Chopin: 4 Ballades; Fantaisie, Op.49; Prelude, Op.45

This disc is typical of Pollini's Chopin playing. There is always feeling in the music, and it is consistently expressive, in Pollini's patrician way. But if you want to hear a pianist getting his hands dirty in this music, this is definitely not the disc for you. Pollini's poetry is always refined; even his stormy outbursts are elegant. Although the Fantasie seems underpowered--and Pollini, with his extraordinary technique, still takes an unwritten extra beat for comfort when he has to skip from the top of the keyboard to the bottom--the remaining performances are extraordinary enough in their way to be well worth hearing, providing their own unique perspective on Chopin. Just don't expect the passion of Rubinstein. At 48:16, this is quite short measure for a contemporary full-price CD. --Leslie Gerber