May I be a bit negative?

I just wonder why you would want to bother with these works.  I have found
Chopin to be incapable of sustaining a feeling of direction for any length
of time so that although his preludes are all little gems of inspiration
and appreciation of the capabilities of the piano, the concertos are
entirely unsuccessful.  They seem full of big transparent gestures which
are unimaginitive.  The orchestra plays a load of mush - in the same vein
as popular composers using the warm strings button on a synthesiser.

Compare it to Brahms, whose subjects are infinitely developable, who can
keep the thing moving inexorably to the end and who lets the orchestra work
with the piano.

I don't think Chopin is a bad composer, I love his miniatures, I am just
entirely dissatisfied with his longer stuff.

David Stewart
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