One of the foremost pianists of our time, Alfred Brendel plays the way one might fill out a sudoku puzzle — by methodically adding up smaller moments into an overall structure. That approach well complements the Germanic works that typically make up Brendel's repertoire; it also goes a long way toward explaining why this dignified album is one of Brendel's very few recordings of Chopin, a composer known for his flowery expressivity.

The Polonaises, though, are some of Chopin's most heroic pieces. Inspired by the traditional Polish dance form, Chopin wrote his Polonaises between 1828 and 1849, as an expat, when Poland was rocked by violent uprisings against Russian occupation. Brendel has said he only wanted to record the Polonaises the way he felt they should be played, but it's perhaps worth noting that the Czech-born, expat pianist made this recording in 1968, the year Soviet tanks rolled into Prague.

While other Chopin interpreters often emote by slowing down or rushing in virtuosic flourishes, Brendel sets much of the album to a stately, if sometimes plodding, pace. In the more optimistic passages, his gravity and rich, murmuring tone make you feel like you're hearing the reminiscences of a wise, widowed aunt.… read more »