Classical Music: Chopin Obsession By Marina Arsenijevic

Chopin Obsession By Marina Arsenijevic
Be My Valentine, My Dear Frédéric Chopin

Waltz A-flat Major, Op.42; Waltz F Minor, Op.70, No.2; Waltz B Minor, Op.69, No.2; Waltz D-flat Major, Op.70, No.3; Waltz C-sharp Minor,Op.64, No.2; Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op.66; Waltz A-flat Major, Op. 64, No. 3; Waltz A-flat Major, Op. 69, No.1; Waltz Grande Valse Brillante E-flat Major, Op.18; Minute Waltz D-flat Major, Op. 64, No.1; Ballade in G Minor No.1; Valse Brillante Op.34, No.1; Waltz G-flat Major, Op.70, No.1; Waltz F Major, Op. 34, No. 3; Waltz A Minor, Op.34, No.2; Chopin Waltz E Minor, Op. Posth

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Serbian-born pianist Marina Arsenijevic fled the former Yugoslavia in 1999. Her life story emerges from the turbulence of war in former Yugoslavia/Serbia and has given her a special insight into Chopin’s musical 'cry' for national identity while living and composing in Paris, away from his native land of Poland.

Chopin composed his waltzes between 1829 and 1847. Opuses 18, 34, 42 and 64 were published while he was alive, while the others were only to appear posthumously. Whether slow and meditative like Op. 34, No. 2 and Op. 69, No. 2, or fast and brilliant as Grande Valse Brillante Op. 18 and his Valse Brillante Op. 34, each waltz is characterized by a lush harmonic flow and highly inventive turns, this despite the simple triple time that drives it forward.

Her obsession with Chopin means the subtleties of his miniatures shine from a pianist who appreciates the fine detail; this glorious album takes us on a wonderful journey through some of his best and least-known piano works.

The passion for Chopin oozes through her performances, as she captures the spirit of the waltzes with technical mastery and fingerwork that glides across the keys, offering plenty of textural variation

Arsenijevic marvellously performs the C-sharp minor, Op 64 No. 2, the Grande Valse Brillante in E-flat major, Op. 18, and the Fantaisie Impromptu, Op. 66, with fine articulation and illumination.

The phrasing, shading, and pace are well-judged, and throughout, Arsenijevic’s pellucid, stylish playing, coupled with her agility and dynamism, overlays the different emotions encapsulated within these short piano pieces with a powerful communicative presence, and in so doing, offers a splendid introduction to Chopin.