Track Listing

1. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: 1. Allegro maestoso
2. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: 2. Scherzo: Molto vivace
3. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: 3. Largo
4. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: 4. Finale: Presto, non tanto; Agitato
5. Mazurkas (3) for piano, Op. 59, CT. 86-88: No. 1 in A minor: Moderato
6. Mazurkas (3) for piano, Op. 59, CT. 86-88: No. 2 in A flat: Allegretto
7. Mazurkas (3) for piano, Op. 59, CT. 86-88: No. 3 in F sharp minor: Vivace
8. Barcarolle for piano in F sharp major, Op. 60, CT. 6
9. Waltz for piano No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 18, CT. 207
10. Waltzes (3) for piano, Op. 64, CT. 212-214: No. 1 in D flat 'Minute': Molto vivace
11. Waltzes (3) for piano, Op. 64, CT. 212-214: No. 2 in C sharp minor: Tempo giusto
12. Waltzes (3) for piano, Op. 64, CT. 212-214: No. 3 in A flat: Moderato
13. Ballade for piano No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52, CT. 5

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #82099 in Music
• Released on: 2008-04-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Customer Reviews

THE EXCELLENCE OF INGRID FLITER: ELEGANT, SENSITIVE, BRILLIANT CHOPIN
Five WONDERFUL Stars!! Award-winning virtuoso classical pianist Ingrid Fliter (FLEEter) has recorded a marvelous group of well-known Romantic pieces by Polish classical genius Frédéric Chopin. When one is dealing with such familiar musical territory, the interpreter must be on their 'A-game' and Ms Fliter, who grew up in a home where Chopin was heard and played often, has great mastery of this maestro's musical world. The Argentina-born pianist won the silver medal in the prestigious 2000 Chopin International Piano Competition (to Yundi Li's gold) and the prestigious (and lucrative) Gilmore Artist Award, which is awarded every four years to a pianist of "truly exceptional quality". Based on this performance and video performances that I have seen, she is worthy of all of those accolades.

The 'best of the best' begins with the wide-ranging "Ballade No. 4" which is a performance of pure beauty allowing demonstration of both her sensitivity and pianistic firepower on one of Chopin's most wonderous compositions. "Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor" which is more nuanced than others I have heard (Arrau for example) especially in the beginning of the A section where her main theme flows out of the left hand figurations rather than springing immediately to the front: much more organic. The superior interpretation of the B section, which is the basis of the popular theme "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", has more 'wonder' to it than is usually heard. Ms Fliter is giving her insights into the song based on her extraordinary technique, while retaining the intent of the composer and the Romantic spirit. The "Barcarolle" conjures up the boat-ride theme wonderfully and "Grande Valse Brillante" is just that and more. Likewise "Minute Waltz" and the Opus 59 Mazurkas are excellent with Fliter's subtle shadings conjuring up Chopin's remembrance of his beloved Poland from a foreign land. Ingrid Fliter demonstates a deep understanding of Chopin and gives an enjoyable, insightful, and crisp interpretation of each work. HIghly recommended. Five ROMANTIC Stars!!
(This review is based on an iTunes download, with booklet in English, French, and German)

And Ingrid Fliter Continues to Amaze...
In the short two years since this listener had the distinct pleasure of hearing Ingrid Fliter live, replacing her ill mentor Martha Argerich in a concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, this stunning pianist has grown ever more assured and important as one of the pianists deserving of her expanding audience. This CD released this year by EMI Classics may not have many surprises repertoire wise, but hearing Fliter immerse herself in these familiar Chopin works further suggests that her brilliance in technique and in communication stand the test of comparison with the other great Chopin interpreters well indeed.

Not only does Fliter have full control of the entire keyboard always at her willful disposal, but she also acknowledges the fact that these works are romantic and must mold with the overall view of the performer. For this listener the majesty of the Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor is the finest on record, but Fliter adds shorter favorites such as the Ballade No. 4 in F minor and the Grand Valse Brillante in E Flat as though to prove that these 'warhorses' can be fresh and thrilling when under her strong and elegant hands.

Better known in Europe than even her own Argentina and in the USA, Ingrid Fliter is definitely one of the bright lights of the piano and with this recording she leaves little doubt that she is on the ascent. Grady Harp, December 08

An award winner plays with style and musicality
Cries of beautiful and wonderful don't help much when judging Fliter, who rose to a privileged echelon among young artists by winning the prestigious Gilmore Award in 2006. Now 35, she owes much of her reputation, on disc at least, to Chopin. However, she plays his music very differently from the volatile, unpredictable Martha Argerich, one of Fliter's prominent supporters. My experience with her in concert is that her sound is fairly small; Fliter is a touch pianist who relies on style and intuitive connection with Chopin's semi-improvisatory idiom. There's a nice balance of charm and intensity; I wish there was a bit more dramatic tension.

This combination of qualities shows up immediately in this CD, where Sonata #3 begins moderately and quickly moves into a quieter, more rhythmically loose style than one hears from, say, Rubinstein or Pollini. There needs to be stronger forward motion, too, but in terms of handling a musical line gracefully, Fliter is admirable. Anyone who likes sensitive pianism without self-indulgence will be pleased. In the Scherzo, which is often played for whirlwind excitement, she's a bit restrained. The Largo finds a nice pace that keeps one's attention, although I don't hear the kind of gripping phrasing that would challenge anyone's idea of great Chopin playing. Perhaps it's the smaller scale of Fliter's approach that makes this movement feel too modest. In other hands the finale thunders and builds with inexorable tension. Fliter takes a middle course, which seems to be her way in general.

The rest of the program offers a scattering from several of Chopin's favorite genres. Of all the Mazurkas, the three of Op. 59 are among the most popular. Here Fliter rises above her sonata reading -- her musical instincts are at home in a smaller form that allows for personal phrasing from bar to bar. She allows herself to free up the 3/4 time kept by the left hand, but not to the point that forward motion is impeded. I heard and like Fliter's way with the Barcarolle in concert, but here it feels a bit undernourished both rhythmically and in terms of overall sound, but her musical instincts keep the music vital, and that's most important.

Next we have the first version of the Fantasie-Impromptu, which brings out the best in Fliter. She handles the sparkling passagework very nicely, and the famous "I'm always chasing rainbows" tune could hardly be more stylish and unaffected at the same time. I favor Kissin's bravura approach to the Grande valse brillante in E flat, but it can be taken down in scale, as Lipatti and Rubinstein do, and so does Fliter. The thrills aren't there, but the style is. The remaining three waltzes are cut from the same cloth, refusing to outright dazzle us while finding enough variety to remain enticing. (I'm being vanilla in my criticism -- frankly, I think the waltz form is where Chopin should sound heady and abandoned.)

The program ends with Ballade no. 4, a masterpiece in the form and a challenge to the pianist's deepest instincts. Kissin and Pollini play this music on a grand scale, closer to the two great sonatas than to the Berceuse or Barcarolle, for example, but that smaller scale is more comfortable for Fliter, and she gives a reading that is even more restrained than Perahia's, to mention a Chopin player who became more restrained with maturity. So the roiling turbulence of the concluding section doesn't rise to tidal wave intensity here, which isn't to say that Fliter lacks command -- one of her strengths is the ability to balance even the loudest chords and rolling fingerwork.

I've gone into some detail because no one else has so far, but also because despite my criticisms, fliter is clearly an important talent and very much worth hearing in this music.