Album

In honor of Frédéric Chopin's 200th birthday, Deutsche Grammophon compiled 32 tracks of its finest recordings for the 2010 double-disc collection, Chopin Gold, providing more than two hours of exquisite piano music. The roster of artists, which includes such luminaries as Martha Argerich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Nelson Freire, Vladimir Horowitz, Lang Lang, Maria João Pires, Maurizio Pollini, Sviatoslav Richter, and 10 others, reveals both the depth of the label's catalog and the breadth of the selections here, for these are among the most celebrated and diverse masters of Chopin's oeuvre one could imagine, and their interpretations run the gamut, from the wildly exuberant and passionate to the coolly restrained and refined. Whether one is an experienced listener who favors some performers over others, or a complete beginner overwhelmed with the range of styles and expressions, this album is a generous survey of Chopin's best-known solo piano pieces. With the exception of the Marche funèbre, which is taken from the Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, the program consists of whole pieces, so this is a satisfying survey that connoisseurs and newcomers can appreciate for its coherent coverage of Chopin's best loved works. One drawback, though, is the slight variability of sound, which is most noticeable in volume levels, but also evident in the quality of the audio. Deutsche Grammophon is famous for its extraordinary reproduction, but in side-by-side comparisons of the performances, the differences due to recording dates and venues can easily be detected.

© Blair Sanderson, Rovi

CD 1 of 2
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Polonaise No.6 in Ab, Op.53 ('Heroic'), CT.155 Work Maurizio Pollini Piano
1	Polonaise No.6 in Ab, Op.53 ('Heroic'), CT.155	7:09			$1.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 24 Preludes, Op.28 Work Martha Argerich Piano
2	15.Sostenuto in Db ('Raindrop')	4:52			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 3 Waltzes, Op.64 (includes 'Minute Waltz' and famous Waltz in C#-) Work 5:36 Maria João Pires Piano, Alice Sara Ott Piano
3	No.1 in Db ('Minute')	1:55			$0.49
4	No.2 in C#-	3:41			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 12 Etudes, Op.10 Work 6:53 Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano, Nelson Freire Piano
5	No.3: Lento ma non troppo in E ('Tristesse')	4:09			$0.99
6	No.12: Allegro con fuoco in C- ('Revolutionary')	2:44			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 24 Preludes, Op.28 Work 3:10 Rafal Blechacz Piano, Martha Argerich Piano
7	4.Largo in E-	2:10			$0.99
8	7.Andantino in A	1:00			$0.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Berceuse, Op.57 Work Hélène Grimaud Piano
9	Berceuse, Op.57	4:52			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 2 Polonaises, Op.40 Work Emil Grigoryevich Gilels Piano
10	No.1 in A ('Military')	5:41			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Fantaisie-impromptu in C#-, Op.66 Work Maria João Pires Piano
11	Fantaisie-impromptu in C#-, Op.66	5:45			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 3 Nocturnes, Op.9 (includes the famous 'Nocturne in Eb') Work Daniel Barenboim Piano
12	No.2 in Eb	4:35			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Ballade No.1 in G-, Op.23 Work Maurizio Pollini Piano
13	Ballade No.1 in G-, Op.23	8:29			$1.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Scherzo No.2 in Bb-, Op.31 Work Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Piano
14	Scherzo No.2 in Bb-, Op.31	11:00			$1.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Waltz in Eb, Op.18 ('Grande valse brillante') Work Zoltán Kocsis Piano
15	Waltz in Eb, Op.18 ('Grande valse brillante')	4:53			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 12 Etudes, Op.25 Work Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
16	No.11 in A- ('Winter Wind')	3:50			$0.99
CD 2 of 2
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 2 Nocturnes, Op.27 Work Lang Lang Piano
1	No.2 in Db	6:13			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 12 Etudes, Op.10 Work Nelson Freire Piano
2	No.4: Presto in C#- ('Torrent')	2:06			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 24 Preludes, Op.28 Work 2:42 Martha Argerich Piano
3	3.Vivace in G	0:52			$0.49
4	6.Lento Assai in B-	1:50			$0.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 4 Mazurkas, Op.17 Work Vladimir Horowitz Piano
5	4.No.4 in A-	3:58			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Scherzo No.3 in C#-, Op.39 Work Ivo Pogorelich Piano
6	Scherzo No.3 in C#-, Op.39	8:02			$1.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Sonata No.2 in Bb-, Op.35 Work Hélène Grimaud Piano
7	3.Marche funèbre: Lento	9:25			$1.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 24 Preludes, Op.28 Work 2:22 Friedrich Gulda Piano, Martha Argerich Piano
8	11.Vivace in B	0:38			$0.49
9	20.Largo in C-	1:44			$0.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 3 Ecossaises for piano, Op.72, No.3, CT.11-13 Work Mikhail Pletnev Piano
10	3 Ecossaises for piano, Op.72, No.3, CT.11-13	2:08			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 12 Etudes, Op.25 Work Vladimir Ashkenazy Piano
11	No.9: Allegro assai in Gb ('Butterfly')	0:58			$0.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 2 Nocturnes, Op.32 Work Maria João Pires Piano
12	No.2 in Ab	4:43			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Impromptu No.1 in Ab, Op.29 Work Mikhail Pletnev Piano
13	Impromptu No.1 in Ab, Op.29	4:12			$0.99
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Barcarolle in F#, Op.60 Work Maurizio Pollini Piano
14	Barcarolle in F#, Op.60	8:34			$1.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer 4 Mazurkas, Op.30 Work Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Piano
15	No.2 in B-	1:37			$0.49
Frédéric François Chopin Composer Ballade No.3 in Ab, Op.47 Work Sviatoslav Richter Piano
16	Ballade No.3 in Ab, Op.47	7:15			$1.49