Pollini - Complete Recordings On Deutsche Grammophon

Despite being marketed as “Complete”, this 55CD 3DVD boxed set is missing a few items: The live Beethoven Sonatas, Opp. 57 & 58 are not included, nor are the live Schumann Concerto with Karajan and Chopin E Minor Concerto with Kletzki that were part of Deutsche Grammophon’s 2002 Pollini edition. But this set does contain the vast majority of Maurizio Pollini’s recordings for DG.I first became aware of Pollini when I worked at a Classical Record Store (remember those?) when I was a teenager. My manager advised me that Pollini’s Chopin recordings were the “best” versions, then as a side note, cautioned me that Pollini was a “raving Commie” (remember those?).There are too many items to go into a detailed review of each, but here are some generalizations and highlights. Pollini’s playing style has been derided as “cold” by some, but I don’t feel the term is apt. Perhaps “impersonal” is more accurate – as there’s very little here that would make one stand up and shout “That’s Pollini!”. Pollini is, in many ways, the prime exemplar of the late 20th Century pianist: his technique is immaculate but never draws attention to itself, he rigorously adheres to the printed score and stays within interpretive norms, meaning there are no extremes of tempo, no textual emendations – not even doubled bass notes.The Beethoven Sonatas, particularly the last five, are particularly successful. Of all the recordings I’ve heard of these works, no one – not Schnabel, Brendel, Kempff, Arrau, or either Serkin – has presented such a clear, easily understandable conveyance of each work’s structure. In short, when I listen to Pollini play these works, I feel I understand them as a whole better than with other pianists – even if there are recordings by others that may be more impressive. There are two Beethoven Concerto cycles. I find the later one with Abbado to be more alert, creative, and interesting – with the added bonus that it contains the Choral Fantasie. I also feel Pollini’s self-conducted Mozart concertos have more going for them than the earlier recordings with Böhm.Pollini’s strengths also benefit Schubert. The pianist’s rather measured tempo in the A Minor Sonata, D. 845 restores order to what often seems like an episodic piece. While Pollini’s D 960 might not have the deathly vision of Richter’s, as an interpretation it’s probably more in line with how Schubert conceived the work. One would be hard pressed to find a Wanderer Fantasie that’s played with the élan and clarity of Pollini’s version.Pollini has recorded much of the “mature” solo Chopin – meaning he has not recorded the First Sonata, Introduction and Rondo, Op. 16, Chamber works, songs, or the juvenilia. In essence that means Pollini has recorded the same Chopin work as Rubinstein, plus the Etudes – which Rubinstein tried to record in the studio and abandoned after one session – but minus the Second Concerto. I mention Rubinstein for two reasons: 1) For many years, Rubinstein was considered the “standard” for Chopin interpretation (and still is by many); 2) Pollini’s interpretive approach is similar to Rubinstein’s – except that Pollini studiously observes the repeats. (There are two recordings of the B-flat minor Sonata: Pollini places the repeat before the movement proper in the first recording, and goes all the way back to the Grave introduction for the second.) Within those parameters, I find Pollini’s Chopin to be very convincing. He treats the Preludes as individual compositions, each standing alone. He adheres strictly to the Polonaise rhythm, emphasizing them as dance-pieces instead of virtuoso works. About ten years ago, Pollini began rerecording many of Chopin’s works, but eschewed the “library edition” approach in favor of placing works together by chronology. In both programming and performance, I find these later recordings more interesting and more convincing. For the “complete” Chopin, I recommend Garrick Ohlsson, but I wouldn’t want to be without individual performances like Horowitz in the Op. 44 Polonaise or (1966) Polonaise Fantasie, Rubinstein (1951) in the Op. 53 Polonaise, Cortot in the Preludes, or Primakov in the Concertos.I find Pollini’s Schumann somewhat hit-or-miss. Structurally cohesive works like the Symphonic Etudes (the pianist integrates the five posthumous Etudes into the work) Sonata in F-sharp Minor and Concerto (with Abbado) fare best. But he falls short in the Kreisleriana and Concerto without Orchestra, which require more imagination to pull off – and I’ve yet to hear anyone, Pollini included, make a convincing case for the Gesänge der Frühe, which is arguably one of Schumann’s weakest works.Pollini is least successful in works which depend on rhetoric, like Liszt’s B Minor Sonata – a recording which, while cleanly played, is flat as a pancake.In Debussy’s music, which links the 19th and 20th Centuries, Pollini takes a moderate course, navigating the byways between Gieseking’s ethereal approach and Michelangeli’s dissection. It works, and Pollini’s is my preferred version of the Etudes.It’s in music of the 20th Century where Pollini is most without peer. His rendition of Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrouchka set the music world on its collective ear when it was first issued, and the thorniest passages of Prokofiev’s 7th Sonata are played with an almost insolent ease. Also remarkable are his Schoenberg piano works and Berg Sonata, performances that, like Pollini’s late-Beethoven, clearly convey the structure of works that are often difficult to follow. Prokofiev’s Third Concert, with Maxim Shostakovich conducting, is issued for the first time in an immaculate performance. I am unfamiliar with the Boulez, Webern, or Nono compositions and cannot comment on the performance quality of those.This is a modified Original Jacket set: Some discs mirror the contents of the original LPs, some combine material from several LPs – in that case, the booklet has a picture of the missing LP cover. The contents are arranged more or less chronologically. (There’s also an amusing spelling error on one of the covers.) The set contains three DVDs. Two are devoted to Concerto performances with Karl Bohm (Mozart 19 & 23, Beethoven 3 & 5) and Abbado (Brahms 2). Pollini is not a particularly compelling pianist to watch – although I’d rather witness his straightforward approach than the face pulling of his younger colleagues. The final DVD is a documentary on Pollini, with the pianist reminiscing about his life and music – presented in Italian with English subtitles.

A magnificent set for a favorite Polini fan. I enjoyed every CD except for a couple, but when you consider there were 58 disks, that is an excellent average. For the price paid, this really puts this purchase as a genuine bargain.

Fantastic performances. This is a real bargain.

I do not have this set. However, over the years I have bought roughly 2/3rds of the CDs that make up this set, for significantly more than the $150 the set costs, as I am a great admirer of Pollini, and if you only have a few or - horrors! - none of his CDs, I have no hesitation in recommending this. When the LP set of the last 5 Beethoven sonatas was issued, one reviewer observed, correctly IMO, that about the only criticism one could make was the absence of wrong notes.Some people do find his playing too austere or unromantic. I know people who prefer Brendel or Schiff in Beethoven for that reason. But I find his crystal-clear interpretations not only satisfying but - unlike so many interpretations that appear to have greater initial emotional depth - they do not tire out on re-listening. And no-one has ever played "3 movements from Petrushka" or the "Wanderer" fantasy with such brilliance.One criticism I can make of some of the CDs is that DG's recording can make the piano sound brittle. One or two of the later live recordings also have wrong notes which for any other pianist would be not even worth mentioning - but this is Pollini, and the standards are higher.Still, if you want to hear one of the greatest pianists of the 20thC in his full interpretative glory - BUY THIS SET.

I don’t have the box yet but I’ve heard a lot of the recordings (and I’m buying the box anyway) and feel qualified to comment. My introduction to Pollini was his Schoenberg recordings, which were revelatory. Getting the music out of Schoenberg is a lot harder than Chopin or Schumann. Pollini did a superb job, most especially on the Suite op.25. It’s easy to think of him as a technician since his technique is so accomplished but no, he really is a gifted interpretist and his recordings, be they the Romantic piano warhorses or the moderns, are peerless.

Maurizio Pollini won the Chopin Competition in 1960 at the age of 18 and then promptly disappeared from the public eye until the early 1970s when he signed with DG. I've already had his complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas, the Beethoven Concerti with Abbado and the the three versions of the Brahms Piano Concerti as well as some greatly loved Schumann recordings (Symphonic Etudes, Fantasie, Kreisleriana, Davidsbundlertanze). I also had some of his Chopin Etudes and Polonaises from the 1970s. I loved them all. His Beethoven Opus 111 and the Symphonic Etudes are my favorite recordings of those works. All of the others are near the top of my list too. Along with Murray Perahia and Leon Fleischer, Maurizio Pollini would be my favorite living pianists.

巨匠のボックスセットが出ていることは知っていましたが、金額が金額なだけにワンクリックで気軽に買う決心がなかなかつかずグダグダ悩みに悩んで購入をやっと決意しました。箱の大きさはそこまでではないのですが、すごく重い上に頑丈で、巨匠の金の箔押しのお顔と底面も金の塗装になっていてとても豪華です。箱を眺めているだけで幸せに包まれた気分になります。ブックレットも和訳はついていませんが巨匠の貴重なフォトが見れます。見たかったDVDもセットに含まれているのでとても嬉しいです。私事ですがピアノを辞めて数十年でした。ピアノに触れない淡々とした生活を送っていたのですが巨匠マウリツィオ・ポリーニの音との出会いでまたピアノが弾きたいという衝動に駆られ、今現在ショパンのバラード4番を練習しています。張り合いがなく刺激のない私の人生を色づけてくれた恩人です。彼に対する評価は近年は辛口が多いですが、私にとっては彼の音を耳にすると何故か分かりませんが涙が出ます。キーシンやツィメルマンも好きでよく聴きますが、ポリーニの音は別格というか神の領域？神聖であるのに颯爽と弾きこなし、かつクールで格好いい。なのに心臓を鷲掴みにして心にグイグイ入ってきて染み渡ってくる、そんな音の世界を提供してくれます。ポリーニのいる時代に自分が生まれることができたこと、ポリーニが自分のいる時代に生まれてきてくれたことに心から感謝と尊敬の意を込めてこのボックスは生涯の宝物にしたいと思います。【追記】巨匠の奏でるショパンはやっぱり一線を画していますね。私はどんな曲でもあまりくどい解釈を好まないので巨匠くらいの適度に甘いクール強めな演奏が好みです。スケルツォ4曲は曲が終わると思わず「かっこいい！」と感嘆し、ノクターンはひたすら酔いしれます。巨匠のおかげで次から次へと弾きたい曲が増えてきました。

all super

ポリーニの大半のアルバムは既に所有していたが、思い切ってこのボックスを購入した。改めて聞き直したが、購入したことに全く後悔はしなかった。若い頃の完璧無比な演奏から歳を重ねるに至って音楽が円熟していくポリーニの軌跡は全く素晴らしい。どのアルバムをとってもその曲の最高級の仕上がりはポリーニだからこそのもの。このボックスはもはや私の宝と言っても過言ではない。

exceptionnel coffret. Bravo