Frederic Chopin(1810-1849)
       Preludes, Opus 28

Alicia de Larrocha...London Weekend Classics 433089(1975)
Cyprien Katsaris.....Sony Classical 53355(1992)
Shura Cherkassky.....Philips 456742(1968)

I picked up the above de Larrocha and Katsaris discs on the used market,
assuming that both have been deleted.  That's certainly the case with
the de Larrocha, but the Katsaris leaves me in a slight case of confusion.
Although the Sony website has no mention of Katsaris or this disc of
Chopin's Preludes, the H & B website carries the disc as does the newly
merged CDNOW/Amazon website; Amazon also carries other Katsaris/Chopin
discs on Sony including the Polonaises and the three Piano Sonatas.  It
just goes to show that hearing that a disc has been deleted does not
mean it can't easily be obtained.

Before getting to the main event, the Preludes, I have to say that the
couplings on both the de Larrocha and Katsaris discs are nothing to get
excited about.  de Larrocha includes Chopin's Berceuse which I find to
be an irritating work and two pieces from Mendelssohn who is a composer
of limited inspiration on the piano.  Katsaris offers a bunch of small
Chopin pieces which are generally trifles and among his least popular
piano works.  I'm afraid that if either of these two discs has much to
offer, it will have to come from the Opus 28 Preludes.

The Cherkassky version is from the Philips Great Pianist Series, and
I certainly have no complaints about the other all-Chopin works in the
set: Complete Etudes, 3rd Piano Sonata, Fantasy in f, one Mazurka, and
two Nocturnes.  Originally, I was going to review the entire set at one
time, but I've decided to keep going with the regimen of reviewing
particular Chopin works and bodies of works.

I'll start with Alicia de Larrocha who likely is more highly regarded
in Spanish piano music than any other pianist.  However, she has also
made memorable recordings of music emanating from other nations; just
recently I reviewed her outstanding performance of Schumann's Humoreske
which was most notable for its boldness and clarity.

I am very taken with de Larrocha's performance of Chopin's Preludes and
don't believe I've heard any other version where the lower voices are
so bold and effective except from one other pianist.  Her performance
most reminds me of the exceptional Nelson Freire issue from Sony in terms
of detail and architectural sweep.  de Larrocha's is a version which
cries out to be immediately reissued!  Here are some particulars:

In the 1st Prelude, de Larrocha is always ascending toward the heavens;
most attractive is how she shortens some note values and provides a
compelling contrast with the longer notes.  The 2nd, 4th, and 6th Preludes
could not be bleaker with the 6th being given a wonderfully pleading
demeanor.

The 8th Prelude could have a more encompassing power, but you won't find
a more incisive conclusion.  I find de Larrocha's 9th Prelude revelatory.
In every other version, I close my eyes and witness a coronation; with
de Larrocha offering a sad quality not in other versions, I witness a
highly ceremonial funeral.  Her runs in the 10th Prelude are among the
best, and the interaction with the lower voice is stunning.

Tension and a sinister foreboding are at peak levels in the 12th, 14th,
and 15th Preludes.  The 13th Prelude finds de Larrocha fully conveying
the beauty in Chopin's music, and the frenetic nature of the 16th and
22nd Preludes is given its full measure.  In the 17th Prelude, de Larrocha
is in a rapturous state that's totally convincing.

de Larrocha offers an enticing mix of comfort and urgency in the 19th
Prelude, and she closes the door on any hope of salvation in the 20th
Prelude.  The final Prelude gives de Larrocha the opportunity to tighten
the tension with an industrial strength reading and she takes full
advantage, delivering the coiled tension from the left hand like Scriabin
did in his recorded performances.

Rest assured that de Larrocha's performances of the Preludes I have not
mentioned are excellent.  Overall, her version is an outstanding achievement
which easily matches those in the high echelons.  I do slightly prefer
the Argerich, Freire, and Bolet recordings, but de Larrocha is just a
half-step behind.  The disc might be hard to find, but I urge you to
make the best effort you can to obtain it.

Let's turn now to Cyprien Katsaris who has made a host of recordings for
Teldec and Sony; his most esteemed efforts are likely his set of Liszt
transcriptions of the Beethoven Symphonies which is offered by Teldec
in a 6-cd box set.  In recent years, the flow of Katsaris recordings has
been minimal, and the only relatively new recording I know of is a disc
of the piano music of Serge Bortkiewicz on the Piano 21 label.  Known
as a highly muscular pianist, I was initially very interested in hearing
how Katsaris handles Chopin's most demostrative preludes.  However, it
didn't take long for me to realize that Katsaris has much more going for
him than sheer power.

As high as I am on de Larrocha's version, Katsaris takes me even higher;
he is the pianist who surpasses her in the boldness and clarity of the
lower voices.  It's a one-of-a-kind performance that will leave every
flexible listener with new ideas about this wonderfully rich music.
Katsaris employs rhythms and phrasing not found in other versions,
staccato and legato notes are changed at will, and supporting voices are
sometimes elevated to full prominence.  In effect, he takes more risks
than other artists, and most of them are a dreams come true.

While the Martha Argerich version finds pianist and universe careening
out of control, Katsaris seems more like the master-mind who controls
the forces of the universe.  His technique is astounding as he does
whatever he wants to Chopin's miniatures and somehow makes them gell
and even rise to the top.

Here are some of the stunning highlights:

In the 1st Prelude, Katsaris gives the primary melody line a legato
presence then switches to a light staccato in the repeat.  I've not
heard this approach before, and it is illuminating and compelling.

2nd, 4th, & 6th Preludes - I lump these three preludes together because
each is in a minor key and portrays the bleakest side of Chopin's
personality.  Karsaris plays the preludes in a relatively conventional
manner, but the hopeless element reigns supreme.

The Katsaris 3nd Prelude is ample evidence of his stunning lower voices
as he churns up a whirlwind of activity.  Even better is his 5th Prelude
where he disorients the listener as much as Argerich but in a different
manner.  Katsaris slows certain phrases, creating an immediate conflict;
then he gives prominence to supporting voices set against the primary.
The effect is like being bombarded by dozens of multiple personalities
or gamma rays.  This unique interpretation does more than hold together;
it gives the music a frantic nature not reached in any other recording.

Can Katsaris even deliver on the preludes most tied to Chopin's lyricism
and gorgeous phrasing such as the 7th, 13th, and 21st Preludes?  You can
count on it.  His 7th prelude is utterly sublime, his 13th lovingly
phrased, and the 21st is loaded with rapture.

In the 8th Prelude, Katsaris gives a galloping rhythm to one of the
voices which is very effective - I never heard that before.  The 12th,
14th, and 22nd Preludes are towering achievements; Katsaris sounds as
if he's engineering the breaking apart of the Planet and its thoroughly
dysfunctional inhabitants.

At a minimum, each Katsaris performance is excellent and many are either
among the most outstanding interpretations or simply the best on record.
Recorded sound is quite crisp with ample depth, allowing all of the
Katsaris magic to flow directly to the listener.

Prior to reviewing the recordings in Part 20, I would have bet that the
Cherkassky would take first place among the three.  Although his version
has much to offer, I didn't figure on such superlative performances from
de Larrocha and Katsaris.  Also, I find Cherkassky's version to exhibit
a few significant drawbacks.

Cherkassky seems to be coming to us from the world-famous Carlsbad
Caverns, so if you're looking for incisive detail, forget it.  This
problem is particularly damaging in the 24th Prelude where the insistent
bass-line is an aural mess.

Another general skepticism I have is that Cherkassky's dynamic range is
too extreme.  Sometimes he's much too soft-spoken, at others his volume
is off the charts(exacerbated by the acoustics).  Lastly, there's little
bleakness from his 2nd and 4th Preludes; Chopin's imagination is more
negative than Cherkassky would have us believe.  Add in some very weak
inflections and low tension from time to time, and there are problems
which can't be solved.

However, that's hardly the end of the story, because Cherkassky comes
up with a few of the best performances I've heard in addition to some
exemplary ones as well.  His tempos tend toward the slower end, particularly
in the more poignant preludes; this allows him to offer enhanced nuance
and emotional urges.

Cherkassky plays the 8th Prelude like no other pianist in that he
highlights the anticipation of the Big Event more than the event itself
and does so with a great mix of lyricism and swirling tension.  In the
9th Prelude his comforting nobility is irresistible, and the 22nd finds
him conveying a tremendous blast from Hell.

For beauty itself, look no further that Cherkassky's interpretations of
the 17th, 19th, and 22nd Preludes; his 22nd is my favorite of all with
its wonderful phrasing and slow pace.  Perhaps Cherkassky's finest moments
come with the 21st Prelude which I've never enjoyed as much.  He's very
slow as he lovingly reveals every musical strand with a compelling rhythm
and rather wide intervals which are packed with meaning.

Don's Conclusions: The unique Katsaris offering joins Argerich, Bolet,
and Freire at the top of a very long list of recordings of the Chopin
Preludes.  de Larrocha, magnificent in her own right, is just a little
step below the best four versions.  Although both the de Larrocha and
Katsaris discs don't entice me with their total program, both offerings
are mandatory for one's Chopin's library of his Preludes.  Cherkassky
and his sound are exasperating, but the gold in the performances is well
worth the trouble; just don't obtain it if your intensions are to own a
very small number of alternative versions.

That's all I have for Chopin's Preludes, although I've probably said
that before.  As much as I love the Preludes of Scriabin, Debussy, and
Rachmaninov, Chopin is all by himself at the pinnacle of the form.

Don Satz
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