Almost all of the pieces contained in this Chopin album are not new to Maurizio Pollini’s Chopin discography, saved for the 3 Mazurkas Op. 56, less than a quarter of this short yet effective recital. Comparison to previous attempts with this repertoire by the pianist is fascinating, if not immediately revealing themselves.
For one, the recording on all cases are much better, maybe one of the best the yellow label has provided for the artist over the many decades of collaborations. The piano is close enough to enjoy the intricacies of Pollini’s pianism yet keeps enough distance to remain atmospheric (Pollini’s sing-along is a small price to pay, though). But more importantly, there is a sense of the pianist allowing for less guarded emotions to be revealed, such as in the two Nocturnes Op. 55 that opens the album. The backbone of a sincere and direct Chopin interpreter remains as strong as ever, yet there is more evolution of dynamics and stronger emphasis of music lines than the 2006 version, where the tension was based on strong contrasts than on tension-building.
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The Third Sonata, the clear center of this release, is the most noticeably different from the famous mid-eighties account of the two sonatas. Like in the pianist’s second version of the Second Sonata (2008), the energy is more pronounced, tempi mostly broader, the effect more immediate. A good example is the transition to the second subject in the first movement (1:25). In the previous version, it was presented as a far memory, now it’s charged through, as if the first subject was participating it. The large, difficult Largo is marvelously done, this time around with more flowing tempo and inward-looking than before, and the ever-intellectual mind at work is in full display, highlighting the peaks of the movement and delicate, frightening tension surrounding them. In the finale, the pianism is impressive as always, but less occupied with a sheer display of dexterity and more with the full arch of colors and weight injected into the music.
Pollini was never to indulge in the lovely Berceuse’s delicacy, and here, as in his previous attempt (1992), you won’t find any naiveté at the keyboard. Indeed, in this case, the new version is even more stoic than before.
It’s clear Pollini considers the Mazurkas as an homage more than a direct quote of the Polish dance, like many fine Chopin interpreters. In the scale between proud, aristocratic Mazurkas performers such as Rubinstein, Fialkowska and Ashkenazy and the more sentimental Horowitz, Primakov or Trifonov, Pollini clearly belongs to the former. It’s a clear-headed, serious Mazurkas interpretation as in the previous volumes of his Chopin recitals, which many will find refreshing, others coldly detached. As always with Pollini, you know what you are going to get, and it’s hard accusing him with an inconsistency of approach with Chopin. The pianistic qualities, rhythmic control and pedal work are to marvel at, and even if some listeners could object to the pianist’s way with this particular composer, this short recital is wonderful to spend time with.
Chopin – Piano Works Op. 55-58
2 Nocturnes, Op. 55
Mazurkas Op. 56
Berceuse Op. 57
Sonata No. 3, Op. 58
Deutsche Grammophon, CD 0289 483 6475 6
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