Review of Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 27 [BOX SET] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Arthur Rubinstein made three recordings of Chopin's 51 Mazurkas, this second set being made in 1952-1953. As with most everything he made multiple recordings of, the three sets of Mazurkas (along with three Mazurkas he recorded separately in 1932) make for fascinating comparisons. There is a gradual metamorphosis from the more exciting, brilliant, and episodic performances of the 1930s toward the more sober, reflective, structurally cohesive approach of the 1960s recordings.
Rubinstein considered the stereo version of the mazurkas (Volume 50) one of the finest recordings he had ever made. But in my opinion, his earlier versions of the mazurkas are superior. In the 1930s set (volume 6), he more effectively captures the "swing" of this Polish peasant dance, where the 1960s version tends to sound metrically stricter. This 1950s version (Volume 27) melds the youthful and mature approaches. Rubinstein also uses a wider tonal pallette in this second set.
There are many valid approaches to these elusive gems. In addition to this set, collectors would do well to aquire the 29 Mazurkas William Kapell recorded before his early death, and the scattered Mazurkas recorded by Horowitz.
The mono sound is a bit dry, with little sense of space round the piano, but acceptable.

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Review of Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 6 [BOX SET] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Complete recorded editions of Classical music were almost unheard of in the 1930s.Artur Schnabel was making a complete version of Beethoven's 32 Sonatas, but many "musicians" didn't consider Chopin's music worthy of such attention--he was just a salon composer, after all.Arthur Rubinstein, of course, didn't believe any of that nonsense about Chopin.His respect for that composer informed both his interpretation of his music, and his decision to record his Scherzos and Mazurkas.
Rubinstein made three complete versions of Chopin's Scherzos, with this first set dating from 1932.All three versions by Rubinstein are exciting, and offer testament to the pianist's solid technique, innate virtuosity, and natural sense of musical architecture.Tempos are breathtakingly faster in these earlier performances than in the later ones.Considering the fact that editing was impossible during this era, and his considerable risk taking, Rubinstein's very few inconsequential mistakes are understandable.
As with the Scherzos, Rubinstein recorded three versions of the Mazurkas.This first version (from 1938-1939) is markedly freer, more compelling, and more poetic than his later remakes.The pianist's use of rubato is more pronounced, as is his greater emphasis on inner voices, which Rubinstein later banished.
These recordings originate from 78RPM discs.Despite the slight surface noise, and occasional tubbiness in the piano tone, Rubinstein's eternally fresh interpretations come through loud & clear.

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Review of William Kapell Edition [BOX SET] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

This is one of the most remarkable classical CD collections ever released, and is an absolute must-have for piano afficionados.Many CD boxed sets claim to be historically important; this one most assuredly is.Kapell wasAmerica's first great pianist, and remains at the pinnacle, almost 50 yearsafter his tragic death at age 31.As a previous reviewer noted, there istoo much material on these CDs to comment on in-depth, but I'll just saythat most of the recordings here are definitive, which is quite remarkable,considering that many of these works have been recorded by scores ofpianists, including greats such as Horowitz, Rubinstein, and others. Precious in this collection are Kapell's recordings of Bach and Schubertmade in his last year.These show him as a pianist who, while capable ofdazzling a stadium-sized crowd with stunning, instrument-damagingpyrotechnics, could also play with a crystalline and intimate purity,heart-to-heart, as if there were only one listener in the room.Highly,highly recommended.

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Review of Chopin: Mazurkas [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

William Kappell was, in a way, the Dennis Brain of the piano.Brain had a meteoric career playing the French horn, which was cut short by his early death -- and cognoscenti have been seeking out his old monaural records and CD's for decades.Kappell also had a tragically short career which accounts for the only deficiency of this CD.It was recorded with old monaural equipment.I predict that you won't notice that at all, because the genius of William Kappell shines through in these pieces.I think I would describe his Mazurkas as both very 'clean' and also 'lush.' He is playing carefully and bringing out the subtle beauty of these odd little dances.Chopin's Mazurkas always seem to have a "sweet and sour" character, often with a lyrical major theme at the start and finish, and a discordant minor gypsy-style theme in the middle.In Kappell's hands you hear other layers, and some of the pieces even have a sort of tango-like feel.Anyway, it's hard to describe what is so good about this CD, but buy it.You will listen to it again and again.

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