Search - Carl Czerny, Francesco Libetta :: Karl Czerny: The Art of Finger Dexterity, Op. 740

In awe of Libetta's pianism

I can't think of a pen name | USA | 03/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am shocked at the success of this entire recording. Having received it yesterday and having listened to just about all of it, I am astounded once again by Libetta's pianism. He has given so much attention and care to each of the 50 etudes in Czerny's Op 740 that the effect is entirely musical and no way pedantic. If the Vivien H. Slater recording that's been floating around the internet has turned you off, please forget that and give this a listen. Every piece in this recording is enjoyable.



Libetta plays Op 740 twice as fast as Slater does and the effect is breathtaking. Even if you aren't a fan of a particular etude, it's pretty much over as soon as you hit `play.'



And of course harmonically, it's Czerny, so you won't find anything groundbreaking here, however, this truly is sensitive virtuoso pianism at its best.



And note: this is a LIVE recording. The sound is very good and Libetta is pretty much note perfect, using little pedal. What more could you want.

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Incredible pianism!

C. Hall | St. Petersburg, FL | 05/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is some of the most technically amazing playing I've heard, not to mention that this is a live recording. I think this CD should be required listening and Czerny's op. 740 should be required study for all serious pianists. I'm kind of tired of the Chopin Etudes and it is refreshing to hear these brilliant studies, which have pretty much been neglected and forgotten. Compositionally, no note is out of place in any of the pieces. Libetta's tempos are inhumanly fast, since he does take most of Czerny's metronome indications literally. Czerny was obsessed with speed, but I think many of these studies could benefit musically by slightly slower tempos. This is excellently crafted music and a joy to listen to (and play) and serve as a great alternative to Chopin's more complex harmonic style as demonstrated in his Etudes. They are also more playable and easier to listen to and understand than Chopin's often melancholy and elusive musical language. Libetta is one of the world's "super pianists" and belongs in the same company as Andre-Hamelin and Berezovsky. He is also apparently very intelligent and wrote his own illuminating program notes. Buy this CD!"

Mind Boggling

Martin Usher | California | 09/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got this recording out of interest because I started work on some of these studies last Summer. Quite apart from (soundly) putting me in my place by a dazzling display of technique the performance also adds considerable amounts of musicianship to what should be just dry, boring, exercises. This is piano playing at its best.



I will now have to go back and revisit the "School of Velocity".....



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