Title : Chopin: Études, Opp. 10 & 25
Author : Chopin, Fryderyk
Release Date : 20020917
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $17.98
Amazon.com Price : $14.48
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Editorial Reviews : Through channeling his intelligent virtuosity toward musical ends, Murray Perahia reveals the distinctive voice of each Chopin Étude, rather than imposing a 'one style fits all' aesthetic upon the music. His easy mastery of the right-hand double-note challenges of Op. 10 No. 7 and Op. 25 Nos. 6 & 8 and the taxing rotary patterns of the famous 'Black Key' and 'Winter Wind' études enable him to clarify their significant left-hand component. Note, too, the 'Octave' étude's long-lined ebb and flow, or a sharper, more aggressive C-sharp Minor, Op. 10 No. 4, than the one Perahia recorded in the early 1990s. But his unusually brisk take on the E-flat minor (Op. 10 No. 6) trivializes the music's aching harmonic tension, and the two C Minor Études (including the 'Revolutionary') are a shade inhibited compared with the unbridled bravura of the versions by György Cziffra (Philips) and Juana Zayas (Music & Arts). These quibbles, however, should not prevent piano lovers from experiencing Perahia's well-considered and superbly engineered interpretations of the oft-recorded masterpieces. --Jed Distler
Buyer Reviews : Even if you already own a copy of someone else playing Chopin Etudes, I urge you to consider getting a copy of Perahia's interpretation.
One often heard criticism of Perahia is that he is predictable, and therefore boring. Nothing could be farther from the truth in this recording. While you can predict which note comes next, the interpretation is fresh, and an absolute delight to listen to.
