100 Best Chopin

EMI's Best Chopin 100 is a six-disc anthology that covers the essential keyboard works of Frédéric Chopin with considerable depth and coherence, making it one of the best imaginable introductions for the budget-conscious beginner. Even though the outward packaging is fairly unimpressive and little indication is given of the set's musical quality and broad interpretive range, the selections are drawn from the label's extensive back catalog and the performances are by some of the leading pianists of the modern era. Included are such authorities on Chopin's music as Martha Argerich, Garrick Ohlsson, Daniel Barenboim, Claudio Arrau, Artur Rubinstein, Leif Ove Andsnes, Dinu Lipatti, Stephen Kovacevich, Maurizio Pollini, and many other brilliant pianists who have left a valuable legacy of recordings on EMI. In a survey this big, however, the tracks vary somewhat in sound quality and volume levels, due to the different recording technologies, venues, and dates. Furthermore, the audio is mono in the recordings by Lipatti, Arrau, and Rubinstein, and even though most of the selections are stereo, there is a mix of analog and digital reproduction. Still, to find so many classic interpretations in one collection and to have the music intelligently organized make this a terrific starter set that will lead newcomers to a deeper appreciation of Chopin's genius.