MUSIC Chopin - 100 Supreme Classical Masterpieces: Rise of the Masters

This Chopin - 100 Supreme Classical Masterpieces: Rise of the Masters collection is a tremendous value. At almost 8 and a half hours, it includes many of the polonaises, etudes, mazurkas, waltzes, concerti and sonatas that make up a major portion of Chopin's canon. Other recognizable pieces are included, such as the 4 ballades, the Barcarole in F-sharp major (Op. 60), the Bolero in C major (Op. 19) and the Fantasie in F minor (Op. 49). Sound quality is good to very good.

For those obsessed with not having any duplication of downloaded works, a good portion of the tracks that are included here are also on The 99 Most Essential Chopin Masterpieces. Both are produced by the X5 group, and some are not just the same pieces but the exact same recordings. A good example would be the nocturns, all of which are the same tracks that are performed by Peter Schmalfuss and included in the other set. So if you own the other set, that may deter you from purchasing this one.

But as a purchaser of the other set, I think this collection is well worth purchasing despite the duplication. Here we have an additional ballade as well as the lion's share of etudes from Opus 10 and 25. Here we have an additional polonaise from Opus 61. The Sonata in G minor for cello and piano, tracks 39-42, is a new addition to this set. The other collection includes the Sontas in B-minor and B-flat minor for piano from Opus 35 and Opus 58.

While most of the same nocturnes are here, we have lost 2 from Opus 27. The mazurcas include additions from Opus 6, Opus 50, Opus 56, and Opus 67, while we have lost movements from Opus 7, Opus 17, Opus 33, Opus 41, Opus 59, Opus 63, and Opus 68. There is a similar mix and match of waltzes, with the subtraction of waltz number 2 from Opus 70 and the addition of waltz number 3 from Opus 64. Preludes numbers 6, 8 and 17 have also been added from Opus 28, while number 2 has been left out.

There is an argument to be made that the other collection includes better quality performances. A good portion of the pieces that are duplicated are interpreted by different musicians and orchestras. Concerti 1 and 2 for piano and orchestra, for example, are performed here by the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra while the better known recording by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and Abbey Simon is including in the Essentials compilation. And the waltzes are performed by Dubravka Tomsic, while the Essentials collection includes a mix of performances by Abbey Simon and Dubravka Tomsic. Yet all the performances in this set are of a high enough caliber for any lover of classical piano music to enjoy.

I only have one minor complaint as it pertains to the sound. While I enjoyed the ballades as performed by Freddy Kempf, there seems to be a resonance in the way they were recorded. I don't think it detracts from the recording, but it is noteworthy.

Product Details

* Original Release Date: November 18, 2011
* Label: X5 Music Group
* Copyright: 2011 X5 Music Group
* Total Length: 8:20:13