Frederic Chopin(1810-1849)
     Barcarolle, Opus 60

Wilhelm Kempff
Decca/London 452307
Recorded 1958
Program:
Piano Sonata, Op.35
Four Impromptus
Berceuse, Op.57
Barcarolle, Op.60
Nocturne, Op.9/3
Scherzo, Op.39
TT 68:01

Back in 1959, Decca released two recordings of Chopin solo piano
performances by Wilhelm Kempff.  In 1996, these two recordings were
issued on CD under the "Classic Sound" emblem.  A couple of years later,
Decca licensed the recordings to the Ermitage company.  The upshot of
it all is that both discs are available under the Decca as well as
Ermitage label.  I have the subject disc from Decca and its partner from
Ermitage.  Sound confusing?  I am also, but the main thing is that the
discs are at our disposal.

As time moves on I'll be reviewing other performances on both discs, but
now is the time for Kempff's Barcarolle which lasts only 7'52" which
makes it one of the quickest Barcarolles on disc.  Actually, it isn't
really all that fast; there are even moments when the performance seems
to sag slightly.  Essentially, there are passages where Kempff moves
very briskly such as the Bachian introduction to the 2nd subject, but
elsewhere the tempos tend to be well within the usual range.

The main news about this Kempff performance is not tempo, but its very
mellow nature.  Kempff wants nothing to do with the power and surges of
Favre-Kahn nor the incisiveness of Sofronitsky.  Kempff takes a soft
approach where he emphasizes the music's lyrical nature and lovely
phrasing.  There's no point looking for 'bite' from Kempff; there is
none on display.

Although I can't say that Kempff's interpretation covers anywhere near
the full range of what Chopin is conveying, he covers the work's lyricism
to perfection.  It's akin to luxuriating in a bubble-bath with an ever
so slight whirlpool effect.  However, I personally hunger for more tension
and strength.  Also, the very brisk passages don't quite gell with the
interpretation's overall approach.  The Bachian introduction mentioned
above comes much too suddenly and departs too quickly, and there are
other passages where the same applies.

The sound quality is quite good for 1958.  Aural debris certainly exists
but is on the low end and does not infect any chords or notes.  It's a
smooth soundstage which I suppose meshes well with Kempff's performance
style.

Don's Conclusions: If you want 'mellow', Kempff is your man.  Otherwise,
there are plenty of other versions which will offer more rewards.
Specifically, the Cherkassky performance on Philips provides much in
the way of mellow and gorgeous sounds but also possesses more 'bite'
than Kempff's version without any wayward tempos.  Ultimately, Kempff
does not disrupt my previous set of best recommendations - Sofronitsky,
Moiseiwitsch, Favre-Kahn, and Harasiewicz with Richter, Cherkassky, and
Feltsman not far behind.

That should be it for Barcarolle reviews.  I don't have any more versions
at hand, don't know of any others, and don't currently want to know of
any others.  I need to move on to Chopin's Piano Sonatas, Ballades,
Scherzos, Mazurkas, Nocturnes, and Polonaises where the recorded competition
is voluminous.  Particularly imposing are the Piano Sonatas; I must have
dozens of recordings, and I still have a long list of potential acquistions.
I've been thinking of a project concerning the Beethoven Piano Sonatas,
but that's a challenge of disc acculmulation that I'm not yet willing
to tackle; even I have some self-imposed limits.

Don Satz
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