Abbey Simon’s complete cycle of Chopin’s works for piano and orchestra comprised the first Vox Box to be issued on Quadrophonic LPs. Where the four-channel master tapes may be hiding is anyone’s guess, but honestly, does this repertoire gain anything from surround sound? What is more, Andrew Walton’s new remastering of Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz’s Elite Recordings stereo production adds subtle yet noticeable bloom and room tone to the mix. To be sure, Vox’s earlier CD edition still sounds quite good, but if you don’t own it, go for this new Audiophile Edition release.
Although Simon was an exemplary colorist, he makes most interpretive points through lively delineation and clear-cut accents. He holds the E minor concerto’s long first movement together through the straightforward sweep of his phrasing and equal attention to both hands. Most pianists milk the second theme while relegating the left hand to doormat status, while Simon’s shapely bass lines enliven the texture. The same applies to the buoyantly fluid Andante spianato. Being Abbey Simon, the pianist can’t help but fall back on old-school rubatos (the Grande Polonaise is chock-full of them) or the occasional inverted dynamic, but given such elegant and scintillating pianism, who cares?
Simon’s supple unison melodies in the Fantasy convey a tangy lilt that makes me regret that he didn’t record the Mazurkas for Vox together with his Sonata, Etude, Waltz, and Nocturne cycles. Heribert Beissel elicits crisp and disciplined support from his orchestra, save for the undernourished and slightly “poopy” brass in the Concerto’s Rondo. I assume this excellent cycle’s remaining works (the Second concerto, the Krakowiak, and the “Là ci darem la mano” Variations) will appear in due course. Highly recommended.
