Search - Fryderyk Chopin, Murray Perahia :: Chopin Etudes

Extraordinary, Exciting, and Inspiring...

06/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The previous review panning Perahia's Chopin Etudes proves there is always someone who will write anything to be contrarian.



Murray Perahia's performance of the Etudes has ALL the technical finesse of Pollini and ALL the musicality of Cortot's cycle. For those who doubt this, just listen to the incredibly balanced right hand arpeggios in the first Etude of Op. 10, the fiery octaves of the B Minor Etude, and the perfect passsagework in the A Minor from Op. 25. Beyond a doubt, the pianist is fully recovered from the thumb injury he suffered in the 1990s. Yet with Perahia, unlike some pianists, technique is never an end in itself, and the quieter Etudes feature the beautiful, natural phrasing we have come to expect from this artist (and Perahia is a true artist, not a mere mechanicus like Cziffra). In other words, this is one of the few sets of Etudes that sustains interest through the slow pieces, not just the fast ones.



Sony's sound is also absolutely first rate, which of course cannot be said for Cortot's set which originated on 78RPM discs. One minor complaint, why didn't Sony persuade Perahia to also record the Trois Nouvelles Etudes?"

A great cd

Erica Ford | Seattle, WA USA | 09/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Perahia is back!

G. Dillard | New York City | 10/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After hearing Mr. Perahia in Carnegie Hall this past Spring I was amazed at his sense of "structure" he brought to the
Schubert, Beetoven and Chopin pieces in the program. He treated
us (both in program and encores) to some of the etudes heard here
and virtually brought the house down with #11 in A minor as the
first of his several encores. This is a special recording and
I was extremly pleased to see this CD available here last
week. My benchmark for these "studies" was the imcomparable
"Cortot". However, Mr. Perahia not only holds his own with the
latter's "famous" recording back in the early past of the 20th
century but even shines new light on these most famous works!
Mr. Perahia simply goes where most pianists cannot in these pieces! They require a mix of virtuosity, technique,
and poetry (many of the three all at the same time). Perhaps
it's Mr. Perahia's study of Bach; perhaps his interest in a
wide body of music and composers; maybe his work with Horowitz?
Whatever the case, if you love great piano playing, great and
accurate Chopin, or just great music in general, this CD is
a must have! A monumental release from a pianist that continues
to grow and bring pleasure to lovers of great music everywhere!
See him in recital this season if you can!"