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Review
'Chopin, alongside Mozart, is the greatest' Anderszewski is reported to have declared at the end of the sessions for this CD, and you can see immediately where he's coming from. There's the almost naïve simplicity of the Op. 59 Mazurkas that begin this recital, the old-fashioned manner of addressing the keyboard, and the feeling that somehow no matter how impassioned matters become, the emotional outbursts can just about be contained, and constrained, by classical structures, as though you're catching glimpses of an approaching storm from within a Palladian colonnade.
Has it really taken this long for Anderszewski to embrace Chopin? I doubt it; perhaps it was just a public necessity not to appear to be cashing in on shared nationality at the expense of our appreciation of Anderszewski's pianism. But could we really mistake this for anything other than what it is, Chopin playing of the very highest quality? The first of the Op. 63 Mazurkas struts arrogantly before us, with Anderszewski's rhythmic pointing adding a lurching momentum to it...and straight afterwards, the air of hushed grief or suppressed tragedy in Op. 63 No. 2 is a powerful contrast, prompting playing of great delicacy and refinement.
The Ballades and Polonaises are pieces on a more epic scale, yet they share the same qualities in Anderszewski's hands: passion and explosive power held within a fragile web of harmonic and rhythmic certainty. Hidden within is some of the quietest, stillest Chopin you'll hear, which means Anderszewski doesn't have to pound the piano like a boxer on steroids to make a massive impact...and some of the most effective and beautiful moments are achieved through rubato, a momentary hesitation or a subtle lingering over a melodic phrase or cadence.
The recording is perfectly scaled, intimate without being oppressively close, and in sum it's one of those rare Chopin recitals that makes perfect sense, not because it has all the Mazurkas together (it hasn't), or the four Ballades one after another (it doesn't), but because Anderszewski's musicality makes organic sense of the whole recital. It lives and breathes just as movingly as a whole as it does within any one of the miniatures in isolation, and that is a very rare achievement.
Like This? Try These:
Chopin: Études (Murray Perahia)
Godowsky: Piano Sonata & Passacaglia (Hamelin)
Mikhail Pletnev: Live at Carnegie Hall --Andrew McGregor
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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Customer Reviews
The Ballades nos. 3 & 4 are among the most compelling and innovative works of Chopin. The A flat major Ballade Op. 47 is the essence of charm and warmth. Anderszewski focuses on conveying its epic narrative features while playing it with astonishing subtlety and poise. His performance is emotional yet full of classical restraint which confirms that with Chopin emotions are better expressed by underplaying rather than overplaying them. This interpretation of this work is as good as any you will find on record. The F minor Ballade Op. 52 is generally agreed to be one of the most sublime works of the romantic piano repertoire. For me it is the most sensual and intense work of Chopin verging on insanity and oblivion evoked by obsessive melody 'which probes the very coverts of the soul' as stated by Huneker. In this case Anderszewski's performance is perhaps not on a par with my favorite interpretations (Zimerman, Rubinstein, Horowitz), but nevertheless it is well worth hearing.
The Op. 44 & 53 Polonaises are works on a more epic scale. Anderszewski's playing here is again among the finest available (Rubinstein). As summarized by Andrew McGregor in the BBC CD Review it is 'some of the quietest, stillest Chopin you'll hear, which means Anderszewski doesn't have to pound the piano like a boxer on steroids to make a massive impact... and some of the most effective and beautiful moments are achieved through rubato, a momentary hesitation or a subtle lingering over a melodic phrase or cadence.' These works require stature, nobility and tension to communicate effectively, and here they are as prominent, noble and tense as can be.
Shortly speaking, I recommend this phenomenal recital of Chopin's music with all my heart. Profoundly emotional and heartfelt, it is marked by astounding delicacy and elegance, which can be summarized by a quotation taken from the accompanying liner notes: 'The material is Polish, but the cut is French'.
The Ballades nos. 3 & 4 are among the most compelling and innovative works of Chopin. The A flat major Ballade Op. 47 is the essence of charm and warmth. Anderszewski focuses on conveying its epic narrative features while playing it with astonishing subtlety and poise. His performance is emotional yet full of classical restraint which confirms that with Chopin emotions are better expressed by underplaying rather than overplaying them. This interpretation of this work is as good as any you will find on record. The F minor Ballade Op. 52 is generally agreed to be one of the most sublime works of the romantic piano repertoire. For me it is the most sensual and intense work of Chopin verging on insanity and oblivion evoked by obsessive melody 'which probes the very coverts of the soul' as stated by Huneker. In this case Anderszewski's performance is perhaps not on a par with my favorite interpretations (Zimerman, Rubinstein, Horowitz), but nevertheless it is well worth hearing.
The Op. 44 & 53 Polonaises are works on a more epic scale. Anderszewski's playing here is again among the finest available (Rubinstein). As summarized by Andrew McGregor in the BBC CD Review it is 'some of the quietest, stillest Chopin you'll hear, which means Anderszewski doesn't have to pound the piano like a boxer on steroids to make a massive impact... and some of the most effective and beautiful moments are achieved through rubato, a momentary hesitation or a subtle lingering over a melodic phrase or cadence.' These works require stature, nobility and tension to communicate effectively, and here they are as prominent, noble and tense as can be.
It takes courage to play thrice-familiar music your own way. Fortunately, Anderszewski has a unique melodic gift, as free in its way as Cortot's or Rachmaninov's in their Chopin. In all, I'd rate this the best Chopin recital I've heard since Kissin made his Carnegie Hall debut over a decade ago. It's a big plus, by the way, that the recorded sound of the piano is nothing less than phenomenal.
Listening to Anderszewski's Chopin erases all doubt that this once controversial personality might be all parade and no circus. Here is Chopin performed with all the fire and poetry, passion and bliss, introspection and attention to inner voices and details while controlling the overall architecture of this touch works. His sound is extraordinary and the recording captures that with faithful reproduction.
Passing through each of the generous pieces for individual review is unnecessary: that is the joy left for the listener. It is enough said that here is a recording by an artist of major importance who simply seems to have it all. And seeing him in concert only adds the beauty of his physical appearance to the joy of this playing! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 05
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