Thursday, January 13, 2011

Maurizio Pollini - Chopin 24 Preludes Op. 28 - live recording

Maurizio Pollini was born in Milan in 1942 in family of the famous modern architect Gino Pollini. Until he was 13 he was studying in the class of Prof. Carlo Lonati, and as 17-year-old in 1959 he finished studies in class Prof. Carlo Vidusso in piano department of Milan Conservatoire. The same year he won the second prize of International Music Competition in Geneva (1st was not awarded). Next year he became the winner of Grand Prix in Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. Later he continued the master studies with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
Recorded live in Warsaw during Chopin Competition auditions, the cycle of 24 Preludes Op. 28 has been published in 1980 by Polskie Nagrania (SX 1896) as an archival footage. Performance presented in Warsaw was great achievement of young pianist. Being eighteen, he had surprisingly mature style and deeply intellectual rendition of each prelude and the cycle as a whole. Artur Rubinstein, one of best interpreters of Chopin’s music and the honorary chairman of the jury said about Maurizio Pollini „that boy can play the piano better than any of us”.

Pollini plays Chopin 24 Preludes Op. 28

Pollini played Chopin’s Opus 28th in the manner of Twentieth Century modern esthetics with full intellectual control of every perimeter like it was Webern or Nono. It is like uncovering the construction and matter of every Prelude. Pure and straight emotions and perfect balance of every piece. Collecting the cycle of 24 Preludes Maurizio Pollini made this appearance legendary. Measure of his artistic responsibility is the dozen years of distance to the studio recording of Chopin’s PreludesUntil his next performance of this cycle, Warsaw live recording was one of the most conscious-controlled recording of Chopin's work in the history of music.

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