The contents of these two CDs were originally issued on three LPs, and in the new format the Fantasy on Polish Airs has been omitted. I have been familiar with these performances for nearly 15 years and, taken as a whole, cannot give them a real recommendation. The trouble is that when Arrau is tackling Chopin at his most subtle, as in the F minor Concerto, the rubato sounds rather unnatural and much of the passagework is heavy-handed. True, there are nice pianistic touches in the slow movements, but the overall impression is of a fish out of water. But when elan is needed in the more frivolous pieces, such as the La ci darem la mano Variations and the finale of the E minor Concerto, Arrau comes up trumps and he is never less than thorough as a technician. The recorded sound lacks colour in the solo part and the orchestral playing is not especially distinguished.'