Chopin - Idil Biret – Mazurkas (Complete) Vol. 1

Tracklist 1 No. 1 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 6, No. 1 3:29 2 No. 2 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 6, No. 2 3:00 3 No. 3 In E Major, Op. 6, No. 3 2:09 4 No. 4 In E Flat Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 0:43 5 No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 7, No. 1 2:35 6 No. 6 In A Minor, Op. 7, No. 2 4:06 7 No. 7 In F Minor, Op. 7, No. 3 2:42 8 No. 8 In A Flat Major, Op. 7, No. 4 1:08 9 No. 9 In C Major, Op. 7, No. 5 0:36 10 No. 10 In B Flat Major, Op. 17, No. 1 2:54 11 No. 11 In E Minor, Op. 17, No. 2 2:29 12 No. 12 In A Flat Major, Op. 17, No. 3 6:04 13 No. 13 In A Minor, Op. 17, No. 4 4:33 14 No. 14 In G Minor, Op. 24, No. 1 3:06 15 No. 15 In C Major, Op. 24, No. 2 2:13 16 No. 16 In A Flat Major, Op. 24, No. 3 2:34 17 No. 17 In B Flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4 5:33 18 No. 18 In C Minor, Op. 30, No. 1 1:53 19 No. 19 In B Minor, Op. 30, No. 2 1:26 20 No. 20 In D Flat Major, Op. 30, No. 3 3:06 21 No. 21 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 30, No. 4 4:30 22 No. 22 In G Sharp Minor, Op. 33, No. 1 2:15 23 No. 23 In D Major, Op. 33, No. 2 2:30 24 No. 24 In C Major, Op. 33, No. 3 2:07 25 No. 25 In B Minor, Op. 33, No. 4 4:58

Chopin's mazurkas combine folkloristic charm with elegance and endless musical invention. They belong among the finest of his compositions, and in the hands of a fine performer they present an inexhaustable treasury. The characteristic, robust mazurka-rhythm may soon become tiring (if not varied enough) or awkward (if varied too demonstratively). Idil Biret has a firm grip on these matters. She plays with freshness and authority as well as poetry and imagination. Biret's 2-volume set of the mazurkas is the finest I have heard, easily surpassing Ashkenazy's stiff-legged approach. The piano-sound is slightly thin, but crystal-clear.