Ivan Moravec: Great Pianists of the 20th Century, Vol. 71

The battle for the most convincing, or at least resonant, Chopin might be a two-person standoff between Ivan Moravec and Artur Rubinstein. Moravec's Nocturnes nos. 17 and 18 (Op. 62) are about as exquisite as any on record, with life enough to sound as though they were being played in person only inches from the ear. Throughout the first of these two CDs, Moravec uses his pedals to hold Chopin's tones for so long that they become rhapsodic in their balanced extendedness.

A native of Prague, Moravec has eschewed the spotlight, mostly because of his emphasis on teaching and assiduous practice. He's famous for insisting that every aspect of his performance be near-perfect, from his clear command of the work to his intimate knowledge of the instrument on which he'll perform. So it's ideal that he focuses on repertoire fed by perfectionism and elaborately precise pacing--not to mention his penchant for unmistakable contrast. This last trait is most evident in the big energy of Franck's Pr©lude, chorale, et fugue (recorded in 1962). --Andrew Bartlett