Customer Rating: 
Summary: The Best introduction possible
Comment: As an avid lover of Chopin I felt a "Best of" collection would lack depth, however i found this to be simply not the case. From the deeply moving Nocturns, powerful Ballades to the surprisingly interesting waltzes and Sherzos this collection is the best introduction to a brilliant composer. Ashkenazy as ever plays Chopin's works with more fluency than almost anyone on modern record, enough to spark anyone's interest in Chopin and his era of piano musc, i strongly urge you to buy this collection and then expand upon it!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great choice, but get the Philips too
Comment: There is not that much to add to the other reviewer's comments: these two discs are a bargain and unreservedly recommended. Ashkenazy is indeed the very best overall Chopin interpreter around. I immensely enjoyed his treatment of pieces such as the second scherzo and the g minor ballade. Not to mention the etudes, the preludes, etc. etc. All is crisp and clear, and the fact that some recordings are analogue doesn't matter at all: in fact, they are hard to be discovered. But keep something in mind: as I said, Ashkenazy is arguably overall the best. This implies that he can be bettered in some ways. Philips has also released a Best-of Chopin set, which contains better renditions of some Waltzes (Kocsis), the Barcarolle and Mazurkas (Kovacevich) and the impromptus (Davidovich). Additionally, the Philips discs give you the Marcia funebre, the Fantaisie-Polonaise and the fourth Ballade, three big pieces that cannot be found over here. Overall it is more balanced too. So if you are going to buy just one best-of-Chopin set, go for the Philips. The best choice, however, is to get both of them!
Customer Rating:
Summary: I highly recommend this recording
Comment: Ashkenazy plays superbly throughout this recording.There are no noticeable irritating personal manerisms. His musicality is so pure, with perfect balance and wonderful neatness. He truly is one of the greatest pianists.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Comment: Vladimir Ashkenazy brings Chopin's piano works to life in this CD. The Grande Valse brillante, op.18 is played with such vigour and enthusiasm, starting the CD off at a brilliant pace. Much of Chopin's pieces are ridiculously difficult to play on the piano and Ashkenazy plays each note so clearly and to sheer perfection that it sounds easy. If you do not know of Chopin's piano pieces then I would advise anyone to buy this CD (in fact I have bought it as a gift for many people and none have been disappointed - most of whom had never enjoyed piano music before) - it is very pretty and delicate but (usually) fast-paced music.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ashkenazy : Pianist or conductor.?
Comment: Mr.Ashkenazy has received a vast amount of good reviews from the English press. It does make one wonder it 's source , because his recorded legacy is not that impressive. The best of his pianism , is witout a doubt " The Etudes Tableaux " by Rachmaninov, outshinig almost any other pianist. and as a conductor , his interpretation of Rachmaninov's " The Isle of the Dead " with the Concertgebouw . Perhaps Kondrashin had already " taught " The Concertgebouw how to play it ? None the less it is a powerful performance .
