Nocturnes (Complete) [Box Set]

some parallels

The idea of creating a "nocturnal anthology" is an excellent one, and I wonder how nobody has thought of it until very recently. Van Oort's creation is not entirely unique. Similar disk entitled "Nocturnal World" and performed by Dimiter Terziev has appeared recently on the market, thus making the comparison between the two projects unavoidable.

The first and most obvious difference is that van Oort's project is by far more comprehensive. The four CD package includes the complete set of Chopin and Field nocturnes plus little known nocturnes by Pleiel, Clara Schumann, Glinka, Alkan and others. This vast repertoure and the use of period instruments gives van Oort's project certain academic or a "collector's choice" aura. In contrast, Terziev's approach is apparently more oriented towards finding some sort of architectonic continuity wthin a single disk. He includes only twelve nocturnes by eight composers. Interestingly enough, the two performers show remarkable dissimilarity of choice. Except for the usual suspects of Chopin and Field, Terziev's disks contains two practically unknown late nocturnes by Liszt, as well as nocturnes by Faure, Scriabin, and three XX century composers writing in a late-romantic idiom. It is rather interesting that both performers have chosen to avoid the famous Liszt's "Liebestraum" and the other 2 nocturnes in the same opus, as well as the famous Grieg's "Notturno". Regarding the performance, both van Oort and Terziev are sensitive and intelligent interpreters. They have their magical performances (e.g. van Oort's entire 4th disk or Terziev's Vladigerov), and a few that sound somewhat superficial (van Oort's Chopin Op. 72 No.1 or Terziev's Chopin Op. 27 No. 1).

Yet, as a whole, these are disks certainly worth having and listening to again and again in your special "nocturnal" moments.
July 10, 2005

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