Chopin For Relaxation

Frederic Chopin (Composer), Eugene Ormandy (Conductor), Philadelphia Orchestra (Orchestra), Andrei Nikolsky (Performer), Emanuel Ax (Performer), Géza Anda (Performer), John Browning (Performer), Peter Serkin (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Andrei Nikolsky, Emanuel Ax, Géza Anda, John Browning, Peter Serkin
• Orchestra: Philadelphia Orchestra
• Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
• Composer: Frederic Chopin
• Audio CD (April 14, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00000IFOW
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #72,417 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, CT. 47: II: Romance, Larghetto

2. Prelude for piano No. 3 in G major, Op. 28/3, CT. 168

3. Prelude for piano No. 7 in A major, Op. 28/7, CT. 172

4. Prelude for piano No. 23 in F major, Op. 28/23, CT. 188

5. Nocturne for piano No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27/2, CT. 115

6. Etude for piano No. 26 in A flat major (Nouvelles études No. 2), KK IIb/3, CT. 39 (B. 130/2 )

7. Etude for piano No. 13 in A flat major, Op. 25/1, CT. 26

8. Berceuse for piano in D flat major, Op. 57, CT. 7

9. Nocturne for piano No. 17 in B major, Op. 62/1, CT. 124

10. Etude for piano No. 3 in E major, Op. 10/3, CT. 16

11. Barcarolle for piano in F sharp major, Op. 60, CT. 6

12. Prelude for piano No. 11 in B major, Op. 28/11, CT. 176

13. Prelude for piano No. 13 in F sharp major, Op. 28/13, CT. 178

14. Prelude for piano No. 15 in D flat major, Op. 28/15, CT. 180

15. Waltz for piano No. 9 in A flat major ('L'adieu') Op. 69/1, CT. 215

16. Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, CT. 48: II: Larghetto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chopin for Relaxation, June 15, 2000

By	Sue Bennett "nugs" (Sulphur, Louisiana USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In a word: SUPERB! I can't decide who loves this CD the most: my Lab, my plants or me. It really is splendid and I find myself reaching for it more than any other CD in my collection. Truly excellent. Good for the novice who "hates" classical music. It is classical music... but it's not. Great background music, so I sometimes let it repeat itself all day long.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, December 16, 2001

By	clwinter - See all my reviews

This CD is great! If you like classical music then Chopin is a must and so is this CD!!! Most of the Relaxation CDs are wonderful and this one is up at the top. Has a lot of his classics plus a few that aren't so well known. I listen to it all the time when I am studying (which I should be doing now!) or just reading. It's fabulous for when it's too quiet and you just need some noise. Wonderful CD!!!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explore the romance and poetry of Chopin, March 2, 2006

By	Alan Lekan (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is an ideal CD if you are looking for some "nice piano music" or want to explore the music of Fryderyk Chopin [1810-1849]. Chopin was born in Poland but lived most of his life in Paris among the glamorous, wealthy, aristocratic and artistic. Stories of his lavish life, beautiful female students and love affairs are legendary. Having few musical influences and minimal formal training, he developed a talent so unique that it seemed to appear out of no where. His love and complete dedication as a composer and musician was the piano which was the focal point of all his compositions.

But what made Chopin so famous was his abundent and unique solo piano music that has an almost universal appeal even today. His music was unlike anything heard before with its dreamy fluidity ... sensuous unfolding ... and graceful, elegant lines. The title most often bestowed on him, "The Poet of the Piano," is most fitting indeed. Chopin's equistite manners and ethereal playing brought him great success and adoration among the elite of society who gathers in the fashionable, Parisian salons. Perhaps due to his frail health, he (and his smaller-scale music) seemed to fit better such intimate surroundings than the large concert hall. Surprisingly, Chopin rarely played in such larger venues in spite of being the greatest pianist virtuoso in the world at that time.

The sixteen selections on this CD feature some of Chopin's more reflective, quiet pieces that showcase his poetic talents. From the long, flowing concerto slow movements to the dreamy Nocturnes to the "academic" Etudes, Chopin's elegance and unique aristry overflows. All pieces are musically rich, beautiful and treasured by many a Chopin fan. If you are wondering about the titles (often in French), these merely are generic descriptions of the type of composition. Preludes are short, lyrical miniatures. Nocturnes have a dreamy, nighttime feel to them. Chopin's Waltzes, Polanaises and Mazurkas were based on the dances that era, often of his native Poland in the case of the last two. Etudes are more "lessons" highlighting a specific techinique, but in the case of Chopin (and Debussy too), are melodious songs in themselves. A Barcarolle is a work inspired by the music of Venetian gondoliers featuring a swaying accompanyment suggesting the 'rocking of a boat to and fro.'

The number of musicians recording Chopin in the last decades in endless. Only the longer-term classical music fan will be able to differentiate the "good" from the "best" interpreters. For the average person, the performances featured here by pianists Emanuel Ax, Peter Serkin and Andrei Nokolsky are sufficiently excellent to learn and enjoy this wonderful music. Serkin's Nocturne has expecially a breathtaking artistry. The sound quality is clear and full and does not detract from the music.

For those wondering if there are any "loud moments" in this quiet "Relaxation" CD that will startle you from a slumber ... yes, there are three such moments (in the two concertos and track 10) - but these last only a few seconds and can be worked around with a CD-player programming feature if needed. (Still, the producers could have easily picked a gentle and charming waltz over the nervous Etude of track 10 whose dissonant outbursts seem something of a cruel joke in such otherwise composed music). So, all-in-all, a really great CD to explore the romance and poetry of the one of the greatest composers and artists of the piano - Chopin.