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
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