Chopin: Nocturnes

Disc 1
1	Nocturnes (3) for piano,
2	Nocturnes (3) for piano,
3	Nocturnes (3) for piano,
4	Nocturnes (3) for piano,
5	Nocturnes (3) for piano,
6	Nocturnes (3) for piano,
7	Nocturnes (2) for piano,
8	Nocturnes (2) for piano,
9	Nocturnes (2) for piano,
10	Nocturnes (2) for piano,
Disc 2
1	Nocturnes (2) for Piano,
2	Nocturnes (2) for Piano,
3	Nocturnes (2) for Piano,
4	Nocturnes (2) for Piano,
5	Nocturnes (2) for Piano,
6	Nocturnes (2) for Piano,
7	Nocturnes (2) for Piano,
8	Nocturnes (2) for Piano,
9	Nocturne for Piano in E m
Chopin: Nocturnes
1.	Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 9, CT. 108-110 14:28
	Composed by Frédéric Chopin
	Performed by Maurizio Pollini
2.	Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 15, CT. 111-113 11:19
	Composed by Frédéric Chopin
	Performed by Maurizio Pollini
3.	Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 27, CT. 114-115 9:07
	Composed by Frédéric Chopin
	Performed by Maurizio Pollini
4.	Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 32, CT. 116-117 8:45
	Composed by Frédéric Chopin
	Performed by Maurizio Pollini
5.	Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 37, CT. 118-119 11:15
	Composed by Frédéric Chopin
	Performed by Maurizio Pollini
6.	Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 48, CT. 120-121 11:44
	Composed by Frédéric Chopin
	Performed by Maurizio Pollini
7.	Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 55, CT. 122-123 8:54
	Composed by Frédéric Chopin
	Performed by Maurizio Pollini
8.	Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 62, CT. 124-125 11:14
	Composed by Frédéric Chopin
	Performed by Maurizio Pollini
9.	Nocturne for piano No. 19 in E minor, Op. 72/1, CT. 126 3:35
	Composed by Frédéric Chopin
	Performed by Maurizio Pollini

Barnes & Noble

Maurizio Pollini's decades-long career has been so closely linked with the music of Chopin that it might seem an odd oversight that the pianist has neglected the Nocturnes until now. He did record a handful of these pieces in the 1960s, but this masterful new release of the complete Nocturnes -- arguably the composer's most popular works -- is a long-awaited and fitting companion to Pollini's albums of the Polonaises, Etudes, Preludes, Scherzos, and Ballades. All of this shelf space wouldn't add up to such an imposing legacy if Pollini's Chopin performances weren't so insightful and unique. Less sentimental than most pianists, he dispels the cloudy vagueness that can afflict this repertoire when a performer exaggerates its "romantic" qualities. Instead, Pollini emphasizes the latent drama Chopin infused into his small forms, often revealing the Nocturnes' affinity with the Ballades. If Arthur Rubinstein's 1965 version has long been the gold-standard recording, it's revealing just to compare the timings: Less inclined to linger, Pollini shaves almost a minute off each of the 19 pieces, clocking in at just over 90 minutes (against Rubinstein's 107). But Pollini's playing never feels rushed; he still takes notable liberties with tempo and allows the listener countless details to savor. Scott Paulin

New York Times

While this masterly pianist plays with delicacy and grace when they are called for, he seems intent on conveying the intensity, volatility and complexity of these inventive pieces.... Do not expect to be carried off to dreamland by this recording. Mr. Pollini's accounts will leave you moved, stunned and exhausted. Anthony Tommasini

Washington Post

Refreshingly straightforward; [Pollini] understands and appreciates but never overindulges the moody beauties in these 19 pieces. Nor does he drown them in pedal. Tim Page

Time Out New York

While an Olympian purity shines forth from Pollini’s playing throughout this set, he is also keen to the darkness of Chopin’s muse.... Combining sovereign technique with a clear-eyed but feverish sense of poetry, Pollini’s Chopin stands as one of a great musician’s proudest achievements. Marion Lignana Rosenberg