Ivory Classics Online

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Disc.Contnets

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849):

• [01] Fantasie in F minor, Op. 49 11:50 ('81)
• [02] Waltz No. 6 in D flat major 'Minute', Op. 64, No. 1 01:41 ('81)
• [03] Waltz No. 8 in A flat major, Op. 64 No. 3 02:40 ('81)
• [04] Waltz No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 03:21 ('81)
• [05] Waltz No. 9 in A flat major, Op. 69, No. 1 03:39 ('81)
• [06] Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52 11:00 ('81)
• [07] Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor, Op. posth. 04:10 ('81)
• [08] Nocturne No. 4 in F major, Op. 15 No. 1 04:21 ('81)
• [09] Nocturne No. 5 in F sharp major, Op. 15 No.2 03:34 ('81)
• [10] Nocturne No. 9 in B major, Op. 32 No. 1 05:28 ('81)
• [11] Étude in G-Flat major, Op. 10 No. 5 01:40 ('81)

Grande Polonaise Brillante precedee d'un andante spianato Op. 22

• [12] Andante Spinato and Grande Polonaise 13:31 ('81)
• [13] Prelude in C major, Op. 28, No. 1 01:11 ('81)
• [14] Prelude in A major, Op. 28, No. 7 02:05 ('81)
• [15] Prelude in G minor, Op. 28, No. 22 00:39 ('81)
• [16] Prelude in D minor, Op. 28, No. 24 02:21 ('81)

Disc.Reviews

The title of the disc refers to Earl Wild's association with the Baldwin Piano Company from New York City. They recorded six Baldwin performers on LPs to be given away by their dealers to buyers of a Baldwin piano and not intended for commercial public circulation. For his recording session, in 1981 at the University of Miami, the sixty-six year old Earl Wild used a Baldwin SD-10 piano. The other Baldwin pianists: Jorge Bolet, Ruth Laredo, David Barillan and Gilbert Kalish did not use the same piano for their recordings. Wild recorded an all-Chopin programme, although, there was a separate compilation LP of the performances of all six players entitled 'The Essential Piano Library' given away to libraries. A couple of years later Baldwin allowed Audiofon Records to release Earl Wild's acclaimed Chopin recordings commercially, however, not all the works from the sessions would fit on the LP. This disc from Ivory Classics is the first time that all the Chopin material from Earl Wild's legendary Baldwin Recordings from 1981 at the Guzman Hall has been available on compact disc.

The first work on the sixteen track disc is the Fantasie in F minor in which Wild impressively captures the myriad moods and brings significant insights to the score. Other notable tracks includes the 'Minute' Waltz Op. 64/1 where one can easily imagine an excitable dog chasing his tail. The Waltz in C sharp minor, Op. 64/2 is interpreted as a highly seasoned score bursting briskly with vast resources of energy. Revealed by the soloist as an elegant score the Waltz in A flat major, 'L'Adieu' Op. 69/1 is evocative of models at a haute couture fashion show. In the substantial Ballade No. 4, often regarded as Chopin's greatest Ballade, Wild successfully blends irresistible melody with considerable grandeur. In the celebrated Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. posth he conveys a convincing dark foreboding. In the highly melodious Nocturne in F sharp major Earl Wild reveals heady emotions that could easily represent a secret love affair. The Etude in G flat major, known as the 'Black Key', one of my favourite Chopin scores, is played with reasonable vigour and a sense of fun bordering on hilarity. Carrying the grand title the Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22 is a substantial score in two sections where the Andante Spianato segues into the Grande Polonaise Brillante. With the pastoral character of the lovely Andante Spianato Wild paints the scene of a brook flowing through green meadows. By contrast the Grande Polonaise Brillante contains a copious degree of drama. Earl Wild interprets the Prelude in A major 'The Polish Dance', Op. 28/7 most sedately, losing its dance-like delicacy and charm and bordering on the funereal. The rumbling Prelude in D minor 'The Storm', Op. 28/24 is relentlessly evocative of a wild and stormy night.

For Ivory Classics the 1981 recorded sound, remastered using 24-bit power, is bright, clear and decently balanced. Some slight background hiss has been retained and the sound would I feel have benefited from a touch more depth. The liner-notes including the interesting and informative essay by James E. Frazier provide a high quality of scholarship.