Great "assortment" of Ashkenazy's Chopin piano favourites
a SAIS graduate | Adams Morgan, DC, USA | 03/19/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Vladimir Ashkenazy, once a great Soviet pianist and at present one of the world's great orchestra conductors, shows his great piano skill in the 1980s in this CD. What is good about this CD is not only Ashkenazy's skill, but also its ways of arrangement of Ashkenaz's Chopin piano plays. Beginning from Grand Valse brillante(op.18), the CD peaks at Scherzo(op.31) and Ballade(op.23), both serious and dramatic "piano stories". Then, it ends with upbeating Polonaise(op.53). In between these relatively long piano works, the CD places Nocturnes, Waltz and Mazurkas, easy-to-listen, short pieces that relax listners.
In addition, this CD contains "Fantaisie impromptu"(op.66), the legendary Chopin's work that probably most people heard at least once in their lives.
If you want to know the great "tandem" of Chopin and Ashkenazy, I would recommend this CD to you at the very first!! Thanks."