Frédéric Chopin  5.99^€

Concerto pour piano n°1 - Fantaisie sur des airs nationaux polonais - Krakowiak

This recording is extreemly interesting and baffling at the same time. First of all: no doubt. Nebolsin has a great tecnique and his phrasing is always correct. His interpretation is not sweet, but very modern and in a sense, dry. Nevertheless, there is no dialogue between piano and orchestra. Yes. It is no Beethoven, but many points deserve an interations bewteen solo and tutti and a right underpinning. I have the feeling that in this recording, the orchestra is only a background, a tapestry. But, with order. Let us start from the concerto. It lacks from the beginning (on the orchestral side) of dramaticity, being very soft, new age. At bar 139, the piano is not so powerfull as one would imagine and at bar 155 one feel the absence of A. Rubinstein with his mozartian mood. At bars 213-214 one notice the mastery of Nebolsin, always carefull over anything: note the discendent scale he 'creates', stressing the notes in weak time (gis, g, fis, f, e - in German notation); but also at bar 229, where he links the his of the left hand with the h of the right hand, shaping a little melody (his - h - a - gis). The start of the development (bar 385) is better than its first exposition. At letter H (bar 408) Chopin quotes from his third etude op. 10 and, again, Nebolsin has a full controll of the score. At the letter I, Nebolsin displays his expressive power (it is the moment more intense of the cd). All this development is, in part, ruined from the lack of the orchestra. Everything sounds as a monologue. The second mouvement is better. Where is the bassoon at bar 33 and following? It emerges hardly behindes the piano. At bar 37, good idea that of stressing the highest notes, producing a descending scale (in the reprise, not so good; incerte) and nice at bar 51 the stressing of the two highest notes in the left hand, as a little bell. No much vigour or rythme in section in cis-moll, starting at bar 63 (at bars 71-72, we know that this orchestra has also basses). At the letter E, the orchestra cannot be so hidden: it has the principal line. And for Nebolsin's part, he is not 'leggierissimo' as requested by Chopin, but a little heavy. At bars 120-121, the violini primi come out from the obscurity of the orchestra abruptly, to go back soon in the silence. From bar 123, note as Nebolsin combines the highest note of the right hand with these of left one, producing a motive h - gis - h - gis - h -gis, ecc. Third mouvement. From bars 107 I would more beethovenian mood, expecially in the celli, basses and bassons. From bars 160 Chopin uses the same transition which appears in op. 19 (Bolero). There as here, it would requested a more enchanting sound: pianissimo, vanishing in the nothing... At bar C it start the second main theme. At bar 176 Nebolsin executes a bit slowly the embellishments, resulting a bit soft and flat. At bar 197 we hear again the basses. Bar 233 and similar: Nebolsin is not too clear in showing that the first note of bar 234 ends the upper melody of bar 233. Bar 251 and following, Nebolsin stresses only the cis and his on the left hand, without make udible the gis. A little virtuosistic and strange. At bars 472-473 and similar, Nebolsin again make not sufficiently clear the melody: gis - e -dis - dis - cis. This last cis is not easily perceived as the last note of the melody.

The op. 13 is the best piece of the recording as regards the relationship piano-orchestra. Nebolsin is able to tie in an unitary totality the different melodies. At number 4, again problems with the orchestra. The bar 154 is a masterpiece! Note as Nebolsin articulates this recitativo. At bars 379-380 and similar, Nebolsin puts in evidence, rightly, the passage eis - fis in the chords of the left hands.

I adore the way Nebolsin opens the op. 14, ritardando on the last notes of the melody (bar 8-9 and similar), but all this short introduction is well shaped and with inner feeling. At number 5, bar 47, finally the orchestra is convicing and with the right mood (note the grace of the first flute at bar 54 and following). At bar 11 it starts the second main subject: Nebolsin is very delicious and its immediate variations at bars 221 and following is really well articulated and precise. Great again at bars 289 and following (number 17); the piano part is the op. 25 number 12. The bars following the 295 are literally transposed in the etude. The lack of dialogue with the orchestra take away the fancy of this moment. Number 31, bar 555 and following: one would hear the celli which have an important part.

At any rate, I hope to not have hurted anyone. Otherwise, I get your pardon. It is an important recording, expecially for the piano part. One, interested in studying the possibilities of these scores cannot avoid to buy this cd.

Je ne sais pas si tout le monde comprend l'anglais sur ce forum, mais en tous cas voici une intervention intéressante et fouillée. Je suis d'accord avec David en tous cas sur le fait que Nebolsin est incontestablement un Maître, un artiste qui gouverne son monde. Pour l'orchestre, que dire, je me demande à la fin du compte si le probleme de l'orchestre dans les concertos de Chopin est du genre qui peut se résoudre. Mise à part une fois (accompagnement du mouvement lent du n°2 par Christophe Coin chez Opus 111 il y a bien longtemps) toutes mes versions des ctos de Chopin sont, même celles que j'adore, alourdies par l'orchestre. On rêve d'une ductilité, d'un allusif - mais je ne suis pas chef d'orchestre et pas plus un spécialiste de l'orchestration. Je commence à penser que c'est de l'écriture que provient le problème. Il semble que les concertos aient fait l'objet de tentatives de réorchestrations... mais je ne me souviens personne avoir crié au miracle. Des oeuvres maudites à l'orchestre ?
- V33T

I am sorry for using my bad english, but I am not able to write in a decent french. Yes. It is right. The score itself is a problem. For example, Nebolsin has not these gaps in his interpretations of Liszt's concertos. But, compare this recording with that with Maurizio Pollini (Emi). Chopin didn't master the orchestra but, notwithstanding, in his scores there are many interesting ideas that deserve to be put in light.