Simon's done it again.
Erik D. LOFQUIST | Shoreline, WA | 12/02/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Many years ago, I bought Abbey Simon's recording of Chopin's Nocturnes, mainly for Vox's wonderful budget price. I had never even heard of him before -- at the price I figured it was worth a gamble. Now, many years and recordings later (Simon's and others'), I have come to regard Abbey Simon as the greatest Chopin player on the planet, period. This latest installment from the Vox label is a treasure trove of Chopin's most difficult and intensely emotional works. Simon gives each its due without stooping to cheap emotionalism or sentimentality. Perhaps the touchstone of this collection is the popular and oft-recorded Scherzo #2 in b-flat minor. Simon tightly controls the emotion of the piece, and his own considerable power, right up to the coda, where he finally allows both to explode in a rush of fury.
One has to applaud Simon's choice to record on a Baldwin piano. The sound is bell-like, cleaner and brighter than the typical Steinway, yet with plenty of heft when it's needed. The sound engineering is gorgeous also. And, there's still Vox's excellent budget price!"
A mixed collection but worth having for the Scherzos
Robert L. Berkowitz | Natick, MA United States | 01/11/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There has been a long lapse since these recordings were first published and their re-introduction into the catalog. Several years ago, much of Abbey Simon's Chopin was made available by Vox on CD and I took the opportunity to purchase the Scherzos and Etudes at that time. They were unexpectedly (and inexcusably) removed from the catalog and I was genuinely worried they would not be re-introduced. I was so pleased to discover that the major works are back and, even though I already own the Scherzos, I snatched up this new collection as quickly as I could.Abbey Simon is one of the greatest pianists of our time. He is also one of the most interesting pianists. He is a master of pianistic color, voicing and tone. He has a vividly compelling sinister streak, and his technique is completely capable of communicating it with chilling perfection. That streak allows Abbey Simon to highlight the mischief in Chopin's Scherzos in a way that no one else can. No pianist has made a more interesting and vivid recording of the Chopin Scherzos than Simon. I had grown up on Horowitz's recording of the first Scherzo and had concluded that it was an ugly piece that shouldn't be programmed. In Simon's hands, the piece came alive and I heard it as it was intended to be played. Through Abbey Simon, I went from calling it ugly to making it a major piece in my own repertoire. Similarly, the famous Scherzo no. 2 is given a fresh reading that justifies its title as a Scherzo. You will never listen to the piece in the same way after hearing Abbey Simon's performance. In Scherzo no. 3, the cascading waterfalls in the middle section are done beautifully, and the exhilirating finale is played exquisitely. Scherzo no. 4 also became one of my favorite pieces through Simon's interpretation.This collection also includes Sonatas nos. 2 and 3, the Ballades, Impromptus, the Barcarolle and Berceuse. Unfortunately, it leaves out Simon's beautiful performance of the Fantasie, Op. 49. Probably the most successful recordings in the collection are those of the Scherzos, the Impromptus, the Barcarolle and Berceuse. The Sonatas seem to be recorded in a less attractive venue that doesn't take full advantage of Abbey Simon's unique sound world.The Ballades do not naturally take advantage of that diabolical undercurrent that makes Abbey Simon's playing so interesting. These performances are not as compelling as the Scherzos but they are worth having anyway.Equally worth having are recordings of Abbey Simon's Etudes (my standard of comparison for any other recording) and Nocturnes.I am so delighted that Vox chose to release these recordings again. Together with Abbey Simon's recordings of the Etudes and Nocturnes they give a wealth of his unique Chopin for us to enjoy. I just hope the Fantasie finds its way back into the catalog."
Astounding
Billy | 07/27/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Overall, these CD's are just amazing...Abbey Simon offers wonderful interpretations of some of the worlds most beloved peices on TWO CD's of the highest quality sound. And all of this for a very low price.
I adore his interpretation of the sonatas, each has a mixture of desperation and affection. I say affection because Abbey Simon has affection for playing Chopin like its meant to be. Chopin is long dead of course, but his music lives on through Abbey Simon. You will find the same affection throughout all of the tracks on these CD's.
I have quite a collection of Classical CD's, and one of the few that I keep coming back to is this one, you wont regret buying these CD's."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1