Frederic Chopin(1810-1849) Barcarolle in F sharp Krystian Zimerman Deutsche Grammophon 423090 Recorded 1987 Although I had an extensive number of performances of Chopin's Barcarolle that I recently reviewed, I knew that I had the Zimerman somewhere in the house. I finally found it in the most unlikely of spots - inside my piano bench where I never knowingly put anything. As it happens, Zimerman's version does not supplant or equal the exceptional and best versions I cited in my initial review. He's not particularly distinctive or intense, and he's certainly not rugged in the manner of Favre-Kahn. However, Zimerman does offer a lovingly shaped performance which is very pleasing, and his last three minutes have plenty of steam. Do watch out for the flourishing trill he comes up with at 53 seconds into the piece; it's ever so cute, and I hate it. That's about as distinctive as Zimerman gets, and the recorded sound isn't superb either. Crisp it isn't, but the late 80's was not a golden era for piano on disc. Don's Conclusions: There are too many superior versions of the Barcarolle to get excited about the Zimerman performance. My comments do not apply in any way to the Four Ballades and the Fantaisie in F minor which accompany Zimerman's Barcarolle. I'll be reviewing those interpretations at future dates, so this is it for the Late Edition. Don Satz [log in to unmask]