[ Philips / 2 CD ]
Release Date: Tuesday 20 January 1998
Should this item be out of stock at the time of your order, we would expect to be able to supply it to you within 2 - 4 weeks.
The battle for the most convincing, or at least resonant, Chopin might be a two-person standoff between Ivan Moravec and Artur Rubinstein. Moravec's Nocturnes nos. 17 and 18 (Op. 62) are about as exquisite as any on record, with life enough to sound as though they were being played in person only inches from the ear. Throughout the first of these two CDs, Moravec uses his pedals to hold Chopin's tones for so long that they become rhapsodic in their balanced extendedness.
A native of Prague, Moravec has eschewed the spotlight, mostly because of his emphasis on teaching and assiduous practice. He's famous for insisting that every aspect of his performance be near-perfect, from his clear command of the work to his intimate knowledge of the instrument on which he'll perform. So it's ideal that he focuses on repertoire fed by perfectionism and elaborately precise pacing--not to mention his penchant for unmistakable contrast. This last trait is most evident in the big energy of Franck's Prélude, chorale, et fugue (recorded in 1962).
Disc: 1
CHOPIN:
1 Polonaise In A flat, Op. 61 'Polonaise-Fantaisie'
2 Mazurka In F minor, Op. 63 No. 2
3 Mazurka In A minor, Op. 68 No. 2
4 Mazurka In C Sharp Minor, Op. 50 No. 3
5 Mazurka In C Sharp Minor, Op. 63 No. 3
6 Mazurka In F minor, Op. 68 No. 4
7 Mazurka In C, Op. 56 No. 2
8 Mazurka In E minor, Op. 41 No. 2
9 Scherzo No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 31
10 Nocturne No. 17 In B, Op. 62 No. 1
11 Nocturne No. 17 In B, Op. 62 No. 1
12 Barcarolle In F sharp, Op. 60
13 Ballade No. 4 In F Minor, Op. 52
Disc: 2
FRANCK:
1 Prelude, choral et fugue: Prelude - Prelude
2 Prelude, choral et fugue: Choral
3 Prelude, choral et fugue: Fugue
DEBUSSY:
4 Images (Book 1): Reflets Dans L'eau
5 Images (Book 1): Hammage A Rameau
6 Images (Book 1): Mouvement
7 Images (Book 2): Cloches A Travers Les Feuilles
8 Images (Book 2): Et La Lune Descend Sur Le Temple Qui Fut
9 Images (Book 2): Poissons D'or
10 Pour Le Piano. Suite.: Prelude
11 Pour Le Piano. Suite.: Sarabande
12 Pour Le Piano. Suite.: Toccata
RAVEL:
13 Sonatine: 1. Modere
14 Sonatine: 2. Mouvement De Menuet
15 Sonatine: 3. Anime