Search - F. Chopin :: Chopin Preludes In Concert

Arrau in concert, 1960 & 1976

jsa | San Diego, CA United States | 07/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Claudio Arrau was no stranger to Chopin's preludes, having recorded them in 1950 for Columbia; however, by the time of this 1960 Prague Festival recital his playing reflected the declamatory weight & interpretive greatness that were hallmarks of his later years. The quieter preludes are played with real intimacy whereas the more dramatic ones have an architectural structure to them that is unparallelled, with every detail fully thought out in advance but with the music pouring forth in a completely spontaneous way. Arrau brings tremendous technical authority to the etude-like preludes - just listen to his attack on the wildly gyrating sixteenth prelude & remind yourself that this not a recording studio where mistakes can be edited out. And who could bring such weight to the seventeenth, eighteenth, twentieth & hair-raising twenty-second preludes? The finale is a series of artillery shots, with the last three chords a hammering doom. This is incredible Chopin playing.



The Symphonic Etudes of Schumann were recorded in 1976, also in Prague. The etudes have long been favorites of mine, having bought Arrau's 1970 Philips recording thirty-some years ago; however, this recital performance elevates the music to yet another level. Arrau, who could be a bit stiff in the studio, was typically far more venturesome in front of an audience & this is clearly the case here. His playing, while structurally monolithic, is supple, colorful, & highly energetic. If you do not know this music, or this great pianist, I can't imagine a better introduction than this thrilling performance.



Although the liner notes do not specify the source tapes, I would guess based on the very good sound quality that both recitals were professionally recorded, perhaps for broadcast.



Very highly recommended!"