"Beautiful. Lively. Somber. Deathly. This is a superb recording of a superb pianist. This album is very emotional, flowing from joy to rage, and from rage to the truest depths of depression. This is an album that will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I will always be partial to the delicate touch of Barto's fingertips. The one thing that I do not like about this album is Barto's playing of the famous "Raindrop" piece. Ashkenazy's interpretation is by far more appropriate in my opinion. Buy this CD! You will not be disappointed!"
Tzimon Barto plays Chopin
Brad C. | San Francisco, CA | 09/03/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Twenty-four Preludes, three Nocturnes, Contabile in B-flat major, and Contredanse in G-flat major all totaling 65 minutes are included here. Barto plays them all with style and emotion, but a bit more energy on some would be to my liking. The quality of the sound and the dynamic qualities of the recording are very good. I recommend this album; it is an especially good value at the discounted price."
Magnificent
Alyssa A. Lappen | Earth | 12/04/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was unfamiliar with Tzimon Barto until introduced to his work by a new Amazon friend. I'm very grateful, indeed.
These Chopin preludes and nocturnes, to which I listened as a young woman on Vladimir Horowitz LPs, are extremely well executed here, with the additional advantage that the CD is available at an unbelievably low cost.
If you love Chopin, specifically, or classical compositions for piano in general, I can't recommend this recording highly enough."
Bravo!
John Robinson | Rockport, MA United States | 01/14/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Sheer poetry. Barto slows down the slow preludes, much to their advantage, finding in them more beauty and meaning than you previously thought was there. Listening to them is like watching a rose open in slow motion. But to make this succeed as a cycle, and to maintain overall scale, he has to pull back on some of the faster pieces, to their minor disadvantage. A real winner!"
Chopin's Harmonies
Melissa R. Life | West Virginia, USA | 07/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I found this cd to be a great listening tool when working on Chopin's Preludes. The pianist is very sensitive to the Romantic musical style, allowing for a sense of understanding of some of the most difficult harmonies of the 19th century. Highly recommended!"