When it comes to Chopin just a few will mention Arrau amongst the greatest of interpreters. While pianists like Cortot or Rubinstein completely deserve to be in that class there are some others that really make a very strong case of Chopin as a great composer. Claudio Arrau is one of them, for me the best of them. Everything I heard from Chopin catalogue played by Arrau is in a class of its own. And this CD is a very strong argument. Just listen the first Nocturne and enjoy the profound and self accomplished spirit that it discovers. The inner logic and the beauty of playing has no match on any other recorded version.
Chopin was no composer for the ball halls yet an agile explorer of the soul and moods. And that's why Ashkenazy would never be but a medium size interpreter of Chopin. The great musical insight of Arrau manages to walk on the roads that led to the creation of these Nocturnes and this is the best reason I can give you for buying and above all listening to these recordings. Every Nocturne is a masterpiece in itself and the Chilean master reveals all of their power and beauty with no compromise. From all the recordings only Rubistein RCA Red Seal edition and Moravec's complete set manage to reach the heart of this little jewels but any of these let me wanting to go back to Arrau.
If you like Chopin and especially the Nocturnes you owe it to you to listen to Arrau's set.
2 comments:
Please consider listening to Moravec's 1965 version. A different concept, possible superior to Arrau's.
Please consider listening to Moravec's version. A different concept, and superior to Arrau's.
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