Vladimir Feltsman dispels the notion of Chopin’s Nocturnes as musical portraits of dreamy landscapes by his ardent, at times aggressive projection of the composer’s operatically inclined melodies. The sonics seem to reinforce my impression with their treble emphasis and lack of warmth and presence in the bass. With all this in mind, Feltsman often commands your attention. His brisk, Olympian approach to the E-flat Op. 9 No. 2 Nocturne is refreshingly straightforward and kitsch-free. He offsets the introspective outer sections of Op. 15 No. 1 and Op. 27 No. 1 by the fiery bravura he brings to their central episodes. Op. 37 No. 2’s difficult legato thirds showcase Feltsman’s impressive double-note technique.
I’m particularly drawn to how Feltsman parses Op. 15 No. 3’s phrases in long paragraphic arcs that soar over the barline. On the other hand, a tense, overloud Op. 55 No. 2 finds Chopin’s polyphonic lines fighting for attention rather than moving in fluid cooperation. The Berceuse and Barcarolle are well played but face numerous competing versions that offer greater degrees of poetic eloquence and lilting proportion (Perahia’s Berceuse and Rubinstein’s Barcarolle, for starters). Feltsman’s best Chopin is well worth hearing, although the Moravec, Rubinstein, and Arrau cycles remain your complete Chopin Nocturne cycle reference points.
