The Chopin Mazurkas, Volume 2

On this CD:

1. Mazurka for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 41/1, CT 76
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

2. Mazurka for piano in E minor, Op. 41/2, CT 74
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

3. Mazurka for piano in B major, Op. 41/3, CT 78
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

4. Mazurka for piano in A flat major, Op. 41/4, CT 79
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

5. Mazurka for piano in G major, Op. 50/1, CT 80
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

6. Mazurka for piano in A flat major, Op. 50/2, CT 81
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

7. Mazurka for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 50/3, CT 82
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

8. Mazurka for piano in B major, Op. 56/1, CT 83
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

9. Mazurka for piano in C major, Op. 56/2, CT 84
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

10. Mazurka for piano in C minor, Op. 56/3, CT 85
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

11. Mazurka for piano in A minor, Op. 59/1, CT 86
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

12. Mazurka for piano in A flat major, Op. 59/2 CT 87
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

13. Mazurka for piano in F sharp minor, Op. 59/3, CT 88
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

14. Mazurka for piano in B major, Op. 63/1, CT 89
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

15. Mazurka for piano in F minor, Op. 63/2, CT 90
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

16. Mazurka for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 63/3, CT 91
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

17. Mazurka for piano in A minor, KK IIb/4, CT 106
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

18. Mazurka for piano in A minor, KK IIb/5, CT 105
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

19. Mazurka for piano in G major, Op. 67/1, CT 92
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

20. Mazurka for piano in G minor, Op. 67/2, CT 93
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

21. Mazurka for piano in C major, Op. 67/3, CT 94
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

22. Mazurka for piano in A minor, Op. 67/4. CT 95
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

23. Mazurka for piano in C major, Op. 68/1, CT 96
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

24. Mazurka for piano in A minor, Op. 68/2, CT 97
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

25. Mazurka for piano in F major, Op. 68/3, CT 98
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

26. Mazurka for piano in F minor, Op. 68/4, CT 99
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Karen Kushner

Tracks:

Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17 No. 4: Lento, ma non troppo
Etude in G-flat major, Op. 10 No. 5: Vivace
Introduction & Rondo in E-flat major, Op. 16
Waltz in A minor, Op. 34 No. 2: Lento
Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53: Maestoso
Mazurka in F-sharp minor, Op. 59 No. 3: Vivace
Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op. 50 No. 3: Moderato
Mazurka in D-flat major, Op. 30 No. 3: Allegro non troppo
Mazurka in E minor, Op. 41 No. 2: Andantino
Mazurka in D major, Op. 33 No. 2: Vivace
Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10 No. 4: Presto
Etude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3: Lento, ma non troppo
Etude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12: Allegro con fuoco
Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 No. 6: Lento assai

Tracks:

Posonaise in A major, Op. 40 No. 1: Allegro con brio
Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 28 No. 15: Sostenuto
Etude in E-flat minor, Op. 10 No. 6: Andante
Etude No. 2 in A-flat major from 'Trois Nouvelles Etudes': Allegretto
Mazurka in F minor, Op. 7 No. 3
Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2: Tempo giusto
Variations on a Theme by Clara Wieck from Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 14: Andantino
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: I. Auberst bewegt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: II. Sehr innig
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: III. Sehr aufgeregt
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: IV. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: V. Sehr lebhaft
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VI. Sehr langsam
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VII. Sehr rasch
Kreisleriana, Op. 16: VIII. Schnell und spielend

Amazon.com essential recording

Schumann and Chopin were staples of Horowitz's repertory, and this late 1960s-early 1970s collection finds him at his mature peak, playing with elan and imaginative fantasy. The Kreisleriana is one of his greatest recordings, trumping rivals with its spectacular pianism and complete identification with the composer. The Chopin set typifies Horowitz's approach--big and bold, with personalized editorial emendations and an energy that shatters the conventional salon approach. But he also sings Chopin's touching melodies as few others can, making the lovely Op. 10 No. 3 Etude an achingly touching poem. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

The Schumann Kreisleriana is worth everything, and the Chopin is magical.......2005-12-20

This is a must have dual CD set of one of the great pianists of all time playing some of his favorite music. Later in life Horowitz made a TV show that became a best selling VHS tape entitled "Horowitz: The Last Romantic". If you ever heard him play, you know that title is appropriate and what the grand piano style was all about.

I have often referred to recordings of music as photographs of music. And just as photographs of people a wonderfully valuable, they are not the real person and do not capture the real person. Even a movie or documentary distorts the reality of the person. Still, we treasure our home movies, photos, and recordings. And we should. We just need to remember what they really are and that they are representations of reality (or of fictions if that is what they are) rather than real life.

It was my good fortune to hear Horowitz in recital three times; twice here in Ann Arbor and once in East Lansing. While I have heard dozens of great pianists, and hundreds of very fine quality, Horowitz (and Rubenstein) had a special charisma that was totally involving. His playing had special qualities that were unique to him. He played more quietly and yet was able to send that whisper of sound to the farthest rows in Hill Auditorium. I believe the secret of his power was that he had so many shades of pianissimo. While we clearly here a great dynamic range in these recordings, the compressed nature of recordings cannot capture the full range of what we heard in live performance.

The other thing he had was the ability to not only keep the voices clear in the music he was playing, but to give each voice its own character and sound. The recording of Schumann's fabulous Opus 16, Kreisleriana included here captures this ability to a stunning degree. This recording should be in your collection and studied carefully. While these phantasies are full of contrasts that make listening to them seemingly easy, there is so much quality and interesting music that they will reward as much close listening and study as you can lavish on them.

The other Schumann work included is the "Variations on a theme by Clara Wieck" (who became Schumann's wife and was a superb and important pianist).

The Chopin pieces included here are a wonderful collection of etudes, mazurkas, the two famous polonaises, preludes, waltzes, and the wonderful but not often heard "Introduction and Rondo in E-flat major Op 16". These are all full of magic and will hold your imagination closely. I find myself saying, "Oh, I LOVE this piece" and then the next one comes on, and I say the same thing again and then again for the next one. They are all pieces I have learned to play or want to learn (like the Intro & Rondo).

Get a hold of these disks if you can. Just a number of wonderful listening experiences.

Chopin + Schumann + Horowitz = Unforgettable Playing.......2003-04-12

Volume Seven of Sony's Horowitz reissue contains very convincing performances of Chopin and Schumann, Romantic composers whose music was sympathetic to the pianist's interpretive style.

It was not uncommon for Horowitz to bring to light a rarely played work by a well known composer, which is the case with Chopin's Introduction & Rondo in E-flat. This early composition (probably written for Chopin's most advanced pupils) abounds with glittery passagework and technical configurations similar to his Concertos (which Horowitz never recorded). Under Horowitz's hands, the work exceeds the boundaries of mere salon piece and emerges as a virtuoso tour de force.

Horowitz (who had a Polish grandmother and was fond of pointing out that he was "half as much a Pole as Chopin") considered the Mazurkas to be Chopin's greatest works, and often stated that there was more music in the shortest Chopin Mazurka than in the longest Mahler Symphony. The pianist treated the Mazurkas less as dance pieces than as "dance-fantasies" and his playing of the works was freer than the more straightforward Rubinstein. Highlights of this set include a seductive F-sharp Minor, Op. 59 No. 3.

Horowitz made several recordings of the ever popular A-flat Polonaise, and this one adheres most closely to Chopin's text. The introduction is very sparsely pedalled (as if Horowitz were saying "Look! I can play the tricky introduction without using the pedal to cover up insufficient fingerwork. Take THAT, Rubinstein!"). The remainder of the piece goes with gusto and flair (too fast to be a Maestoso), but he somehow misses the grandeur which Rubinstein brought to the piece--and which Horowitz himself would attain in his last years. The A-major Polonaise is also taken at a fast clip, but this somehow seems more appropriate to this work, and one is reminded of Chopin's remark that if he were able to play the piece the way he meant it to be played, the piano would lay in ruins afterward.

If anyone thought Horowitz, then approaching 70, had lost any of his fire, their worries were quickly dispelled with the Etudes included here. The C-sharp Minor goes at a rapid clip, but unlike many pianists, there is no loss of clarity. The famous Revolutionary Etude is given a more outwardly virtuosic performance then the pianist's 1963 recording, yet somehow the piece has less impact here.

The ubiquitous C-sharp Minor Waltz is from the Boston concert of April 7, 1968. Three days previously, the Reverend Martin Luther King had been murdered in Memphis. At the beginning of this concert, Horowitz came onstage with an African-American minister, and played Chopin's Funeral March in memory of Dr. King.

Horowitz learned Shumann's Kreisleriana in the 1930s, but did not play it in public until 1968. Several attempts to record the work in concert were not successful, and Horowitz came to the conclusion that he needed the peace and quiet of a recording studio to achieve the concentration for a performance suitable for posterity. Horowitz recorded the work at one inspired session on December 1, 1969, and this may well be the most successful Kreisleriana ever recorded. Ironically, Horowitz, who often had trouble holding together a Beethoven Sonata, makes this structurally splintered work emerge as one piece. This is one Kriesleriana which is never rambling or boring. There is virtuosity here, but never for its own sake, and there is poetry in plenty. This stands alongside the 1932 Liszt Sonata and 1951 Rachmaninoff Third Concerto as one of Horowitz's greatest recordings. However, it should be pointed out that this reissue of Kriesleriana uses a few alternate takes, which are markedly different from the original LP and an earlier CD issue (MK42409). Although the performance is basically similar, there are several differences in detail.

Schumann's Variations on a Theme by Clara Wieck, originally included as a filler for the Kriesleriana record, is given a straightforward reading here. It a lovely little work, but it is even more beautiful in its original context: as the third movement from the composer's Sonata in F Minor, another rarely played work Horowitz would bring to light in 1975.

The sound is more than acceptable here, and especially fine in the Schumann works.

Classic Chopin.......2000-11-23

Volume Seven of Vladimir Horowitz's "Complete Masterworks Recordings" ("Early Romantics") compiles almost two discs worth of classic Chopin performances. There's a little bit of everything here -- Polonaises, Etudes, Mazurkas and Preludes, but sadly no Nocturnes. The Chopin renditions here are as good as, if not better than, anything available -- Rubinstein, Kissin, Pollini and Cliburn included. And just when you thought the highlight of this collection was the Chopin material, on come two amazing pieces by Schumann, "Variations on a Theme by Clara Wreck" and "Kreislerania." The latter piece is a particular favorite of mine -- a wild and turbulent, and at times poetic and lovely, masterpiece which Horowitz captures in all its brilliance. In all, "Early Romantics" is a thoroughly enjoyable couple of discs that anyone should love.

Chopin: Volume 2 (Sonata No. 3/Mazurkas)

Average customer rating:

This set may be the greatest we will get from Kissin
Kissin misses the mark but there is hope...
Technically proficient, but emotionally immature
The Second of a must own set, but less compelling
Oracular

Chopin: Volume 2 (Sonata No. 3/Mazurkas)

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

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Similar Items:

Chopin, Volume 1
Chopin: The Four Ballades, Berceuse, Barcarolle, Scherzo No. 4
Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op. 28; Sonata for Piano No. 2, Op. 35; Polonaise, Op. 53
Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2; Etudes-Tableaux
Evgeny Kissin Plays Brahms

ASIN: B000003FOU
Release Date: 1994-11-08

Tracks:

Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: Allegro maestoso
Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: Scherzo
Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: Largo
Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 58: Finale: Presto, non tanto
Mazurka, Op. 63, No. 2 In F Minor
Mazurka, Op. 56, No. 2 In C
Mazurka, Op. 63, No. 3 In C-Sharp Minor
Mazurka, Op. 30, No. 3 In D-Flat
Mazurka, Op. 68, No. 4 In F Minor
Mazurka, Op. 50, No. 1 In G
Mazurka, Op. 50, No. 3 In C-Sharp
Mazurka, Op. 33, No. 2 In D
Mazurka, Op. 24, No. 4 In B-Flat
Mazurka, Op. 59, No. 3 In F-Sharp Minor
Mazurka, Op. 17, No. 4 In A Minor
Mazurka, Op. 63, No. 1In B

Customer Reviews:

This set may be the greatest we will get from Kissin.......2005-09-19

The phenomenal prodigy that was the young Kissin doesn't seem to be growing, not as of now. This recital contains the most virtuosic Chopin playing imaginablecombined with a deep feeling for this composer that can't be taught. However, given some pretty off-putting recent recordings, it may be that this CD, along with eight or ten others also from his early years, will prove the height of is legacy. Le'ts hope not; he is sitll relatively young.

Kissin misses the mark but there is hope..........2005-07-16

Chopin Sonata No.3 in B minor Op.58 is a maturity work both from the composer and the soloist viewpoints. Unfortunately in this recording, I find Kissin fails to deliver on that account and, like many, tries to mask this lack of depth by tempo changes and flashy virtuosic effects.
For that piece I would recommend the recent release by Russian born pianist Svetlana Ponomareva available on amazon.ca, the Canadian site of Amazon.
On her news webpage (http://www.ponomarevapianist.com/news.htm), the soundtrack sample is the Scherzo of the Sonata. As opposed to Kissin interpretation, the constant tempo written by Chopin is respected but the touch and sensitivity of the pianist allows the dramaturgy to evolve as she draws the listener into her world.

As an aside, she also studied at the Gnessins Academy in Moscow...

Technically proficient, but emotionally immature.......2002-07-22

Kissin is still a youngster in the world of Chopin; as much as people like to put him on the pantheon of great pianists already, the truth is that his ideas of dramatic structure are vague, his phrasing is narrow and confined, and he has virtually nothing new or visionary to bring to the music. While he is technically proficient - almost perfect - so is Pletnev, or Volodos, or any one of many who have recorded the same pieces. I would recommend Cortot, Harasiewicz, Horowitz, Ohlsson or Pletnev for any Chopin fan who isn't swayed by the sensationalist hype surrounding Kissin. Give him 20 years, then see what he produces.

The Second of a must own set, but less compelling.......2001-09-03

Though I would still buy this CD, I like it a good deal less that I like Chopin, volume one. However, there is one thing about this CD which causes me to say you must own it: the finale of Sonata no. 3. Though Kissin performs all of the Sonata well, I find most of Argerich's performance of the Sonata far more fun. However, she fails in the last movement, playing it, as she often does, far too fast. Kissin's finale is positively majestic in it's churning, off-beat rhythm. It is truly wonderful.

Many of the Mazurkas played here are played absolutely sublimely. On the other hand, a few of them are less than absolutely wonderful. The last one on the CD, however, is an absolute treasure. I would say this is an essential CD, but, if you are on a limited budget, by Chopin Volume 1 first.

Oracular.......2000-04-16

I must concur with my neighbor. This CD is possibly my favorite of all which I own. Kissin's technical prowess rivals that of pianists twice his age, yet it is neither age nor technique that sets him apart from his peers, but his unmatched sensitivity and insight. This is musicianship of the very highest caliber. Kissin has a special affinity for Chopin. His very natural touch and "declamation" sound like what one must imagine Chopin, himself, must have played. "Natural" is really the best word for Kissin's pianism--his sincerity is almost disarming. I would say that the slow movement of the sonata--itself an unjustly underperformed work--is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, and in Kissin's hands it is absolutely breathtaking. Mr. Del Dotto is right, though. The Mazurka in Am (op.17, no.4) is painfully beautiful. The final barely audible return of the original theme is absolutely haunting. It is true that this is nothing like the Chopin you might be familiar with. Kissin's interpretations are absolutely unique, which may be a turnoff to some. But this is not merely different, it is BETTER. There is nothing in the world like Kissin playing Chopin. Do not hesitate--buy this record.

The Blumental Collection Volume 2 - Chopin: Mazurkas, Nocturnes and Polonaises

Average customer rating:

The Blumental Collection Volume 2 - Chopin: Mazurkas, Nocturnes and Polonaises

Manufacturer: Brana Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000280UNM
Release Date: 2004-05-22

Tracks:

Mazurka in F sharp minor Op. 6, No. 1
Mazurka in F minor Op. 7, No. 3
Mazurka in C sharp minor Op. 30, No. 4
Mazurka in D major Op. 33, No. 2
Mazurka in E minor Op. 41, No. 2
Mazurka in F minor Op. 63, No. 2
Mazurka in C sharp minor Op. 63, No. 3
Mazurka in A minor (posth.) Notre temps No. 2
Nocturne in B flat minor Op. 9, No. 1
Nocturne in F major Op. 15, No. 1
Nocturne in B major Op. 32, No. 1
Nocturne in G minor Op. 37, No. 1
Nocturne in E minor Op. 72, No. 1
Polonaise in C sharp minor Op. 26, No. 1
Polonaise in E flat minor Op. 26, No. 2
Polonaise in C minor Op. 40, No. 2
Polonaise in A flat major, Op. 53 (Heroic)

Album Description

The mazurka is in fact both a French title and a translation of Poland's native dance called a Mazurk. It is in triple time, either 3/8 or 3/4, (Chopin's mazurkas were written in the latter) and often used church modes as a source of harmony. The original folk mazurka is a combination of three dances, but is flexible to allow an improvisational section for new parts. For many of his compositions, Chopin turned to Polish folk music for inspiration. One of his favoured (and specialised) techniques is rubato and here it is ideal to convey the feeling of improvisation. Dotted rhythms and irregular accents are also characteristic of mazurkas and Chopin wrote with this particularly in mind. He combined these traditions with major and minor modes and extended this common dance to become a higher musical form and at the same time, captured the true spirit of the Mazurk. Chopin composed over 50 throughout his lifetime.

A `Nocturne' usually means an evening song that is soft in character, but Chopin developed this genre to incorporate a variety of moods with a more poetic and expressive nature, while adopting an A-B-A form. Section `A' usually consisted of a dreamy bel-canto style and section `B,' a more dramatic passage (a particular example of this is Op. 15, No 1).

Here Chopin again turns to another dance form of his native land, Poland and takes its title from the peasant processional dances, Polski. As with the mazurka, it is in triple time, although Chopin adopts slower tempos and a more majestic quality. Chopin composed polonaises and waltzes throughout his lifetime. His first polonaise was composed at the age of 7 (Polonaise in G minor) and the last was Polonaise-Fantasie in A flat major Op. 61 dated in 1846. He applied many ideas to his polonaises, extending the boundaries of the `A-B-A' form. He composed introductions, experimented with codas and polyphonic textures and developed themes and bridges.