Frederic Chopin(1810-1849) Preludes, Opus 28 Maurizio Pollini Deutsche Grammophon 413796 *or* 431221 Recorded 1974 Arthur Rubinstein RCA 63016 Recorded 1946 Part 18 represents the final installment of my reviews of recordings of Chopin's Preludes. Of course, I will be reviewing additional versions, but those reviews will be of entire discs such as the Cherkassky 2-cd volume of Chopin piano music on the Philips Great Pianist Series. I'm glad to report that both the Pollini and Rubinstein performances can be added to the list of exceptional versions of Chopin's Opus 28 Preludes. Pollini won my heart immediately which doesn't surprise me; I generally have an intuitive affiliation with his recorded performances. Rubinstein takes me some time to warm up to; initally, I tend to find some of his rhythmic pulses rather quirky, but additional listenings always erase that effect. Record buyers have two choices concerning acquiring the Pollini version. One is to buy #413796 which contains only the Preludes at full price; this is the disc I bought a few years ago. The alternative is to buy #431221 which is a 3-cd set also having Chopin's complete Etudes and the typical 7 Polonaises; this set is essentially priced as a 2-cd set. For those who might be wondering about the two volumes that Philips devotes to Pollini in its Great Pianist Series, neither includes Chopin's Preludes. Recently I read a review of a Pollini/Schumann recording, and the reviewer put forth the premise that everyone knows by now what they think of Pollini's interpretations. I would tend to agree with the premise; I sure know what I think of Pollini, and he gets my strong approval. Those not enamored of the Pollini regimen point out that his performances tend to take some of the 'heart' out of the music, that he displays a mechanized style with little in the way of effective nuance. I don't agree with this set of opinions and actually can't understand it at all. When I listen to Pollini, I hear the 'heart' of the music more intensely than with most other recorded artists including Murray Perahia and Richard Goode just to drop a couple of names. Let's take Pollini's interpretations of the Chopin Preludes. He sparkles with the best recorded versions and provides an absolutely bleak environment for Preludes 2, 4, and 6. Power, mystery, danger, austerity, hope, pleasure, and any other emotion tied into the Preludes are all on fine display in his readings. I can't imagine anyone not responding well to the version, although reality and my imagination often don't coincide. My sole reservation concerns his flattening in the 9th Prelude of the double-dotted rhythm, and many pianists employ the flattening routine. Likely his best performances are the powerful and fast preludes where he can disorient the listener almost as much as Martha Argerich. Rubinstein, as I indicated earlier in the review, shows me some quirky rhythms, but I soon adjust to them. His is a great all-around version with illuminating features throughout. Sound quality isn't very good as aural debris can be a little intrusive on various notes; however, Rubinstein's performances easily minimize their significance. Don's Conclusions: These are the 13 versions which I have rated as exceptional: Cortot, Moiseiwitsch, Agerich, Kissin, Barto, Zayas, Biret, Freire, Planes, Bolet, Malikova, Rubinstein, and Pollini. Please refer to earlier Parts of my review for specific labels and catalog numbers. Since I assume that most readers are not of a mind to house at least 13 versions of Chopin's Preludes, I think it appropriate on my part to provide the 'short list' of those versions which are most rewarding. That short list includes Argerich, Freire, and Bolet; each is a tremendous achievement and required listening. Nobody captures the fire and wild nature of Chopin as well as Martha Argerich; listening to her version is quite an experience as she transcends the romantic Chopin and gives us a dazzling and perhaps 'Star-Wars' interpretation which easily surpasses anything that John Williams is capable of creating. Argerich disorients the listener in the most amazing ways; at least, I am always amazed when I listen to her Deutsche Grammophon recording. I had no particular expectations of the Nelson Freire version on Sony, but it made a great impression on me. I think of it as the best version in terms of consistent inspiration in a mainstream performance. He covers all bases in every single prelude, and I can't say that of any other version I've heard over the years. Jorge Bolet also surprised me greatly. Thinking of him as a Liszt specialist, his Chopin Preludes reveals his innate understanding of Chopin's soundworld as well as Liszt's; I consider his version the most versatile of all. Three more comments and my swan-song is complete. In some circles, Ashkenazy and Rubinstein are considered Chopin's best champions. I'm not about to dispute this premise; Rubinstein has made more Chopin recordings than any other pianist, and Ashkenazy isn't far behind. However, each of them responds better to particular Chopin works than others. Personally, I don't find that the Preludes shows either of them at their best. My favorite Rubinstein comes from his Mazurka recordings, while Ashkenazy most excels in the Nocturnes. Concerning Chopin's Preludes, they are among a handful of piano works from the Romantic era which are supreme in the literature: so rich and emotionally sustaining with as wide a range of psychology as one could find in any composition for the piano. Buy one, three, thirteen, or every version on the market - the work can handle any quantity you choose. Don Satz [log in to unmask]