Jean-Philippe Collard – Chopin: Préludes & Piano Sonata No.2 (2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

It has taken him decades to feel comfortable with the composer. Today he is confident in his approach to this repertory and has no qualms about his interpretative options. Chopin’s music gives him two very powerful impressions. First of all, it interprets the sensation of being in love, an aspect he finds fascinating. Moreover, his language speeds up the process of communication between artist and audience.
He sees this disc as a break, a renewal. All his previous records were released on EMI. Today he has changed labels, repertory, sound engineer … These developments enable him to escape a certain routine, to put himself on the line.

There are countless benchmark versions in this repertory, but the French pianist has not sought to measure himself against them, and his approach to the composer is honest and totally sincere. Chopin represents a genuine challenge, for which Jean-Philippe Collard has identified a style that is his alone.

Jean-Philippe Collard is a renowned interpreter of Romantic piano music, and his recordings of the works of Gabriel Fauré have been particularly praised for their brilliance and sensitivity. Somewhat surprisingly, his recordings of the music of Frédéric Chopin have been quite rare, so this 2013 release of the 24 Préludes and the Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor breaks new ground for this distinguished performer. One of Collard’s many gifts is an ability to make difficult music seem easy, and some of the more virtuosic Préludes are simply sparkling and spontaneous, without any signs of struggle or deliberate effort. Consequently, Collard cannot be expected to be overly dramatic or brooding, so the Préludes that other pianists treat with excessive pathos he tends to play with a lighter touch and a forward movement, to avoid sentimentality. Even in the famous Marche funèbre of the Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Collard maintains a steady but not overly slow tempo that makes the music more affecting for the lack of bombast, and he gives the following Presto an understated quality that is chilling. –AllMusic Review by Blair Sanderson

Tracklist:
01. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 1 in C Major, Op. 28: Agitato (00:33)
02. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 28: Lento (01:42)
03. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 3 in G Major, Op. 28: Vivace (00:59)
04. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 28: Largo (01:44)
05. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 5 in D Major, Op. 28: Allegro molto (00:38)
06. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 28: Lento assai (01:46)
07. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 7 in A Major, Op. 28: Andantino (00:40)
08. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 8 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 28: Molto agitato (01:51)
09. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 9 in E Major, Op. 28: Largo (01:23)
10. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 10 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 28: Allegro molto (00:32)
11. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 11 in B Major, Op. 28: Vivace (00:36)
12. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 12 in G-Sharp Minor, Op. 28: Presto (01:14)
13. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 13 in F-Sharp Major, Op. 28: Lento (03:20)
14. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes, Op. 28 No. 14 in E-Flat Minor: Allegretto (00:27)
15. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 15 in D-Flat Major, Op. 28: Sostenuto (05:12)
16. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 16 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 28: Presto con fuoco (01:12)
17. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 17 in A-Flat Major, Op. 28: Allegretto (02:50)
18. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 18 in F Minor, Op. 28: Allegro molto (00:52)
19. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 19 in E-Flat Major, Op. 28: Cantabile (01:22)
20. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 20 in C Minor, Op. 28: Largo (01:23)
21. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 21 in B-Flat Major, Op. 28: Cantabile (01:45)
22. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 22 in G Minor, Op. 28: Molto agitato (00:45)
23. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 23 in F Major, Op. 28: Moderato (00:58)
24. Jean-Philippe Collard – Preludes No. 24 in D Minor, Op. 28: Allegro appassionato (02:38)
25. Jean-Philippe Collard – Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 35 – “Funeral March”: I. Grave – Doppio movimento (05:25)
26. Jean-Philippe Collard – Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 35 – “Funeral March”: II. Scherzo (06:19)
27. Jean-Philippe Collard – Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 35 – “Funeral March”: III. Marche funèbre (Lento) (08:23)
28. Jean-Philippe Collard – Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 35 – “Funeral March”: IV. Finale (Presto) (01:32)