If I were forced to eliminate my entire collection of classical recordings with the exception of one CD, this would be that CD. In short, it encompasses all of what Martha Argerich stands for as an artist; there is the unbridled passion, sensitivity, and inhuman virtuosity that all of her fans are all too familiar with. Every single work on this CD is a gem. The Chopin Scherzo is a piece Argerich has recorded several times, and here, it is as exciting as she has ever played it. The Brahms Rhapsodies are full of passion and possess a certain degree of maturity one may not at first suspect from such a firebrand virtuoso, and the Ravel is complete with shimmering textures and brilliantly… Read more
This CD is surely one of the greatest in the classical piano catalogue. It doens't take more than two seconds of listening to realize that Pollini's style is perfectly suited to 20th-century music and that this recording will make history. Stravinsky's Petrouchka is played transcendentally, with an appropriate balance of wit and lyricism. I have heard almost every rendition on record, and in my opinion, no one comes close to Pollini's brilliant account (and I'm including Horowitz's version of Danse Russe). The Prokofiev is also the best performance on record, although it has some serious rivals - Argerich and Richter. In the last movement, Pollini follows Prokofiev's instructions to the… Read more
Don't get me wrong, Pollini is and always will be one of my favorite pianists; it's just that his temperament is diametrically opposed to that of Brahms. Brahms is warm, lush, and emotional while Pollini is dry, precise, and clinical. This style never suits Brahms well, and this CD quickly pales in comparison to such mature interpretations as Arrau's or Rubinstein's. For example, the entrance of the piano in the first movement is characterized by a passionate and willful longing; Pollini simply gives us a boring, metronomical account devoid of depth or substance. In my opinion, he should stick to Beethoven and composers of the 20th century (listen to his recordings of Beethoven's late… Read more
