The Chopin Collection / Rubinstein

Piano: Artur Rubinstein

Nocturnes, Op. 9, 1-3; Nocturnes, Op. 15, 1-3; Nocturnes, Op. 27, 1-2; Nocturnes, Op. 32; 1-2; Nocturnes, Op. 37, 1-2; Nocturnes, Op. 48, 1-2; Nocturnes, Op. 55, 1-2; Nocturnes, Op. 62, 1-2; Nocturnes, Op. 72, No. 1; Mazurkas, Op. 6, 1-4; Mazurkas, Op. 7, 1-5; Mazurkas, Op. 17, 1-4; Mazurkas, Op. 24, 1-4; Mazurkas, Op. 30, 1-4; Mazurkas, Op. 33, 1-4; Mazurkas, Op. 41, 1-4; Mazurkas, Op. 50, 1-3; Mazurkas, Op. 56, 1-3; Mazurkas, Op. 59, 1-3; Mazurkas, Op. 63, 1-3; Mazurkas, Opus Posthumous In A Minor "À Emile Gaillard";Mazurkas, Opus Posthumous In A Minor "Notre Temps"; Mazurkas, Op. 67, 1-4; Mazurkas, Op. , 1-4; Ballades No. 1, Op. 23 In G Minor; Ballades No. 2, Op. 38 In F; Ballades No. 3, Op. 47 In A-Flat; Ballades No. 4, Op. 52 In F Minor; Scherzos No.1, Op. 20 In B Minor; Scherzos No. 2, Op. 31 In B-Flat Minor; Scherzos No. 3, Op. 39 In C-Sharp Minor; Scherzos No. 4, Op. 54 In E; Polonaises, Op. 26, 1-2; Polonaises, Op. 40, 1-2; Polonaise, Op. 44 In F-Sharp Minor; Polonaise, Op. 53 In A-Flat "Heroic; Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61 In A-Flat; Sonata No. 2, Op. 35, B-Flat Minor; Sonata No. 3, Op. 58, B Minor; Fantaisie, Op. 49 In F Minor; Concerto No. 1, Op. 11 In E Minor; Concerto No. 2, Op. 21 In F Minor; Waltz Op. 18, In E-Flat ("Grande Valse Brillante"); Waltzes, Op. 34, 1-3; Waltz, Op. 42 In A-Flat "Two-Four"; Waltzes, Op. 64, 1-3; Waltzes, Op. 69, 1-2; Waltzes, Op. 70, 1-3; Waltz, Opus Posthumous In E Minor; Impromptus No. 1, Op. 29 In A-Flat; Impromptus No. 2, Op. 36 In F-Sharp; Impromptus No. 3, Op. 51 In G-Flat; Impromptus No. 4, Op. 66 In C-Sharp Minor "Fantaisie-Impromptu"; Barcarolle, Op. 60; Trois Nouvelles Études, Opus Posthumous; Bolero, Op. 19; Berceuse, Op. 57; Tarantelle, Op. 43; Andante Spianato And Grand Polonaise, Op. 22 In E-Flat; Preludes, Op. 28, 1-24; Sonata No. 2 In B-Flat Minor, Op. 35; Berceuse, Op. 57; Barcarolle, Op. 60

There are, believe it or not, those individuals who claim to love Chopin and to disdain Rubinstein. How that could be possible is almost unknowable. One can certainly understand complaints that Rubinstein's technique was not always up to Chopin's sometimes extravagant technical demands: after all, the Polish pianist only recorded the Polish composer's preludes once and never recorded his etudes at all because, as he himself admitted, they were too hard for him. But in the face of Rubinstein's subtle touch, singing tone, scrupulous balances, warm colors, instinctive rhythms, complete command of the mute and sustain pedals, and total identification with the composer, his technical limitations count for very little. This 11-disc set is the ultimate refutation for those who claim to love Chopin but not Rubinstein. Including all his recordings for RCA; from 1946's Preludes through 1967's Nocturnes, this set presents what many regard as the finest collection of Chopin performances by a single pianist ever assembled. Recorded for the most part by ace producer Max Wilcox in sound that ranges from clean but distant monaural through clear and deep stereo, these performances are the rock upon which any basic Chopin collection should be built. ~ James Leonard, All Music Guide

Price: $59.98