Evgeny Kissin - Chopin: 24 Preludes op.28, Sonata No. 2, Polonaise (2000)

This selection received a Grammy nomination for "Best Classical Album" and "Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra)." The comparative simplicity of Chopin's Op. 28 Preludes (when placed against his Etudes, for example) and their status as "miniatures" often hide the fact that they are, in fact, extremely demanding pieces, especially in interpretation. These works, probably written in homage to Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Well-Tempered Clavier,' have been the eminent domain of such great pianists as Artur Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Claudio Arrau. The Preludes now belong to young Evgeny Kissin. Kissin is up to every challenge these works present. His left hand dances nimbly through the quicksilver runs of No. 3 in G major, while on a more somber note, he plays the mournful No. 20 in C minor with noble gravity.
The Sonata No. 2 and Polonaise, Op. 53 make up the remainder of the program. Kissin captures all the high drama of the sonata. The opening movement is quintessentially romantic while the famous "March funebre" is poignant and eloquent. The terrifyingly difficult 'Heroic' Polonaise is a showpiece of piano virtuosity on the grandest scale, and Kissin triumphs. RCA provides strikingly vivid and detailed sound.