Originally issued as individual volumes by Arabesque, Garrick Ohlsson’s integral 1990s Chopin survey returns on Hyperion as a space-saving 16-disc boxed set. Comparisons between these recordings and the pianist’s 1970s EMI traversals of the Nocturnes, Preludes, Polonaises, Scherzos, and Concertos are revealing. For example, his sober, serious-minded Scherzos remain anything but febrile and scintillating, and may not be to all tastes, yet the remakes’ wider range of color and articulation prove more convincing upon rehearing. Ohlsson’s strong linear projection throughout the similarly slow Nocturnes imparts a sense of mobility and shape not always apparent in the earlier readings. The directness and rhythmic gusto of Olsson’s EMI Polonaises returns in a broader, more thoughtful manifestation. However, a lighter, more playful side of Ohlsson’s temperament informs the Waltzes, Etudes, Mazurkas, and miscellaneous pieces.
The collaborative works receive particularly rewarding performances. Fire and sensitivity brilliantly mesh between Ohlsson, violinist Leila Josefowicz, and cellist Carter Brey in the Op. 8 Piano Trio, while chamber-like camaraderie and vivid detail likewise fortify the Concertos. Buoyed by Ohlsson’s ideally balanced, rhythmically alive support, the phenomenal contralto Ewa Podles delivers the Op. 74 Polish Songs with mesmerizing intensity and idiomatic flair.
Perhaps Ohlsson’s use of different pianos may further attract curious collectors, from a full-bodied Steinway to a nimble and twangy Mason and Hamlin and a Bösendorfer Imperial Grand boasting pronounced registral differentiation and gentle yet clear chordal blends. Jeremy Nicholas’ extensive, informative annotations also rise way above the average for a project of this scope. While sound quality varies from session to session (opulent in the concertos, clear and transparent in the Mazurkas, murky in the Nocturnes), on balance Ohlsson arguably offers more consistent artistry than Biret, Ashkenazy, Magaloff, and Harasiewicz, among the few Chopin “completists” on disc.
