Mazurkas
Near the end of his long life, Artur Rubinstein declared theseMazurkasamong the best recordings he had ever made. They're certainly  convincing in their lyric simplicity, tonal warmth, and healthy, uncluttered  sentiment. There are, however, other valid approaches to these wonderful works.  Rubinstein himself, for instance, was a friskier and riskier player when he  recorded the set for EMI in the thirties. The pianist's fifties-remakes are more  grounded, yet retain the joie de vivre and rhythmic snap that were hallmarks of  his live performances. On the other hand, the stereo versions benefit from  superior engineering and a more scrupulous approach to Chopin's text. Decisions,  decisions.--Jed Distler