Very popular during Chopin’s lifetime, the waltzes have long been a favorite with professionals and amateurs alike. Highly virtuosic – most of them were clearly not intended to be danced – and sometimes melancholy, they nevertheless retain the distinctive lightness and grace that we associate with the genre.
These pieces have accompanied François Chaplin since his early days as a pianist. After so many years spent playing them, looking beyond their apparent simplicity and fathoming the depths of their poetry, this lifelong admirer of Chopin brings together here, on this magnificent recording – ten years after his complete Nocturnes – the composer’s 19 Waltzes. This complete and continuous reading enables us to perceive them as a whole, stunningly beautiful and full of verve. © Aparté