Maurizio Pollini - Chopin: Ballade / Mazurkas / Waltzes / Impromptu / Piano Sonata No. 2 - Opp. 33-36 & 38 (2008)

Maurizio Pollini is both a virtuoso and a thinking man's Chopin pianist. He never goes for the pretty or easy: he gets into Chopin's notes and tells us what they are. There are no frills – and he doesn't really "interpret." If there is, arguably, a decaying elegance or sadness in some of the waltzes (opus 34), Pollini is not interested. But listen to the well-known A flat and feel the thrill of movement itself, with every note impeccably in place and the line of the music unbroken by plugged-in temperament. The Impromptu, op. 36 is played with a sweetness throughout that few can beat and he takes his time, lingering over the filigree. The Ballade, op. 38, gets a perfect performance, with the opening theme as sweet as can be and the maniacal second subject utterly ferocious; Pollini’s hands can terrify. The sonata, op. 35 is the CD's grandest and longest piece and contains the famous “Funeral March” third movement. Pollini plays the 1st movement quickly for later contrast; he practically sings the second movement, and plays the March-like lead, though, without stretching it to unnecessary length (Michelangeli takes two minutes longer). He rips through the final movement – an equivalent of a waterfall of notes – in a minute and a half – and stuns the listener. This CD is a thrill. -- Robert Levine