Chopin: Piano Concertos

Advantages: The most beautiful performance of a superb collection
Disadvantages: The CD has an end!

...of the pianist, Idil Biret. The CD I have found goes exceptionally well in conjunction with 'The Best of Chopin', also produced by Naxos with Idil Biret as the pianist...! Though some of the tracks are repetitions of one another, some gaps are filled- including a valuable Piano Concerto. 1 Impromptu No. 4 in C sharp minor, Op. 66 2 Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 9/2 3 Nocturne No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27/2 4 Waltz No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64/2 5 Waltz No. 6 in D flat major, Op. 64/1 6 Waltz No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 18 7 Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35: Marche funebre 8 Mazurka No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 7/1 9 Polonaise No. 3 in A major, Op. 40/1 10 Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major, Op. 53 11 Prelude No. 15 in D flat major, Op. 28/15 12 Etude No. 5 in G flat major, Op... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Really nice music
Disadvantages: A few tracks arent as good as the others

...tracks like Nocturne in E flat, Op. 9, No. 2, Andante from Piano Concerto No. 2, Op 101 and A Leopard's Lullaby, the rest of the tracks are amazing, expecially Band of Brothers, Tears in Heaven and Live to Tell and these really good ones cancel out the effect of the bad ones. It's a good CD to have playing as background music and is really calming - I like to have it playing while reading or doing homeworks as it is nive calming music that doesnt really divert your attention from the work that you are doing. It was well worth the money I spent on it. Tracks include: 1. Band of Brothers 2. Adagio Cantabile from Sonate 'Pathétique' 3 Tears in Heaven 4. Clair de Lune 5. Live to Tell 6. Touch her soft lips and part 7. Fragile 8. Aria from the Goldberg Variations 9. Gnossienne No.1 in F Minor 10. I Still Haven... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Not offensive and well-played
Disadvantages: Lacking musical value

...I’m a sucker for piano concertos, especially romantic ones, and I tried really hard with this one but no matter how many times I’ve listened to it I always reach the same conclusion – this is utter tosh. Vacuous does not come into it, and the orchestration is obviously a homage to Chopin’s by making sure that it is even less effective. It seems a bit pointless to comment on the performance and recording but at least I can report that they are up to Naxos' usual high standard - it's just rather a waste as the material isn't. Almost worthy of a compulsory purchase notice as a service to musical education - how not to do it!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average off topic