Search - Frederic Chopin, Idil Biret :: Chopin: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1

Biret = Chopin

Arda | Turkey | 10/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As the title says Biret = Chopin.Actually it tells evrything... Listen and understand what I mean.The Ballades are more beautiful from her hands.The price is very cheap for this album too."

Musically profound, technically flawed.

Doctor Keys | Louisiana USA | 02/16/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First, I must say Idil Biret has a sense of the beauty contained within Chopin's repetoire as few others do. Her playing of the slower pieces (as well as most of the faster ones)is astonishingly touching and artistically of the highest order.

However, when the technical demands become greatest, especially in the etudes (which are maddeningly difficult)and the Polonaises, there are some very blatant note errors. (To be fair, most recordings are edited nowadays, this one is not.)

If you care more about art for art's sake and less about a note-perfect performance for the sake of pianistic athleticism (e.g. Maurizio Pollini) you will be moved and delighted. If you are searching for technical perfection (which is really not the point of Chopin's music) you will not find it here.

My rating is more accurately: musicality-4.9 technique-3.0



"

The Ballades are not the attraction here

Hexameron | 03/16/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Idil Biret's first recording in this Naxos series looks pretty promising: the four Ballades, the Berceuse, the Fantasy Op. 49 and even the BI 130 etudes. This choice of selections is even more unusual with the addition of the Marche funebre in C minor, and three other rare pieces from Chopin: Galop Marquis, Largo in E flat major, and the Cantabile in B flat major.



Having heard so many pianists play the Ballades, I'm afraid Biret is not in the top tier of interpreters here. Her rendition of the first Ballade is occasionally dramatic, but she fails to deliver the songful aspect that I've heard so many pianists accomplish. Even in the passionate and loud sections she displays technique but no melding of the passagework; she makes a choppy onslaught instead of a fiery stream. Fortunately, she makes up for it with the second Ballade in F major. Biret creates equal force in both the sudden outbursts and the fragile soft moments. However, in the third Ballade, Biret is rather average. The virtuosic sections sound dry in her hands; all the rubato in the world won't save this piece without a perfect legato touch. At least Biret is really "on" in the fourth Ballade. She manages to bring out the expressive qualities and lyricism of this fine music while also emphasizing the raw drama.



Astonishingly, Biret makes a better case for her pianism and musicality in the rest of the pieces here. The Berceuse is an angelic lullaby through Biret's delicious and tasteful representation. The first BI 130 etude receives stellar phrasing and is played with perfect poetic feeling. The gorgeous second etude is similarly effective because Biret has such a handle on Chopin's improvisatory sound. So I'm really scratching my head at her earlier lackluster spectacle in the first and third Ballade. Biret's major triumph, though, is the monumental Fantasy in F minor Op. 49. Combined with the poise and exquisite rubato this work requires, Biret's meditative mood and muscular attack makes this rendering outstanding. Her dynamic control is breathtaking: her lilting melancholy (3:15-3:25) and explosive passion (3:47-3:57) is incredible. Where is this warm legato, spirit and vitality in her Ballades? It's so odd that she made a milestone with the Fantasy but couldn't quite make it in the Ballades.



The last works to mention are the rarities. The Galop Marquis, a short piece barely under a minute, contains a charming little theme, but doesn't really go anywhere. It's like someone plucked a single theme out of a longer work and played it once; it doesn't even feel like there's an agreeable cadence at the end. On the other hand, the Largo in E flat major is a wondrous little piece, presenting some fine bars of exalted melancholy. I wish I could say the same of the Cantabile in B flat major, but there is not enough substance here. The flawless diamond in this sea of flawed gems is the magisterial and dark Marche funebre in C minor. One wonders how this phenomenally potent funeral march could be so neglected. In fact, this is the first time I've heard it. I must tell the curious Chopin cohorts out there that this is made of high quality stuff: a gloomy and powerful funeral march forms the outer shells of a profound and sorrowful trio section. It's a first-rate Chopin work and deserves greater fame.



Bottom line: I've heard much better realizations of the Ballades. Although I advise those who are interested in hearing superb interpretations of the Ballades to continue their search, I feel this CD shouldn't even be bought for the Ballades. Biret is at her best in the BI 130 etudes, the Fantasie Op. 49 and the Marche funebre. Considering that these pieces are rather obscure, I think this CD is invaluable for offering them at such a low price."