Schumann: Symphonic Etudes

Advantages: The most beautiful performance of a superb collection
Disadvantages: The CD has an end!

...Etude to the perfectly executed militarism of the Polonaise Militaire, and breathing new life even to the most over-played pieces such as the Nocturne in Eb. The collection is refreshing and exciting- there are some less well-known Chopin pieces thrown in for good measure, and these serve as a light relief from the 'big guns'- such as the Nocturne in Db, No.8. It is difficult for me to emphasise how enchanted I am with Idil Biret's playing- I apologise for the constant repetition of this. There is not one interpretation that I would disagree with, indeed, when learning the Revolutionary Etude I found her input indispensable- this is a rarely unleashed piece and she plays it in a style not only adept at the discovery of meaning behind the piece but also crucially at the technical methods by which Chopin would have let these loose. She has... Read review

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Advantages: Top performance of range of virtuoso piano works
Disadvantages: A little too much virtuosity to listen to all in one sitting

...Alkan, Busoni, Feinberg, Godowsky, Medtner, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Sorabji have come to be known as the "Eight Composer Pianists" along with the performer, Marc-Andre Hamelin, who is the ninth. Each of them wrote music requiring the most amazing level of virtuosity to perform it. The obvious danger here is that of virtuosity for its own sake, and some of Hamelin's performances of his own compositions suffer from this, especially Etude No 10, based on the famous Chopin "Black Keys" Etude. Hamelin's Prelude and Fugue is also more suited to display than enjoyable listening. On the other hand, the Bach Schubler Chorale arranged by Feinberg captures the dignity of Bach's music in a thoroughly pianistic manner, without any sense of display. The Alkan transcription of Haydn's Andante from Symphony No 94 (the "Surprise... Read review

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Advantages: Wide range of little-know music played live by world-class pianists
Disadvantages: None for those who enjoy classical Piano Solo music

...asks me to play a berceuse when she goes to bed. As requested, I play a berceuse on the piano, while my daughter upstairs in bed falls asleep. Bloch's performance here is suitably soft and soporific (sleep-inducing). Marc-Andre Hamelin Hamelin plays three composers here: Leopold Godowsky Godowsky is famous for his extremely difficult Studies on Chopin's Etudes (Studies). Chopin's original set of 24 etudes is widely considered to be a set of masterpieces. Although Godowsky's versions are famous for their extreme difficulty, and are often described as some of the most difficult works ever written for piano, there are some which are sheer poetry (the poetic ones are not recorded on this CD). They have often been criticised as inappropriate attempts to improve on Chopin's works. They are best viewed as works in their own right... Read review

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