These two discs, featuring
Chopin's Op. 28 Preludes and a smattering of other works from the composer's oeuvre, is a re-release and compilation of two older albums. Although it is now marketed as a "Reference" collection on the Berlin Classics label, pianist
Elfrun Gabriel's performance of these works does not warrant such a lofty adjective. For starters, the sound quality throughout both discs is rather thin, with almost no "punch" or gripping resonance in the left hand. Fast, dense passages are also somewhat unclear, making individual notes difficult to pick out. Apart from these acoustical considerations,
Gabriel's technique is adequate, but nothing spectacular. Musically, her tempo selections throughout the Op. 28 Preludes are sometimes overly safe and uninteresting. There's also no overabundance of character infused into any of the mazurkas, polonaises, or waltzes. While there's nothing egregiously wrong or distasteful about this recording, there's certainly nothing remarkable about it, either. Listeners truly in the market for a "Reference" album of
Chopin's works will need to look elsewhere as
Gabriel cannot compete with the depth of sound achieved by
Rubinstein or the dazzling, technical brilliance associated with
Pollini.