Frederic Chopin(1810-1849) Preludes, Opus 28 Alfred Cortot Aura Music 232 Recorded 1942 I have already reviewed two recorded performances by Alfred Cortot of Chopin's Preludes. One is from the 1930's and part of the Philips Great Pianist Series; the other is from the 1920's on Music & Arts. Although the sound quality of the Philips is much better than on the Music & Arts release, I do find the earlier performance to have a little more zip and tension. With this Aura studio recording from 1942, we have a minimum of three different Cortot performances to choose from. Since Cortot is one of the greatest 20th century Chopin performing artists, I'd say it is essential to have at least one of these three recordings. The issue is which one to most strongly recommend. Each of the three versions is quite similar and exceptional; any performance preferences I have are minor and not of much use in choosing among the three recordings. That leaves sound quality as the primary standard of selection. The sound quality on the Music & Arts release, as I reported earlier, is quite poor; there's certainly nothing wrong with selecting this issue, but the Philips and Aura sound quality represents a major step up from the Music & Arts. The sound of the Aura Music disc isn't bad at all. Background noise is not minimal but it rarely infects any of the notes or chords; piano tone is tangy and attractive. The coupling is 14 of Chopin's Waltzes which adds up to 76:29 of inspired music-making. Add in the fact that the disc costs less than a Naxos CD, and the offering is mighty tempting. However atractive the Aura Music recording might be, I have to go with the 1930's performance on the Philips Great Pianist Series. Here, background noise is minimal compared to the other two recordings, allowing the listener to revel in Cortot's detail and phrasing. Don's Conclusions: For those wanting just one Cortot performance of Chopin's Preludes, the version on Philips wins by virtue of sound quality. The Aura Music disc might be best for those on a tight budget, while the performance on Music & Arts could be a great one for listeners relatively immune to infected sound quality. Next up is the Rubinstein recording on RCA. Although Rubinstein recorded Chopin's Mazurkas and Nocturnes three times each, it seems that the number '1' suited him for the Preludes. After Rubinstein, there will be a few more versions to cover; I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it shines brightly. Don Satz [log in to unmask]