CD1-5 Piano Woks and Transcriptions for Piano, Piano Four Hands, Transcriptions by Ravel.
CD6-7 Chamber Music
CD8-11 Orchestral Works
CD12 Orchestrations by Ravel of Other Composers
CD13-15 Songs
CD15-17 Choral Works, Opera and Lyric Works
CD17-21 Bonus and Historic Recordings
All Tracks
Even though RCA's outstanding recordings from the 1960s of Arthur Rubinstein playing Chopin are the most recommended versions for their exquisite interpretations and superior sound quality, some still turn to his recordings from the 1920s and '30s, which in many cases have the edge for passion and physical strength. Yet it is only fair to point out the limitations of this box set from EMI, which presents the concertos, nocturnes, waltzes, mazurkas, and polonaises in clean, digitally remastered audio, but has a closed-in, boxy quality that some listeners will find difficult to tolerate. Fortunately, these vintage recordings of Rubinstein performing at the peak of his powers have little distracting surface noise, and anyone who has had experience with historical recordings will find them quite attractive for the preservation of the piano's natural luster and for the lack of distortion. Once one accepts the compressed sound as a necessary condition, it's easy to see why Rubinstein's admirers champion these legendary performances, for his expressions are mature but still fresh and energetic, and his brilliance and bravado come across clearly, despite the age of the recordings. This set will be best appreciated by fans and specialists in the repertoire, but others will derive some benefits by giving it a fair hearing. by Blair Sanderson
Esbjörn Svensson has stood not only once on stage in Montreux. He was already a guest in the summer of 1998 at the jazz festival on Lake Gen...
