Frederic Chopin(1810-1849)
       Preludes, Opus 28

Nelson Freire
Sony 62415
Recorded 1970

Ivan Moravec
Preludes Nos. 17-24
"Live in Prague"
Hanssler 98.399
Recorded 2000

Nelson Freire, although not among the most well-known pianists of the
20th century, was included in the Philips Great Pianist Series and has
a new Chopin disc on the market courtesy of Decca.  The Freire Chopin
Preludes recording from 1970 was performed at CBS studios in New York
and has a fantastic soundstage.  The remainder of the disc is devoted
to the four Chopin Ballades played by Philippe Entremont.  So we have
two pianists and two masterful body of works on a very inexpensive Sony
disc.  Sounds like a good deal to me, and it is actually a tremendous
deal.

I have been reviewing some wonderful recordings of Chopin's Preludes,
and Freire's must be added to that list for a number of reasons:

1.  The soundstage is as vivid, stark, and up-front as any I have ever
heard.  This 1970 sound quality is *much* bettter than the typical sound
of new recordings.  As a result of the soundstage and Freire's readings,
I get the sensation of being right next to him as he makes his interpretive
decisions.

2.  Those interpretive decisions are exceptional.  I wouldn't change
one thing about Freire's pacing and intervals in any of the 24 preludes.
They are models of perfection as far as I am concerned and one of the prime
reasons why I consider his performance at the top level among recordings.
Whether the music calls for thrills, sadness, power, or brutality, Freire
possesses an innate ability to convey the music's lines superbly from the
begining of each prelude to the end.

3.  Most impressive is how Freire handles the preludes which require
intense sadness and a sense of the futility of hope.  In his readings,
there is no means of escape, and he achieves this through his pacing,
intervals, and pin-point articulation.  His is a supreme example of how
to use the micro-elements of intonatsia to express the human condition.

4.  Only Martha Argerich surpasses Freire in giving us Chopin's manic,
wild, and disoriented psychology.  Friere is at full-throttle, and it's
a blast.

5.  Given the above, does Freiere offer any tenderness, comfort, and
beauty.  You bet he does, and more than in any other version I've heard.

6.  Freire and Sony offer the total package, and it's the only recording
I've ever played on my car cd player which sounds great at all five equalizer
settings: vocal, natural, powerful, super-bass, and the flat setting.
Impressive indeed!

Although I am not reviewing the Entremont performances of the Chopin
Ballades at this time, I don't mind saying that Entremont is splendid
in this repertoire.  When I add it up, this Sony disc is one of the best
Chopin recordings of the past few decades, and you don't have to rush out
to buy it - there are copies all over the land.

When we turn to Moravec's treatment of the eight final preludes of Opus
28, we enter an entirely kinder and more gentle environment.  That leads
me to state my one prevailing complaint about many Moravec performances;
he's not one to consistently deliver the full blows that a piece of music
might possess.  Moravec is cultured, not primitive.  This clearly shows
in his Chopin, Janacek, Mozart, etc.  I suppose it's a matter of taste,
but don't expect much stormy weather from the man.  Personally, he can be
rather limiting at times when a wide array of emotional responses are
called for.

Having said the above, I do consider Moravec a consummate artist who
is particularly outstanding in conveying the subtlety and poignancy of
a composition.  I love his Mozart piano concerto recordings and recently
declared his Supraphon recording of Schumann's Kinderszenen as one of the
most rewarding among dozens of alternatives.

The "Live in Prague" disc from Hanssler has a fine selection of material:
Chopin's last eight preludes of Opus 28, two Chopin Mazurkas, a Haydn piano
sonata, Debussy's Ondine, and Janacek's Sonata and In The Mists.

Naturally, it is a little disappointing to have only the last eight Chopin
preludes from Moravec, but there are at least two of his performances of
the complete Opus 28 on the market.  We take what we can get, and eight
is a better number than zero.

Moravec starts off with a most illuminating 17th Prelude.  Ever so slow,
Moravec makes a full-course dinner out of what most others convey as a
snack.  I think it's a wonderfully sublime interpretation as Moravec uses
a series of hesitations and changes in tempo/dynamics to tell us a story
having great depth and meaning.  For me, these are Moravec's best moments
of the eight featured preludes.  Of course, his 19th, 21st, and 23rd
Preludes are also exceptional.  When it comes to poignant and contemplative
music, it is very hard to equal Moravec.

I also love Moravec's 20th Prelude where he takes me all the way down
into the core of despair.  His 22nd Prelude has plenty of oomph, but I'm
not sold on the 18th Prelude which he begins in a subdued fashion.  In the
24th Prelude, his bass-line isn't one of the strongest around but it is
as well detailed as any other I've heard.

Don's Conclusions: Although I don't consider the Hanssler disc an
essential acquisition, those who pay the freight will get perhaps the
best 17th Prelude on record and the customary Moravec style from the other
works on the disc.  Sound quality is very good for a live performance
and shouldn't be of concern.  Although Hanssler liner notes are usually
excellent, providing a string of Moravec's awards, concert performances,
and recordings gives the presentation an accounting book element which is
boring.  These notes start off by telling us that Moravec is a special
artist, but then not one word is uttered as to what qualities he possesses
which make him special.  However, the description of the programmed works
is very good.

The Freire set of performances is essential as is the disc as a whole.
Freire's Chopin Preludes just might be the most consistently excellent
set on the market; I do advise that you be on alert to reducing the volume
control since the sound is so close and penetrating.  With the addition
of Entremont's wonderful performances of the Four Ballades, this is a disc
for the ages.

Don Satz
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