Maurizio Pollini
Chopin: 4 Scherzi, Berceuse, Barcarolle

I was in high school. And one day, I was gifted this album. Of course, it was recorded on a cassette tape, because CDs were probably still not very common. I remember it perfectly even now: black cassette with a yellow label. And, as you can see from the picture, it's on the Deutsche Grammophon label, one of the most famous record labels specializing in classical and operatic music, alongside EMI and RCA (Radio Corporation of America), a label that has ventured into many musical genres but distinguished itself especially in its production of studio recordings (and otherwise) of various editions of operatic works.

How to define this album? Well,..... it is an authentic masterpiece, primarily because you can hear performances by Maurizio Pollini, one of the most important Italian pianists (and, at the time, my favorite pianist); and then because here we are dealing with six pivotal pieces of piano literature, whose tradition is quite ancient. Even though I don't remember the exact order of execution, I can still talk about each of the pieces included in this extraordinary recital. It all begins with the complete Scherzos. Musicians had to wait for Chopin for the Scherzo to receive such significant musical treatment. It should be noted that the Scherzo was born as an integral part of a Piano Sonata. Chopin, while inserting it as the central movement of his last two Piano Sonatas (namely op. 35 and op. 58), wanted nonetheless to decontextualize the Scherzo, turning it into a piece with a free structure, exactly like the Rhapsody, the Ballad (a typical composition of the Romantic period), the Prelude, and the Fantasy. It begins with the Scherzo in B minor op. 20. And already here..... BAM!..... You enter Chopin's world....... This piece is truly incredible....... it is one of the most 'aggressive' pieces by the Polish Maestro. You need to close your eyes to understand it well....... and Pollini plays it as it deserves. Then follows the Scherzo in B-flat minor op. 31. This second one is perhaps the most beautiful Scherzo of all. A real gem. Here, the performer has the opportunity to showcase all their musicality and ability to make the instrument sing. Then comes the Scherzo in C-sharp minor op. 39, one of the most challenging pieces, especially in the central part. And finally, the Scherzo in E major op. 54, another splendid gem of piano literature.