Chopiniana

By J.D.

"Gentlemen, hats off! A genius!"

Thus Robert Schumann in his 1831 review introduced the young Polish composer Frederic Chopin. Chopin was a romanticist who detested the very word; Bach and Mozart were his gods. Nonetheless, the romantic volcano that he triggered continues to erupt over a century after his death. To many concertgoers, a great pianist still means a great Chopin pianist, and if the recent spate of Chopin recordings is an indication, the artists agree. Some of the best:

The Complete Polonaises (Garrick Ohlsson, Angel; $11.98). Ohlsson, 25, is a big man (6 ft. 4 in., 240 Ibs.), with the requisite mass and muscle for epic works such as the Polonaise in A-Flat Major; yet he is a sensitive colorist. But maybe he ought to wait until he has a stomachache before he next records the gloomy C minor; his performance is positively joyful with the exuberance of his youthful talent.

Twelve Etudes, Opus 10, and Fantasia in F Minor, Opus 49; Twelve Etudes, Opus 25, and Scherzo No. 3 in C-Sharp Minor, Opus 39 (Aleksander Slobodyanik, Melodiya/Angel; 2 LPs; $5.98 each). Combining the right degree of bravura virtuosity with an elegant lyricism, Slobodyanik, 30, has total control of the giant tone poems. Especially impressive is the hand-crippling D-flat major etude of Opus 25.

Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor (Charles Rosen soloist, John Pritchard conducting the New Philharmonia Orchestra, Odyssey; $2.98). Each time a new Rosen record appears, one wonders why more is not heard from him. His attack is confident, his approach intelligent, and he achieves a tonal purity that is best described as supremely musical.

Great Pianists of the Century Play Chopin (Cortot, Rubinstein, Gieseking, Arrau, Horowitz, Cherkassky, Malcuzynski, Lipatti, Anda, Seraphim; $2.98). Nine artists are represented in this Chopin collection assembled from monophonic recordings made between 1933 and 1959. The sound is not equal to contemporary standards, but it in no way obscures the distinctive style of each artist. Collectors will want this one. 25th Anniversary Season: Graffman Plays

Chopin (Gary Graffman in a selected re cital including the Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Scherzo No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Andante Spianato and Grande Polo naise, Columbia; $5.98). Celebrating 25 years on the concert stage and still young at 44, Graffman gives a spirited performance infused with the authority of a master. Most revealing of all, perhaps, are the little pieces whose shift ing eminences of light and shade are as carefully traced and polished as the face of a fine jewel.

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