Customer Reviews

The 99 Most Essential Chopin Masterpieces (Amazon Exclusive)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This collection is a nice sampler of Chopin works at a bargain price. Chopin's distinction among classical composers is his laser-like focus on the piano. As a result, the overwhelming majority of the tracks -- 92 out of 99 -- are for solo piano.

As with most of these collections on the X5 label produced for Amazon, the players are very good, but not the most famous names. Abbey Simon is a well-recognized piano virtuoso and offers great performances here. Peter Schmalfuss was a German pianist who never caught on with major labels, but whose Chopin recordings get great reviews. Dubravka Tomsic is a respected piano professor in Slovenia. Ketevan Badridze made her name as a Georgian pianist, and now is faculty member at Indiana University. The mazurkas here are performed by Charles Lilamand, who I am not familiar with, but the performances are enjoyable. The playing here seems solid all around.

I am particularly happy that both of Chopin's piano concertos are offered in their entirety. Most of Chopin's solo piano works are single-movement, so "chopping them up" isn't an issue as with some of the other "99 Most Essential" collections. But even the two piano sonatas included here are left intact, in fine performances by Abbey Simon.

If there is anything missing, I would say it is chamber works. Chopin didn't write many, but it would have been nice to have one or two of his pieces for piano and cello, for example.

Overall, this collection gets a "Bravo!" It is a fine sampler, far from complete but a good start indeed for anyone who likes solo piano and wants to explore Chopin.

CONTENTS

Nocturnes Opp. 9, 15, 27, 32, 37, 48, 55 No. 1, 72 No. 1, Op. Post in C minor
(Omits Op. 55 No. 2, Op. 62, & Op. Post in C-sharp minor)

Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (complete)

Preludes Nos. 3, 4, 7, 14, 15, & 18

Fantasie in F Minor, Op. 49

Waltzes Opp. 18, 34 Nos. 1 & 2, 42, 64 Nos. 1 & 2, 69, 70, Op Post in E major
(Omits Op. 34 No. 3, Op. 64 No. 3, Op. Post in A-flat; in E minor; in A minor; in E-flat; in E-flat)

Etudes Op. 10 Nos. 3 & 12, Op. 25 No. 12

Impromptus Nos. 1-3; Fantasie-Impromptu (complete)

Mazurkas Opp. 6 No. 2, 7, 17, 33, 41, 56 No. 2, 59, 63, 68
(Omits Op. 6 Nos. 1, 3 & 4, 24, 30, 56 Nos. 1 & 3, 67, Op. Post in B flat; in G; (in D;) in D; in B-flat; in C; in A-flat)

Polonaises Op. 26 No. 1, Op. 40 No. 1, Op. 53 "Heroic"

Scherzos Nos. 1-4 (complete)

Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3

Berceuse in D-flat major, Op. 57

Barcarolle in F-sharp minor, Op. 60

Ballades Nos. 1-3 (Omits No. 4)

Andante Spianato et Grand Polonaise Brillante in E-flat major


REVIEW

The performances of the waltzes are full of life and very enjoyable.

Mazurkas tend to be *very* bouncy, which is a matter of taste. (Op. 68 No. 2 in A minor is taken slower than I have ever heard it; it has a bizarre appeal to it.)

The sound is never less than adequate, though there is a slight edge on the piano sound at times. (Many of these recordings come from the Vox Catalogue, unless I'm much deceived, which explains such a sound -- a bit too bright.) This is an enjoyable collection of Chopin recordings which I shall enjoy greatly. The entire collection burns cleanly onto 7 CDs, most of them very well-filled.

CD 1 - 15 Nocturnes
CD 2 - 2 Nocturnes; Berceuse, Barcarolle, Ballades, Andante Spianato et Grand Polonaise Brillante
CD 3 - Preludes, Waltzes, & Etudes
CD 4 - Mazurkas
CD 5 - Impromptus, Polonaises, Scherzos
CD 6 - Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3
CD 7 - Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

A good collection, but can anybody tell me what's up with #55 of 99 (Mazurkas, Op. 7: No. 5 in C Major: Vivo)? The track is 7:25 in length, but only the first 0:32 is music, the rest is silent. These are variable bit rate (VBR) tracks, with most around 180-230 kbps on average. But the average bit rate reported in iTunes for track 55 is only 46 kbps, which is why I investigated and found the problem with this track. Did Amazon mess this one up?

A bargain by the very definition. Absolutely fantastic collection and spot on rendition its hard to believe that you can have this album for the price of two mc doubles. An absolute must for anyone looking to spruce up their itunes collection with some classical.

I have been listening to Chopin's music, on and off, for 50 years; and I have some idea how certain compositions should sound like. In academic world, a 90% grade average is considered excellent. However, in music, if you hear a sour note once in a while, which is the case here, it kind of makes you wince. The volume level is frequently inconsistent, and the quality of recording is not well balanced. It is still a good value for the money, for the purpose of getting acquainted with Chopin's music.
If you want to hear the Chopin's music played right, consider the following performers: Adam Harasiewicz, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Stanislav Bunin, Ivo Pogorelich, Martha Agerich, Maurizio Pollini, Halina Czerny-Stefanska, Krzysztof Jablonski. They are all former winners of the Chopin Music Contest, which is held in Poland every 5 years.
You may have to pay a little more for their recordings, but at least you won't have to wince.

Ok so seeing 99 Itunes songs should cost around, oh 90 dollars, and you're getting them for under 2, makes this an incredible deal. On top of that the instant download is fantastic, and the pieces are just great. Can't miss if you like classical at all :)

Chopin has long been one of my favorite composers ever since I saw A Song to Remember (1945. Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, Cornel Wilde) starring Cornel Wilde.

Chopin is more renowned as a keyboard specialist, almost all his works are primarily for the piano, and have been featured in numerous movies ranging from Shine to The Pianist starring Adrien Brody, the emotional centerpiece of that movie is when he plays a Chopin piece for a German officer literally playing for his life. True story.

The popular melody I'm Always Chasing Rainbows is based on a Chopin piece. For me some of his most beautiful pieces are the Preludes. When I was learning to play the piano, I was struck by the beauty of both Prelude in C Minor, and Prelude in E minor. Marche Funebre is a famous piece, and Minute Waltz is a dazzlingly virtuoso piece. Fantaisie Impromptu offers a dazzling cascade of notes, reminding me of a waterfall, and moving way faster than your logical mind can comprehend.

If you have ever bought a Chopin album before, you will appreciate what a compelling and irresistible bargain this is. So jump in, and enjoy. If you care to explore further I recommend Ashkenazy and Van Cliburn interpretations.

Hope this was useful.

I am loving these "Most Essential Masterpieces" compilations Amazon is bringing out. What a great way to have some of the world's best music in an easy and inexpensive format that is all compacted and enjoyable. Fanastic price and sound! (Issue with track 55 is being worked on and Amazon is aware of it)
... Can't wait for the Brahams one to come out later in January 2010!!
... Wonder if they will ever do this for Jazz?

I love these "99-greatest" collections. My biggest peeve with them is they don't list the composers (when they are a sampling of eras of music or styles or instruments) but not a problem here--it's all Chopin, all the time.

Warning: I am a Chopin addict. I love classical music but Chopin is the pinnacle of composition--he just writes the most amazing, sensual, beautiful (and sexy) melodies and harmonies imaginable. I was ecstatic to see that so many of his pieces are all on one album. I won't have to listen to anything else for the next year or so! (well, not really true, but I could...)

These collections are great and if you aren't looking for the stellar performance or a particular performer or conductor in particular and just want the world's greatest classical pieces at your fingertips, you really can't go wrong.

If you're looking at this you likely know who Chopin is & whether or not you like his works; so I won't get too deep into the music itself.

The selection of music is great & the quality of the MP3s are clear (though I wish Amazon would offer higher bitrate versions as well as M4a). The only thing not keeping this from being a 5 star review (besides the average bitrate) is that the works don't transition seamlessly. Some are louder than others so having to play with the volume occasionally can be a minor annoyance.