I would definitely go out on a limb and say that's not a genuine DG cover. Biggest giveaway is the choice of typefaces (Tahoma!) and no catalogue number in the top right corner... Fan-made, I'd say. Not saying that he didn't record for DG, but that that is an unofficial cover. Or somebody was very drunk at DG Italy
Next up on my survey of the Chopin Nocturne sets that I own is Pires. After Ciani, her full digital sound was welcome to my ears. I also enjoyed her playing more than I have in the past. Previously, I was let down by her Nocturnes, as she plays them with a wider dynamic range than anyone I have heard. She plays them less like Nocturnes and more like Ballades, very dramatic. These are Nocturnes for the concert hall, not for the living room. Once that is established, I was more able to enjoy her take on these works. I think these are best played at dusk, rather than deep into the night. Since she presents these works in a unique way, I plan to hold onto this set. I wouldn't recommend her as a first or even a second set, though. For that I would suggest Arrau and Moravec. For a set in modern sound, Wasowski is superb at presenting the works at slower tempos and Freire splendidly plays them at more conventional tempos. Except for Wasowski, all of these sets are currently in print. The Wasowski is well worth hunting down, though, along with his wonderful Mazurkas.
I recently purchased the 2005 Pollini set which has some very mixed reviews - would be interested in your thoughts if you have heard them. Another in my 'one year soon' pile
We usually have different tastes, but I wholeheartedly second these recommendations, they are all worth having.
This set compiles all of Askenase's Chopin recordings. His first piano teacher was his mother. She was a pupil of Mukili, who was a pupil of Chopin himself. Askenase plays the Nocturnes straight and by modern standards at least, at a slightly rushed tempo. The sound is dull, but thankfully the performances are not, they are different. The performances seem like they are from another time, though the recordings were only made in 1952-1954. This is Chopin played in a very masculine way. It focuses on being more dignified than on beauty. I'd wager that people who would like a strightforward, unsentimental Chopin would like these. No sniffing of the flowers here. What Backhaus is to Beethoven, Askenase is to Chopin.
I did hear that set, back when it came out. What I can recall is that I disliked it less than I expected to. Pollini's style is really not to my taste in romantic music, though his DG CD of the Chopin Etudes is impressive. I recently picked that up at a used shop.
He is an interesting interpreter. I read one review suggesting he is a cold and un-emotional player and thereby unsuited to the nocturnes. By way of contrast I have a DVD of him playing Beethoven's Piano Concertos 4 and 5 with Bohm and the Vienna Philharmonic. He is lively and energetic, jumping up off his chair at times with strong emotions written across his face. My favourite performances of these works.
Another set of Nocturnes, this time from rare box set that, for a few years was difficult for me to find, until it popped up one day in the old J&R Music store in downtown NYC. An online acquaintance who was a Chopin fanatic had recommended the pianists' Chopin Nocturnes set to me, so I was excited to finally find it. The sound is lovely, the pianist's Fazioli (clearer, brighter than a steinway) piano is captured nicely. Ciccolini's style lies at the opposite side of the spectrum from Ashkenase and Smeterlin. He sniffs each and every flower, at times losing forward momentum in the process. Still, his touch and tone are gorgeous, and his playing evokes a light, evening daydream. He plays in the style of Tipo, but his playing is more effective and his sound is clearer. He handles both the tender passages and the tumultuous ones equally well. In the tender passages, he savors every note, much like Arrau. Unlike Arrau, though, the sound and textures are light and brighter than Arrau's darker, heavier tones and sound. All in all, this set remains among my favorites, as the pros greatly outweigh the cons. For the Nocturnes, Arrau remains my favorite, then probably Moravec. After these two, the rest of my favorites are Wasowski, Ciccolini and Freire, probably in that order.
I agree. He is very interesting. One listen to his Chopin Etudes would convince anyone his playing can be intense and yes, emotional. Still, I think many other pianists find far more beauty in the music than he does. I just don't think that is his goal. Or his style. I think he excels in modern music, stuff like Schoenberg. I hope you enjoy his Nocturnes when you get to them. By the way, another pianist known for being cold and more focused on technique than beauty is Weissenberg, and I enjoy his Nocturnes. So there really are no rules, no science to this stuff. A friend of mine, who is a certified Beethoven piano nut rates that recording of the 5th PC above all others. I bought it at his recommendation and have enjoyed it ever since. For the 4th I love Arrau/Haitink.
Has anyone compared these two releases of Grumiaux's Sonatas and Partitas? I have the one in the top picture but was considering getting the 2001 version seen in the bottom pic, as a couple reviews said It sounds better.
I have an early mastering that I am happy with. I wouldn't expect much (if any) differences, as it appears that both are 24 bit transfers.
Ha, upon further inspection I see my CD is actually a 2006 reissue, so I would suspect you're correct in that they're probably the same mastering. I thought my copy was an earlier release from the 90's.
Glad you solved the mystery. Personally, I usually prefer the older masterings, as they tend to sound more natural and less futzed-with to me.
One of my favorites as well, but definitely my favorite version of the Sonatas and Partitas. My favorite violinist overall is probably Gidon Kremer -- I love his Sonatas and Partitas on ECM from about 10 or 15 years ago, but they're not as outstanding as Grumiaux's. Listening to Grumiaux play the Sonatas and Partitas is about as close as one can get to the divine on this mortal plane in my humble opinion.
I have that Kremer DG box set, his recordings of the Beethoven violin sonatas with Argerich are thrilling!
I'll have to pick that up. I have this disk of Shostakovich trios with Argerich & Kremer, and thrilling is the perfect word for it as well.
Looks like my box has been expanded (15 discs, while mine only has 8) and reissued for a good price: https://www.amazon.com/Violin-Sonat...eywords=Kremer+box+set&qid=1603156038&sr=8-23
@George P, no Kremer on this one, but another Argerich/Bheetoven album that I highly recommend if you don't have it:
For me it's Noel Mewton-Wood in no. 4 and Cor de Groot in no. 5 (it would be Friedrich Wuhrer if he hadn't misfired in the last mvt. by taking too slow a tempo)--but I like what I've heard of Pollini in Beethoven, whose music seems to suit his style well. I'm not a fan of Pollini's Chopin.
