«Maurizio Pollini plays all 18 of these nocturnes (as well as the posthumously published Nocturne op. post. 72 no. 1) in the present record, a decision inspired not only by his wish to offer as complete as possible an account of one particular type of work from the Polish composer’s pen but also, and above all, to demonstrate Chopin’s development within these character pieces and to draw attention to the differences that exist between them: “All of them are of course lyrical in tone, but there are also vast differences between them. This is itself makes a cyclical recording sufficiently interesting – simply because enough contrasts can be heard in them.” Pollini has, of course, been drawn to Chopin’s music ever since winning the prestigious Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1960: “Once I’d won the Warsaw Chopin Competition, Chopin’s music became a part of my life.” It goes without saying that Pollini is interested not only in bringing out the sense of dramatic development within these pieces but also in the element of bel canto, which in his eyes plays a major role here. But in stressing the importance of this element, he also views it in a broader context.»
Carsten Dürer
