Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 9, CT. 108-110: No. 1 in B flat minor, "Mumures de la Seine 1"
2. Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 9, CT. 108-110: No. 2 in E flat major, "Murmures de la Seine 2"
3. Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 9, CT. 108-110: No. 3 in B major, "Murmures de la Seine 3"
4. Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 15, CT. 111-113: No. 4 in F major, "Les zephyrs 1"
5. Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 15, CT. 111-113: No. 5 in F sharp minor, "Les plaintives 1"
6. Nocturnes (3) for piano, Op. 15, CT. 111-113: No. 6 in G minor, "Les zephyrs 3"
7. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 27, CT. 114-115: No. 7 in C sharp minor, "Les plaintives 1"
8. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 27, CT. 114-115: No. 8 in D flat major, "Les plaintives 2"
9. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 32, CT. 116-117: No. 9 in B major, "Il lamento e la consolazione 1"
10. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 32, CT. 116-117: No. 10 in A flat major, "Il lamento e la consolazione 2"

Disc 2:

1. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 37, CT. 118-119: No. 11 in G minor
2. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 37, CT. 118-119: No. 12 in G major
3. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 48, CT. 120-121: No. 13 in C minor
4. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 48, CT. 120-121: No. 14 in F sharp minor
5. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 55, CT. 122-123: No. 15 in F minor
6. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 55, CT. 122-123: No. 16 in E flat major
7. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 62, CT. 124-125: No. 17 in B major
8. Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 62, CT. 124-125: No. 18 in E major
9. Nocturne for piano in E minor, KK IV/b
10. Nocturne for piano in C sharp minor (doubtful), KK Anh.Ia/6
11. Nocturne for piano in C minor, KK IVb/8, CT. 128 (B. 108)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41602 in Music
• Released on: 1996-11-19
• Number of discs: 2

Customer Reviews

Stunning interpretation!!!
First of all, I will join in lambasting the fool below who claims there is only one way to interpret this music.

Chopin's nocturnes are not technically difficult pieces. Artistic interpretation is everything here. Maria Joao Pires plays with depth and sensitivity which rings true and clear. The first time I heard the first track (B-flat minor nocturne) on this set, my breath was taken away. This is truly a first class recording.

I own the interpretations by Artur Rubinstein, Daniel Barenboim, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Claudio Arrau, Idil Biret (Naxos), and Ivan Moravec. Moravec's version has been hailed as the best of this group, and until I heard Pires, I would have agreed. However, Pires's interpretation is every bit as valid AND the modern Deutsche Grammophon sound quality is superb (I noticed this album is now sold under the Decca label). [By the way, if you buy Moravec's version, get the overseas digitally remastered Ultima Nonesuch version from a European vendor so you don't get stuck with the US-licensed version]

HONESTLY, SIMPLY GENIAL
Beyond the excellence of the recording and the flawlessness of her technique, Pires' simply honest and genial interpretation pays the highest hommage to Chopin's Nocturnes that has ever been recorded. Muito Obrigado pela sua sinceridade, Maestra! Bravissimo!!

Field of Dreams
One must first note that this CD contains all 21 Noctures not 19 as many records do. Secondly, it must be mentioned that this is not an extremely original interpretation of a rather familiar set. But there is a lot to be said for strict renditions that follow the spirit of the artist's intent.

While Chopin infused many of his most beautiful works with sudden rushes and furious passages, the overall spirit of the Nocturnes is that of a languid afternoon as the shadow of the setting sun slowly stretches over the landscape. This is Pires' interpretation and it is a valid one. The dreamy passages glide and flow from melody to melody. There is a softness and a slight hesitation in the playing. While some may criticize the technical aspects, most listeners prefer the beautiful and the satisfying over the imaginative. This recording has depths of emotion that is rare today and for that reason alone deserves the highest accolades.