Notes and Editorial Reviews
There are not many good complete recordings of Chopin's dances in the current catalogue, so] a big welcome to the Philips compilation of the Polonaises and Waltzes - not quite all the Waltzes, though only anoraks will complain about the minor omissions.
Adam Harasiewicz won the Warsaw Chopin Competition in 1955, preceding Pollini [in 1960] and Argerich [in 1965]. I have no hesitation in making this issue my benchmark for both Polonaises and Waltzes. Harasiewicz has an impeccable sense of style - just listen to the crisp edge he gives the opening of the "Military" Polonaise, Op. 40 no. 1 - and he also has an acute poetic sense - as in the gloomy fatalism which hangs over the E flat minor Polonaise, Op. 26/2.
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His command of Chopin's virtuoso decorative writing is superb, too - he revels in it - and he's one of the very few pianists to solve the riddle of the problematic Polonaise-Fantaisie, taking the listener through it without any uncertainty.
In the Polonaises Harasiewicz keeps a sense of dignified poise. In the Waltzes, on the other hand, he is irresistibly physical, even punchy, while characterising contrasted sections with a brilliant sense of character.
Performance: 5 (out of 5), Sound: 4 (out of 5)
-- Adrian Jack, BBC Music Magazine
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Works on This Recording
1.
Polonaises (2) for Piano, B 90/Op. 26 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1834-1835; Paris, France
2.
Polonaises (2) for Piano, Op. 40 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1838-1839; Paris, France
3.
Polonaise for Piano in F sharp minor, B 135/Op. 44 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1840-1841; Paris, France
4.
Polonaise for Piano in A flat major, B 147/Op. 53 "Heroic" by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1842; Paris, France
5.
Polonaise-fantaisie for Piano in A flat major, B 159/Op. 61 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1845-1846; Poland
6.
Polonaises (3) for Piano, Op. 71 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1825-1828; Poland
7.
Polonaise for Piano in B flat minor, B 13 "Adieu" by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1826; Poland
8.
Polonaise for Piano in G flat major, B 36 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1829; Poland
9.
Polonaise for Piano in G minor, B 1 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1817; Poland
10.
Polonaise for Piano in B flat major, B 3 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1817; Poland
11.
Polonaise for Piano in A flat major, B 5 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1821; Poland
12.
Polonaise for Piano in G sharp minor, B 6 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1822; Poland
13.
Waltz for Piano in E flat major, B 62/Op. 18 "Grande valse brillante" by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1831; Poland
14.
Waltzes (3) for Piano, Op. 34 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1831-1838
15.
Waltz for Piano in A flat major, B 131/Op. 42 "Grande Valse" by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: France; Paris, France
16.
Waltzes (3) for Piano, B 164/Op. 64 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1846-1847; Paris, France
17.
Waltzes (2) for Piano, Op. 69 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1829-1835
18.
Waltzes (3) for Piano, Op. 70 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1829-1841
19.
Waltz for Piano in E minor, B 56 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1830; Poland
20.
Waltz for Piano in E major, B 44 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1829; Poland
21.
Waltz for Piano in A flat major, B 21 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Adam Harasiewicz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1827; Poland
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 
( 1 Customer Review )
Utterly infectious October 6, 2012
By Dr Colin P Barreira (Oakbank, South Australia) See All My Reviews
"Wonderful music, marvellously well-played. Utterly infectious."
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