Composer: Frédéric François Chopin
Performer: Maurizio Pollini
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalogue: 4137942
Release: 1985
Size: 964 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
12 Études, op. 10
01. No. 1 in C Major “Waterfall”
02. No. 2 in A Minor “Chromatique”
03. No. 3 in E Major “Tristesse”
04. No. 4 in C-Sharp Minor “Torrent”
05. No. 5 in G-Flat Major “Black Keys”
06. No. 6 in E-Flat Minor “Lament”
07. No. 7 in C Major “Toccata”
08. No. 8 in F Major “Sunshine”
09. No. 9 in F Minor
10. No. 10 in A-Flat Major
11. No. 11 in E-Flat Major “Arpeggio”
12. No. 12 in C Minor “Revolutionary”
12 Études, op. 25
13. No. 1 in A-Flat Major “Harp Study”
14. No. 2 in F Minor “The Bees”
15. No. 3 in F Major “The Horseman”
16. No. 4 in A Minor “Paganini”
17. No. 5 in E Minor “Wrong Note”
18. No. 6 in G-Sharp Minor “Thirds”
19. No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor “Cello”
20. No. 8 in D-Flat Major “Sixths”
21. No. 9 in G-Flat Major “Butterfly Wings”
22. No. 10 in B Minor “Octave”
23. No. 11 in A Minor “Winter Wind”
24. No. 12 in C Minor “Ocean”
Both sets of Chopin’s etudes can be as fiendishly difficult for the performer as they are mesmerizing for the listener, yet Maurizio Pollini makes them sound as if they pose no problems whatsoever for him in this 1972 recording. Every one of the etudes is played with easy precision, energy, and an entirely enjoyable musicality that demonstrates why Chopin’s etudes are no mere exercises and are as suited to the recital hall as to the practice room. The melody of the famous Etude No. 3 in E major is lyrical and warm, which highlights precisely the challenge posed by Chopin in these brief pieces: bring out an effective melody while mastering an exact technique through repetition. The recording also shows why Pollini is one of the most respected Chopin interpreters of all time.