Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
        Works for Solo Piano

Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38
Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47
Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
24 Preludes, Op. 28

Stefan Vladar, piano
Recorded at Teldex Studio Berlin,
February 2002
Released April 2004
Harmonia Mundi HMC 905260 [74:15]

Comparisons: Cortot, Argerich, Bolet, Perlemuter, Freire, Entremont,
Pollini, Rubinstein

Stefan Vladar is a nomad of the recording industry, having been associated
with Naxos, Camerata, Sony, Celestial Harmonies, etc.  Now he appears
on the French label Harmonia Mundi, playing some of the greatest and
most recorded music from the 19th century.

Vladar has already shown from past recordings that he is a force to be
reckoned with.  His technical capabilities are second to none, and he
is particularly impressive when 'magic fingers' are needed to fully
convey multiple lines.  At the same time, Vladar has yet to astound me
except for his technical prowess.  Essentially, his ability to fully
enter a composer's soundworld can be problematic.

While listening to Vladar's account of the Opus 28 Preludes, it strikes
me that he does quite well with all the musical styles and emotional
content of the pieces.  But I am not enlightened at any point, feeling
that Vladar never delivers a transcendent prelude in contrast to pianists
such as Argerich and Freire who deliver them consistently in this work.

What is lacking?  Actually, not a great deal.  Vladar is routinely just
a step below greatness in most of the pieces.  Here are three reasons
why Vladar's performances are not at the top of the ladder:

Tempo/Dynamics - Changes in tempo and dynamics sound a little contrived
in Valdar's hands.  With Perlemuter on his BBC recording of the Preludes,
every change sounds natural.  This gives each piece an architectural
sweep and logic that Vladar never achieves.  Instead, he seems somewhat
episodic, a trait that takes on greater negativity in the Four Ballades
which are large-scale works.

Reticence - Most reviewers will likely not mention 'reticence' as a
problem for Vladar.  However, I detected some of this in Chopin's most
powerful preludes.

Disorientation - Many of the pieces have a disorientating element such
as nos.  8, 14, and 18.  Unfortunately, Vladar conveys little of this.
Yes, he is powerful and exciting but always centered.

It might seem that I am being to hard on Mr.  Vladar, but the competition
is fierce in this repertoire.  I do want to emphasize that every prelude
from him is enjoyable with some wonderful detail and loads of visceral
excitement.  However, I feel that Vladar can do better, that he can equal
the illumination offered by the best versions on record.

This brings me to the Four Ballades.  I mentioned earlier that Vladar
can sound contrived, and this effect is more damaging to the Ballades
than to the Preludes.  Vladar's performances of the Ballades takes on
an episodic nature, and that's not good at all.  Yet, some of the episodes
from him are absolutely spell-binding especially when the combination
of detail and tremendous surges are married.

At this point, I'd like to bring into the picture the recent recording
of the Four Ballades from the exceptional Burkard Schliessmann on the
Bayer label.  Although I could point out many motifs and passages where
I prefer Vladar, I would never consider ranking Vladar at Schliessmann's
exalted level in each of these four works.  Why?  Vladar gives us 8
minutes of episodes - Schliessmann offers an 8 minute musical story.
I can't overemphasize the importance of continuity in music where every
strand has meaning to the whole.  Further, a Schliessmann 'pause' always
has meaning, while a pause from Vladar just sounds like a 'rest'.

Don's Conclusions: I give the new Vladar disc a mild recommendation.  It
would probably be more appealing to those who already have many recordings
of these famous works.  Folks relatively new to Chopin should seek out
the established favorites and a few others such as the Schliessmann
recording.  Almost forgot - Vladar is given a superb soundstage.

Don Satz
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