Chopin: Walzer (2006)

At the turn of the nineteenth century, the waltz was a disreputable dance that was frequently banned for the same reasons that the tango was so disdained near the turn of the twentieth century: sexual innuendo and excessive proximity between the two dancers. This is a bit difficult to believe in modern times, when the waltz is viewed as a courtly and almost noble dance. There are moments when pianist Eugéne Mursky does a splendid job of juxtaposing a touch of sultry with equal measure of grace and nobility. The A minor ... Read More

At the turn of the nineteenth century, the waltz was a disreputable dance that was frequently banned for the same reasons that the tango was so disdained near the turn of the twentieth century: sexual innuendo and excessive proximity between the two dancers. This is a bit difficult to believe in modern times, when the waltz is viewed as a courtly and almost noble dance. There are moments when pianist Eugéne Mursky does a splendid job of juxtaposing a touch of sultry with equal measure of grace and nobility. The A minor Waltz, Op. 34/2, and the famous C sharp minor Waltz, Op. 64/2, are quite successful in depicting the intimacy once associated with the dance. Throughout the album, Mursky's playing is clean, well-paced, and emotive without being overdone. The feature that prevents this recording from being held in the same esteem as the gold-standard recordings by the likes of Rubinstein, Arrau, or Pollini is recorded sound quality. Unlike the great recordings of these works, Profil's sound is very dull... Read Less