Search - Frederic Chopin, Garrick Ohlsson :: Garrick Ohlsson - The Complete Chopin Piano Works Vol. 1 ~ Sonatas

SONATAS OF SUBSTANCE AND SOUL

Melvyn M. Sobel | Freeport (Long Island), New York | 01/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 4, written when Chopin was eighteen--- and only fairly recently recorded with any regularity at all--- would never have been so easily overlooked henceforth had it been heard played so sensitively, so filled with a perfect balance of tenderness and wit, as it is here by Ohlsson. It is, by far, the best version of the Op. 4, the most unpretentious, the most attractive and interesting I've heard to date. Where other pianists merely shuck this sonata off, Ohlsson grabs hold seriously and sets out to establish its substantial merits--- succeeding every note of the way. The second movement Menuetto, alone, is worth the price of the CD, so delightfully charming is it.



In Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35, Ohlsson gains a memorable foothold early on in its provocative, propulsive first movement, joined by moments of pure wistfulness at its center. The lyrical and tonal beauty of Chopin's genius, so manifest in the trio sections of the Scherzo and Marche Funebre, under Ohlsson's fingers is expressed with sublime pathos. And the Presto! This movement is so wraithlike, so eerie it sets the hairs prickling on the back of one's neck.



Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58 is sheer wonder, as well; again we hear just the right balance of ardor and romantic longing. The Allegro has a gorgeous magisterial quality to it, with a central section penultimately poignant; the Scherzo ripples along, yet its dark undertones belie its seemingly sunny disposition; the Largo, with its declamatory entry chords, mutates quite innocently into a berceuse of infinite beauty; and the final Presto, with its titillating scales and runs, engulfs by its sheer bravura and fascinating whirligiggery--- all of which, by the end, leaves us breathless, like beached fish, gasping for air.



The sound, although slightly more recessed than any other volume in this series, is entirely acceptable and, in light of such memorable renditions, seems moot.



[Running time: 73:29]"

Best Chopin's Sonatas I have ever heard

Daniel Oh | Buena Park, CA United States | 07/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chopin's sonatas come alive under the hands of Ohlson as if a fish met the ocean. melodies are perfectly fluid, the tempo is just right and the tone is beautiful. I still have to find a better recording of the 3rd sonata's 4th movement. He plays this fiendishly difficult & showy piece with an amazing dexterity and a physician's precision yet not losing the beautiful continuity of each passage of the sonata. whenever i finish listening to ohlson's last movement of 3rd sonata, i'm like "WOW", how is this possible?

For piano students working on Chopin sonatas, i seriously recommend listening to this CD for i strongly believe this is how Chopin would want his sonata to hear...

"

(+) The 1st Installment in THE Complete Piano Cycle of the M

C. Pontus T. | SE/Asia | 09/30/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mr Ohlsson has one of the most impressive piano competition resumes of all 20th century pianists--Busoni in 1966, Montreal in 1968, and Chopin in 1970. He is a celebrity in Poland and widely appreciated in the US. However, the complete excellence of his pianism and musicianship has never been fully acknowledged on the international scene; he is indeed at the top of the short list of the greatest living pianists. There is no better proof to this claim than his cycle of Chopin's complete works--one of the most valuable and treasurable complete cycles in the history of recorded music! Thank you very much indeed, Arabesque Recordings; also thank you Hyperion Records for soon reissuing it in a special-priced boxed set (available from November 2008 according to its website).



I will take a look at each individual installment in succession. Throughout, Mr Ohlsson delivers the most refined, thoughtful and exquisite pianism imaginable; his beauty of tone production is often heartbreaking, sending you to places you never been before--and never thought did exist. Before starting with the Sonatas, I would like to acknowledge the fact that the value of my average review star will be significantly inflated during this course, implying nothing but the out-of-the-ordinary quality of Ohlsson's accumulated achievement. I would also like to thank Mr Melvyn M. Sobel for his highly insightful reviews of the complete cycle, where more often than not I can only second his well-balanced and eloquent esteem.



Had this Sonatas disc not been part of this unique cycle, I probably would have awarded it five stars in a heartbeat. However, grading needs to reveal relative quality, and considering the five only stars available in the light of the truly celestial heights of Ohlsson's Preludes, Etudes, Impromptus, Nocturnes and Mazurkas, these Sonatas can only get four stars with a plus.



Ohlsson starts off with the most exquisite rendition of the First Sonata ever committed to disc: the first movement almost turns into a nocturne through the relaxed beauty of tone Ohlsson manages to squeeze out of the score (though not saying that is necessarily what the 18-year-old Chopin had in mind); the Trio of the Menuetto becomes a little aria; the Larghetto a full-scale bel canto piece; and the Finale a sprawling rondo--auspicious enough of what were to come from the young but hyper-rapidly maturing genius. Of course, the competition is far smaller than in the subsequent two Sonatas. Having said that, Ohlsson rather easily outplays such noted rivals as Ashkenazy, Andsnes and Biret. Not even Ohlsson can make you believe the First Sonata is a Chopin masterpiece--but he can certainly make you return to it over and again and indulge in its considerable pleasure and beauty.



In some respects, the Second Sonata is the most revolutionary work in the whole Chopin oeuvre, something that is not easy to bring off. The first movement has a rhapsodic quality to it, the second extreme contrasts, the third is processional and static, whereas the fourth conveys discomforting feeling of terminal death. Ohlsson's first movement is indeed exciting, if perhaps not sufficiently well held together (surprisingly similar to Rubinstein's feral 1946 account)--neither aided by the omission of the exposition repeat; his second is brilliant and beautiful, respectively, but perhaps not overall entirely convincing; his Funeral March is, though, one of the most naturally beautiful and memorable of all; and his Finale is virtually as ghostly as conceivably possible. The Third Sonata gets the luxurious treat this mature masterpiece deserves--not least in the time-stopping bel canto third movement. Throughout, Ohlsson's beauty of tone production makes the music shine; in this respect, only Rubinstein and Demidenko can rival him.



Entirely excellent couplings of the Second and Third Sonatas are not easily found--Argerich, Ashkenazy, Rubinstein, Perahia, Pizarro and Andsnes all have their shortcomings. Hence, Ohlsson fills a gap here, not least when considering the inclusion of his reference First. My ideal Chopin Sonata trilogy would complement Ohlsson's First with Argerich in the Second (Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3; Scherzo No. 3 in C sharp minor) and Demidenko in the Third (Chopin: Ballades; Third Sonata). In some respect, Pletnev has given us the most revolutionary Second, though unfortunately not entirely free from his notorious idiosyncrasies--whereas Kissin's both gorgeous and dazzling live Carnegie Hall Third deserves mentioning.



In terms of recorded sound, Arabesque's reproduction of the magnificent Bösendorfer grand tops them all, which is as true for most parts of this cycle. Speaking of which, let's move on the first unforgettable highpoint in the Chopin Ohlsson series--the reference Preludes recording: Garrick Ohlsson: The Complete Chopin Piano Works Vol. 2 - Preludes."