Simon and Chopin: a perfect marriage

CHOPIN – Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra

To start off, I should just say one thing: Abbey Simon and Chopin were made for each other. I can honestly say, of the countless Chopin recordings I’ve listened to, very few of them even come close to the sensitivity found here.

Simon’s playing has that something extra one doesn’t find too often in a Chopin recording – in this case, sparkle. When others play Chopin with a kind of polished straightforwardness, Simon plays to forget himself – a blessing, no doubt. Some passages even seem improvisatory. Chopin’s music, while often technically demanding, is fundamentally ecstatic. Even its most challenging runs, found throughout both piano concertos, are inherently hypnotic. Everything about this music seems rooted in raw expression.

For me, the highlights of this recording aren’t the piano concertos, although I find them both grand. No, the real gems here are the Andante Spinato & Grand Polonaise in E-flat Major, Op. 22, and Rondo alla Krakowiak, Op. 14. They contain two of the most breathtaking melodies ever composed. What makes them so appealing, at least to this listener, is how rich they are. Not a very accomplished orchestrater, Chopin spent much of his life composing solo piano works, often finding startling ways of bringing out the piano’s almost orchestral dynamics. But when he did write for orchestral accompaniment, he often resorted to giving the piano an unusually dominant role, only letting the orchestra reenter long enough to prompt the piano on yet another exploration. Unfortunately, this led some critics to call these works self-indulgent.

Nevertheless, Chopin’s self-indulgence works, especially in Simon’s hands. These two pieces are certainly a pianist’s feast. Both begin with a somewhat unaccompanied introduction acting as a lullaby, and develop into nothing short of a showcase – complete with stunts, runs, and, of course, intermittent hushed passages. The Rondo alla Krakowiak even has a wonderful march that characterizes the latter half of the piece. Both introductions contain what you’d expect from Chopin: plenty of longing, a dash of uncertainty, and, most importantly, a healthy dose of daring.

The piano concertos are much the same. They both sparkle, especially their brilliant runs, which Simon pulls off with something akin to the ease of a master harpist. Both final movements are a fantasy and a delight, certainly what Chopin intended. The upper register, where most Chopin works find their magic, shines especially brightly in the first concerto’s final movement – home to both a musical storm and a dazzling rondo, the treble of the latter brilliantly tempering the bass of the former.

It seems with Chopin (and Simon), nothing less than a perfect complement will do.