Search - Frederic Chopin, Maurizio Pollini :: Chopin: 4 Ballades; Fantaisie, Op. 49; Prelude, Op. 45

Making a case for Pollini in the Ballades?

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 10/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Piano recitals tend to bring out good reviewers here at Amazon, but Pollini's Chopin Ballades haven't been well described yet. Each reviewer seems to have strong thumbs-up or thumbs-down opinions. They declare that Pollini is either in top form or has lost his touch completely.



As to the bare facts, Pollini plays all these works faster than the norm--Kissin, who recorded the Ballades in 1998 (RCA), roughly contemporaneous with this 1999 DG release, takes a full minute more for each piece, and Emanuel Ax, in his excellent 1990 RCA release, is almost as slow.



Pollini plays a rich-toned instrument caught close up. There is no air around the piano, which accentuates his intensity--these are committed, almost breathless readings with a minimum of gentle rubato compared to other Chopin specialists like Rubinstein and Moravec. Kissin is also recorded closely on a fine-sounding instrument, although not of this caliber. Ax is given average sound with no special delight in the piano's sonorities.



Pollini doesn't intrude with an overt display of personal expression in lyrical sections. For some listeners this disqualifies him, since Chopin playing going back to the age of Paderewski, Rachmaninov, and Cortot has used the score as a starting point for the pianist's own extempore inspirations in tempo, phrasing, and emotional display. Pollini interpretss the Ballades as heroic, somewhat extroverted pieces--much closer to Beethoven than we usually hear. He is careful to avoid sounding nonchalant, informal, dainty, improvisatory, or fussy. In short, Pollini doesn't re-compose the music.



Kissin also plays the Ballades as big-boned, heroic pieces, but he uses more individual expression than Pollini--he slows down as much as he wants in order to give his expressive touches free rein. Fortunately, his persoanl ideas are very convincing and musicl. Ax is passionately romantic, especially in the first Ballade, and in addition has a remarkable control over rubato--he's the overlooked contender here.



So, what is the case for Pollini in particular? Anyone who has heard this pianist live knows that he relies not at all on charm or superficial appeal. One is expected to sit up and pay close attention to Pollini's extraordinary ability to carry a piece straight through, in one intense arc of concentration. He uses his right and left hands so independently that there is never an accompaniment--something important is happening in one or both hands at every second. The overall result is mesmerizing--he has a hypnotic effect on audiences, in common with Michelangeli. If you want to be riveted in a breathtaking sweep from first note to last, no one excels Pollini in these works."

BRAVO POLLINI

Santa Fe Listener | 10/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pollini has put out a number of only so-so discs in recent years. Not this time. This is the very definition of white-hot, and dramatic, colorful, emotional. What happened to him? Either he was recorded on one of the most superb weeks of his life, or he's newly in love.These direct, inspired performances aren't emotionally cold (like his Chopin Scherzi) or hard and ugly in tone (like his earlier Chopin Sonatas) or wimpy (like his recent Brahms Concerti). Instead, they combine rainbow colors, startling tenderness, and his typical volcanic forcefulness in a uniquely rich and deep blend.This CD replaced my Perahia Chopin Ballades CD (why have only the letter when you can have the letter *and* the spirit?), it makes Pletnev sound jejune (in the Fantasy), and the Prelude makes Wagner's Liebestod sound like an also-ran.The only problem is with the recording: the piano seems closely miked, and I thought I detected some "spotlighting" at the end of the Fantasy. But there are no bad edits (as there were in the Scherzi disc), and this is *not* recorded with DG's "4-D" process, and we hear gorgeous depth in the tone. Bravo to Pollini for his standout achievement, a magical disc."

Did he wait too long??

Florian | Montreal, Qc, Canada | 09/26/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Ballades were the only large Chopin works missing from Pollini's recordings. My feeling is that he waited until he felt ready (by his standards) to record them. I think he knew that some of the criticism towards his playing (cold) was somewhat true, especially at the beginning of his career. I noticed that his style has become more and more poetic over the years, with an enlarged color palette, which made his overall playing more complete. That's exactly what we hear in this recording. The interpretation is great, he truly grasps the spirit of those pieces like he would never have been able to do 20 years ago. Unfortunately, I realized that while his playing has finally become musically perfect, his once legendary technique has lost some of its precision. I was sad to hear that there were some uneven passages and minor slips here and there. Nevertheless, the playing is so beautiful that I don't mind those minor imperfections. Besides, his technique is still quite impressing, despite those little details. Actually, this is overall the best recording I've heard of the Ballades (much more poetic and touching than Zimerman, and so much better overall than poor Kissin's recording). So my answer to the question is NO, he did't wait too long, but that was close;)"