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Customer Rating:  
Summary: The wisdom of hindsight
Comment: This set was engrossing over a year ago, when I first discovered Chopin. Now after having gone through Pollini, Sokolov, Michelangeli Richter, Pires, Arrau, Pogorelich, Argerich and even Horowitz whom I don't admire at all, I never listen to Rubinstein's Chopin anymore except for an occasional visit to the waltzes. In comparison to all the previous pianists, Rubinstein currently affects me in a manner equivalent to that of a sleep agent; I am not appalled by him, I just become bored with his monotone steady-as-she-goes style and consequentially driven into exhaustion; its Chopin on Prozac. The Mazurkas are devoid of wit and glee which they require; there is the characteristic "hop" throughout but through Rubinstein, it seems like we are in a car which is going ever so slowly so as to reduce the shock of the oncoming speed-bumps.
Instead of introspectively engaging a full-moon from the Elysian fields, the Nocturnes are played as if, again, Rubinstein is ready for bed. He approaches them as so many do, with an atmosphere which maybe thirty years earlier would have been solemn and wondrous. Pires takes a similar route but injects an improvising ego into the fold to conjure up an interpretation which settles neatly between Arrau and Pollini. She dashes and withholds, meditates and wisely exalts; she is fresh. Rubinstein's vitality and consequentially, his intimacy, seem depleted. Arrau is heavily romantic though not in the jangling/cackling/banging/slamming/gangling/stomping nausea of Horowitz though I rather listen to that than this coma. Pollini's interpretation literally threads and needle into angelic sublimity; one must simply hear him to understand.
The Waltzes are the most redeeming aspect of this set. They are performed with a sort of autumnal anxiety towards morality; Rubinstein's life is at its sun-set and he knows it, and plays like it. A refined wisdom is set in these pieces which I wish had permeated the others though there is a level in which the waltzes are permeated by the others; the Rubinstein I know is there, but with with an optimistic energy.
The entire c.d. containing the Preludes, sonata no. 2, Berceuse and Barcarolle is a miserable compilation. The mono is horrendous, and Rubinstein seems utterly lost in the preludes. It is quite odd that a man who is known for his Chopin would seem lost in Chopin's masterpiece, but if not lost, then certainly emotively unprepared. It is a thematically redundant reading which in comparison to Argerich much less the master Sokolov, feels dead. The rest of the pieces on here suffer from the same exasperated "everydayness" of the preludes. The stereo-Barcarolle is also on prozac. This is devastating because that pieces requires immediate jubilance. The impromptus are also vapid--filled with a stuffy atmosphere. Rubinstein was clearly in decline.
My seller screwed up the set and didn't send the Ballades, Etudes or Polonaises, but as of now, I'm doubt there would have been a stylistic break in them. When I was supportive of this set, I ended up buying some of Rubinstein's Beethoven, which exemplifies the same tentative plodding sleep-walk, especially in the Pathetique's 2nd movement. I suppose such is the conception of Rubinstein's art. If you are into tame, foursquare musicianship, then this is for you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Rubinstein reigns supreme.
Comment: I had been wanting this set for a long time and, when I saw it here, I grabbed it up. Boy, am I pleased. Not only is the set sheer perfection, and received in pristine condition, the service I received was the best ever. Thanks a million. You have a VERY satisfied customer here.....
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good set for a good price
Comment: When I was growing up, I was exposed to mostly classical music including Chopin. I remember my parents having RCA recordings of Arthur Rubinstein playing the Waltzes, Mazurkas and Polonaises.
Out of the all Chopin performers, the greatest was Arthur Rubinstein followed (very closely) by Vladmir Horowitz. This being said, the CD set has transcribed well and remastered in digital format beautifully. I have listened a couple of the Polonaises and they are so beautiful that it is giving me "happy tears"...
The cons to this set is that due to the demise of the classical music and the remaining recordings are very few. That being said, not all Chopin's works are included such as all 17 Polonaises and 55 Mazurkas (I know that the most popular recordings are there but for such a box set I wish they were included - provided that they were recorded).
Customer Rating:
Summary: A must have!
Comment: A must have for whom loves romantic classical music; by one of the great masters on piano!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous, UNBEATABLE VALUE, but NOT THE BEST Out There
Comment: It's somewhat dismaying to read reviews that begin with something like "Obviously, Rubinstein was a great famous pianist, and this is one of the greatest Chopin recordings EVER!" Clearly, there's no argument with the opening - Rubinstein was one of the titans of the keyboard during the 20th century, and many of his recordings still provide tremendous enjoyment. But for this listener, these justly famous recordings of Chopin - far from complete - are neither the finest examples of this pianist's legacy nor the finest recordings of the works themselves.
I highly recommend this set for the casual listener, who wants to have some Chopin in his or her collection. You can pick it up on amazon currently for about $21 (for 11 discs!!) For that price, this set will sate your appetite, and provide hours - if not a lifetime - of listening pleasure.
For the student of music, or piano, or simply the more discerning listener/collector, this set should be - and needs to be - heard in context. Rubinstein was in his "early" senior years when the recordings were made. Gone is the flamboyance, and risk taking of his youth. In its place was a golden, burnished piano tone, and careful - oh so careful - playing. Careful is good. Careful is meticulous. Careful is boring.
There are those who will jump all over me for suggesting this (particularly those who end the first sentence of their review with the word "EVER!") but there is a monotony associated with this set of recordings - a beautiful monotony to be sure, but a monotony none the less. The playing works for the beautiful Nocturnes and Waltzes, but is far less successful for, say, the Mazurkas which sound like cocktail hour at a senior center.
After two or three discs all the playing begins to sound the same. By five discs it sounds like an interminable concert of notes written by Chopin. Halfway through, you may fall asleep. Beauty without drama has a tendency to become deadly. For fans of Rubinstein - and I count myself as one of his bigger ones out there, I strongly suggest you explore the recently re-issued remasters from the Rubinstein Collection. While sound quality of the earliest recordings in the series varies - the 1930s recordings of the Mazurkas for example - most of the discs sound very, very good. It's the playing, the musicianship, that is in a different league. You can practically see the townsfolk dance to these Mazurkas as you listen to Rubinstein's gleeful, swinging playing from his youth.
These justly famous recordings from the 1960s - Rubinstein's only stereo recordings of Chopin - do not represent this great artist in his prime - this is the playing of an elder stateman. For pop fans, it would be like gaining your inital exposure to Paul McCartney through a listen of Chaos and Confusion In The Backyard and wondering what all the fuss of Beatlemania was about. It's pretty, yet bland - and hardly memorable. This is true of Chopin's final recordings of Chopin.
(Although Rubinstein was capable of stupendous playing in his later years, he seldom attained such heights in the controlled legacy atmosphere of the studio. Check out his famous Carnegie Hall concert Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 42or the rarer, and God-like playing of his 1960s Moscow concert Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 62: Recital in Moscow. Better yet, WATCH Rubinstein in Moscow on this recently issued DVD of the performance Classic Archive: Artur Rubinstein - The Legendary Moscow Recital
In conclusion - this is a fine introductory purchase, or second set for the bookshelf. For lovers of the piano however, I strongly urge readers to heed the advice of another reviewer for this listing C. Pontis Tholin (as I did) and explore Garrick Ohlsson's magnificent traversal of Chopin music - all of it. Ohllson's recordings dust off this music and take it out of the salon. His performances sparkle, and provide each and every work with a distinquishing sparkle and personality, bringing Chopin to life as never before. Complete Works Truly revelatory. If you're interested, make sure you check out the pricing at amazon.com/uk.
For Rubinstein lovers, let me also recommend Harvey Sachs' great biography of the master, which you can currently pick up on amazon for a little over a dollar. A great read, Sachs' biography will further your appreciation of this great artist and his music.
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![The Chopin Collection [Box Set]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61SZqp0FHAL._SL160_.jpg)
