

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

This CD is the ultimate piece for classical music lover. Sometimes, I play it all day and night long. Beautiful piano playing makes beautiful sounds. Must have collection.

I also have Mr. Halim's earlier recording by arabesque company, another fantastic recording!

Beware!
This CD arrived promptly in a broken case. It doesn't play except in a computer. Very disappointing for 29.00--even though I couldn't find it available elsewhere.
The original recording is a fabulous set of performances by Eduardus Halim. I heartily recommend it, but should you be lucky enough to find a copy of this CD, do not purchase from this seller.

Unlike the other reviewers, I am not enthusiastic about Mr. Halim's playing of Chopin.

When I first heard this recording, I believed I could detect something in his playing that struck me as unusual. I could say, at the very least, that his Chopin playing did not seem idiomatic. As it turns out, Mr. Halim views his Chopin through an unusual multi-cultural lens. Born of Chinese stock in Indonesia, introduced to Javanese dancing at the same time as he was studying piano, he was also influenced by a number of teachers of various backgrounds: Hungarian, Russian and Czech.

As I carefully listened to this disc, I was left with the impression that Mr. Halim's primary motive was to say something previously unsaid with this music. Although many of the great recorded performances of music have the quality of demonstrating the music in a way that has never been heard before, it seems to me that the uniqueness of a great recording results from a primary pursuit of the underlying beauty. One doesn't get to the beauty by pursuing uniqueness, but rather the other way around.

There are several beautiful performances on this disc. I was very moved by Mr. Halim's performance of the Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1. He takes an unusually slow tempo, but he sustains concentration throughout and brings a very satisfying reading. The Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 55, No. 2 is also very well played, as is the Polonaise Op. 26. In many of the other pieces, his penchant for rubato disrupts the rhythmic flow. He also often unduly emphasizes a note or phrase, disrupting the passage or the larger structure of the piece.

I will value this recording in my collection as an example of unique playing, but I will not likely reach for it when I wish to hear the music played beautifully (except for the Nocturne in C minor as mentioned above). For those who are looking for unique and memorable Chopin performances, let me suggest the recordings of Shura Cherkassky.