Spinning Chopin’s Best: Intimate Chopin (Best Of) on Vinyl

Crack open your turntable, slip this vinyl out of its sleeve, and get ready to cozy up with some poetic piano—all while keeping an eye on those pesky vinyl quirks.

Sliding out the 12.35-inch sleeve from Warner Classics, you get a straightforward, soft-focus portrait—not much to bob your head at, but classy enough for the classical folks. The disc is a single 9.92-ounce LP, so it’s not the chunky, heavyweight 180-gram kind you might expect for extra durability. That means you’ll have to handle this vinyl like a delicate guest at a dinner party—one wrong move, and a warp or dent might sneak in. Bonus frustration: the inner sleeve’s just your run-of-the-mill paper type, which sets up static buildup for cozy dust attraction. If static annoys you (spoiler: it should), consider swapping out that liner to save your stylus and grooves some grief.

When you finally drop the needle, the sound is wonderfully rich without the sterile edge digital formats often bring. The right hand’s trills shimmy with crispness, and the bass hums with a warm tone you’ll want to lean into. Background hiss is barely present, so you catch all the little pedal squeaks and key releases that CDs usually smudge over. But heads up: this isn’t a full-on orchestra blast. You won’t get booming lows or reverberant drama here—this pressing is Chopin’s chamber vibe, close and personal, and frankly, that’s exactly what it aims for.

The tracklist is neat and tidy, focusing on Chopin’s romantic hits—a few nocturnes, preludes, and that sprightly Waltz No. 6. The flow jumps nicely between moods without dragging, perfect for keeping your concentration steady without boredom creeping in. Don’t expect a full Chopinfest here; if you’re after the complete concertos or études, look elsewhere. But if you want a tidy dose of Chopin’s emotional highs and lows in under an hour, this fits the bill.

Be prepared for some playback caveats. Your stylus better be sharp; a tired cartridge will reveal little pops, especially at side B’s start. The speed is finicky, too: miss the 33⅓ RPM mark by a smidge, and the keys sound sluggish, losing that lovely snap. If your platter doesn’t hold steady torque, longer tunes might wander speed-wise. And those paper inner sleeves? They’ll roast static like it’s a vinyl barbecue, so an antistatic wipe just before playing is your friend to dodge unwelcome crackles.

Keep in mind a couple of things: the vinyl can warp if mishandled or exposed to heat (check flatness before playing), the sleeve edges are easy to crush if you’re not gentle, and since this is a one-disc set, you’re capped at under an hour’s playtime—not great if you’re looking to marathon Chopin all night.

So, is Intimate Chopin (Best Of) your next vinyl buddy? If you don’t mind careful handling, swapping the inner sleeve, and keeping your gear in check, you get a clear, warm chorale of Chopin’s best intimate moments. But if rugged packaging, heavyweight platters, or extended Chopin sessions are your jam, you’d better keep hunting. For folks who dig intimate, straightforward, and beautifully clear piano on vinyl, though, this pressing is worth the spin.