Chopin: 24 Préludes

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CD Details

Composer: Frederic Chopin
Performer: Nikolai Lugansky
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 2002-07-22
Music Label: Warner Music France
Soundtracks:

Ballade No.3,Op.47 In A Flat
Nocturne Op.48 No.1 In C Minor
Nocturne Op.27 No.2 In D Flat
Ballade No.4, Op.52 In F Minor
(5-28) 24 Preludes, Op.28
(29) Nocturne Op.62 No.2

Music reviews of Chopin: 24 Préludes

Music Review: Comfortably Universal Preludes
Rating: 3 Stars

Nikolai Lugansky produced some gorgeously spectacular Rachmaninov Etudes-Tableaux (Etudes Tableaux) and Op 23 Preludes (Rachmaninov: Preludes, Moments musicaux). Equipped with a technique to rival the greats, he excelled at bringing out the elegiac beauty of Rachmaninov's intricate piano sonorities. Unfortunately, his Rachmaninov Concertos were not nearly as successful in that respect. Like so many other young pianists to have debuted in the 'Millennium' age, he suffers from this globalised universal approach to piano playing--technically immaculate, note perfect, dynamically smooth, but above all individually unrecognisable.

Lugansky's Chopin Etudes (Chopin: Études) may possibly be the technically most complete ever. His Preludes show similar characteristics, even though I would rank both Kissin and Pogorelich slightly ahead. The serious problem here is the interpretation. Let me try to put it this way: Lugansky knows how to pull off virtually every pianistic trick Chopin threw into the Preludes, but he just simply doesn't know how to integrate them into beautiful and memorable music. Instead, he resorts to this universal approach, conjuring up loads of fine china, spiced up with since long worn out breaking of hands (practically his only attempt at creating excitement in the slow-tempo numbers). Consequently, Lugansky poses no competition whatsoever when it comes to the memorableness of Argerich, Ohlsson and Pogorelich.

In rather universally immaculate Erato sound, the Third and Fourth Ballades plus selected Nocturnes receive the same treatment--being highly comfortable but unindividualistically universal.

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