If one characteristic stands out on
Alexandre Tharaud's
Chopin: Journal Intime, it is the predominance of somber minor key works placed side by side with very little major-key sunlight interspersed to alleviate the gloom. According to
Tharaud,
Chopin has been a constant companion in his life, and some of his most intimate feelings and memories are closely tied up in
Chopin's music. This is a rather gentle and soft album of
Chopin's miniatures, and when the mood shifts from overcast, it is almost exclusively to the stormy expressions, which quickly return to the shadows. With only the three Ecossaises, a Contredanse, and the closing Nocturne in major keys, the mood is lifted only slightly toward the end, but listeners will more likely remember the album being slightly depressive as a whole and lacking in resilience and muscle.