Chopin 200: Great Recordings, Sony Classical (15 CD Box Set)

In VERY GOOD condition! As pictured! Buy with confidence!

Product Details

• UPC / EAN: 88697577072
• Product Type: Audio CD Box Set (15 CDs)
• Brand / Label: Sony Classical
• Composer: Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
• Genre: Classical / Piano
• Style: Romantic

Product Features

• Format: 15 CD box set in red clamshell box with booklet
• Condition: Used — very good; discs and box as pictured
• Language: English (booklet)

Performers: Arthur Rubinstein · Vladimir Horowitz · Sviatoslav Richter · Van Cliburn · Emil Gilels · Evgeny Kissin · Emanuel Ax · Cyprien Katsaris · Fou Ts'ong · André Watts

Overview

Fifteen discs and roughly ten pianists covering the complete core of Chopin's output — this Sony Classical box is exactly what the title says: 200 years of Chopin's music filtered through the greatest recorded performances the label's archive could assemble.

The set is intelligently organised by genre rather than chronology. CDs 1–5 cover the Études (Richter and Horowitz sharing the op.10 and op.25 sets) and the Mazurkas (primarily Rubinstein, with Fou Ts'ong picking up the later ones). CDs 6–7 give you all the Nocturnes — Rubinstein on the main opus sets, Fou Ts'ong on the posthumous pieces. CDs 8–13 continue through the Polonaises, Waltzes, Preludes, Sonatas, and Impromptus. CDs 14–15 close with the two Piano Concertos and the orchestral works: Emil Gilels and Eugene Ormandy for the First Concerto, André Watts and the New York Philharmonic under Thomas Schippers for the Second, and Emanuel Ax with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Sir Charles Mackerras for the orchestral pieces.

For a classical collector this is a reference box rather than an introduction — the kind of set you reach for when you want Rubinstein's Nocturnes, Horowitz's Études, or Kissin alongside the rest in a single package. The red clamshell design makes it shelf-presentable, and all 15 discs travel in individual mini-sleeves within the box.

Interesting Facts

• Arthur Rubinstein recorded the Chopin Mazurkas multiple times across his career; the versions here are from his landmark RCA recordings, widely considered definitive.
• Vladimir Horowitz's Chopin playing was famously unconventional — his tempos and voicing divided critics but captivated audiences for decades.
• Sviatoslav Richter rarely recorded Chopin extensively; his presence on the Études makes this set notable for collectors who track his studio output.
• Emil Gilels recorded the Piano Concerto No.1 with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra — a pairing that brought two giants of their respective traditions together.
• Evgeny Kissin's Chopin recordings from his early career at Sony are among the most technically assured on record.
• The box was issued to mark the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth in 1810.

Track Listing

CD 1 (35:19) — 12 Études, op.10 (Richter / Horowitz); 12 Études, op.25 — nos. I, V, VII (Horowitz); 3 Nouvelles Études — no. II (Horowitz)

CD 2 (71:13) — Ballades Nos. 1–4 (op.23, 38, 47, 52); Scherzos Nos. 1–4 (op.20, 31, 39, 54) — Arthur Rubinstein

CD 3 (45:48) — Impromptu in A flat op.29; Impromptu F sharp op.36; Impromptu G flat op.51; Fantaisie-Impromptu op.66; Barcarolle op.60; Berceuse op.57; Fantaisie F minor op.49 — Arthur Rubinstein

CD 4 (70:15) — 4 Mazurkas op.6; 5 Mazurkas op.7; 4 Mazurkas op.17; 4 Mazurkas op.24; 4 Mazurkas op.30; 4 Mazurkas op.33; Mazurka G major (1826); Mazurka B flat major (1826); Mazurka D major (1832); Mazurka B flat major (1832) — Rubinstein (1–25) / Fou Ts'ong (26–29)

CD 5 (75:00) — 4 Mazurkas op.41; 3 Mazurkas op.50; 3 Mazurkas op.56; 3 Mazurkas op.59; 3 Mazurkas op.63; 4 Mazurkas op.67; 4 Mazurkas op.68; Mazurka A minor (1840); Mazurka A minor "Notre temps" (1840); Mazurka C major (1833); Mazurka A flat major (1834) — Rubinstein (1–26) / Fou Ts'ong (27–28)

CD 6 (51:23) — 3 Nocturnes op.9; 3 Nocturnes op.15; 2 Nocturnes op.27; 2 Nocturnes op.32 — Arthur Rubinstein

CD 7 (60:23) — 2 Nocturnes op.37; 2 Nocturnes op.48; 2 Nocturnes op.55; 2 Nocturnes op.62; Nocturne E minor op.72 no.1; Nocturne C sharp minor (1830); Nocturne C minor (1837) — Rubinstein (1–9) / Fou Ts'ong (10–11)

CD 14 (71:57) — Piano Concerto No.1 E minor op.11 — Emil Gilels / Philadelphia Orchestra / Eugene Ormandy; Piano Concerto No.2 F minor op.21 — André Watts / New York Philharmonic / Thomas Schippers

CD 15 (45:00) — Variations on "Là ci darem la mano" op.2; Fantasia on Polish Airs op.13; Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise op.22 — Emanuel Ax / Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Sir Charles Mackerras

(CDs 8–13 contain Polonaises, Waltzes, Preludes, Sonatas and remaining works — complete details in the enclosed booklet)

Publishers Sony Classical. Issued to mark the bicentenary of Frédéric Chopin's birth (1810–2010). All recordings from the Sony Classical / RCA Red Seal archive.

Own a copy of this? A note in the reviews helps other Chopin collectors find it.