Peter Jablonski concludes his survey of the Chopin Mazurkas with a release that matches the first volume (praised by Jed Distler, 11/22) in both quality and spirit. That spirit is most profoundly felt in the way he mediates the double nature of these sophisticated stylisations of folk dances, all but the earliest of them evoking memories of Poland filtered through life in Paris. Ignaz Friedman’s classic set from 1930 (Naxos) brings out the roughness; Arthur Rubinstein (especially in his last cycle, 5‑7/67) highlights the elegance. Jablonski artfully settles between them. Thus, for instance, he illuminates the drones in Op 67 No 1 and stamps out the opening of Op 68 No 1; but throughout, he treats the rise and fall of the music’s phrases, as well as its more unusual harmonic moves (say, in Op 50 No 3), with refinement.

That composure marks the whole recital. Jablonski’s tempos rarely draw attention to themselves, and his treatment of the music’s rhythms – both the syncopations and the rubato – is tasteful and rhetorically convincing, with just enough lift. He artfully brings out the later music’s contrapuntal ingenuity (try the interweaving lines of Op 59 No 1), without belabouring inner lines. And Chopin’s quirks – say, when he grabs a gesture and gnaws on it for a while before returning to the matter at hand – are given their due, but without exaggeration.

In many ways, then, these are exemplary performances. Unfortunately, the consistency of Jablonski’s tone of voice diminishes the effect. It’s not simply that he compresses the music’s dynamics; beyond that, he declares nearly everything in much the same full voice, scaling down variety of colour or articulation. Surely there could be more mystery in Op 68 No 2 and a lighter touch when we get to the leggiero passages in Op 56 No 1. The consistent earnestness wears on you, especially if you try to listen to the whole recital in one sitting.

Still, this is a distinguished cycle, made more valuable by its inclusion of all the posthumous items. Excellent sound, too, with superior notes by Jablonski and Anastasia Belina.