All the Pollini hallmarks are here too: chiselled structure, aristocratic demeanour and lucid lines. It’s a serious approach, which isn’t to the detriment of these miniatures. He also judges the rubato and tempos beautifully, and draws a cool, liquid tone from his Steinway that sparkles in the Minute Waltz and sings in the two Nocturnes, Op. 62

Pollini is attempting to show that late Chopin should be stripped of the usual attributes of pianistic flair and allowed to speak unencumbered by personal intervention, trusting that it will weave its own spell without all that baggage

It’s easy to understand why Pollini should have been drawn back to these late pieces, with their harmonic daring and structural subtleties. He gives a fascinating account of the Barcarolle, austere and detached, but also intensely focused.