Études

Not that many pianists record all the Chopin Etudes from Op. 10 and 25. The reason? They're tough to play, tougher to play very well. The Etudes span every mood, from sadness to winter storm to warlike, and were designed to test a pianist's technique and nerve.Valentina has a lot of serve. She recorded these under the watchful eye of her public, live streaming two days of her sessions. There's no snip and paste here -- at the sessions she played each etude in whole. A knowledgeable producer would discuss the piece with her and off she'd go again. I listened to much of it and the commenters (one of the beauties of live streaming) would consistently say, "Wow, that one's perfect." Frankly, almost every one of her takes would have been recordable. As she has shown in the past, her pieces are played as a whole, keeping a singing line. Her technique is flawless, and her playing is so clear that you can hear the most minor nuance even while there is a whirlwind of notes. She is also a very fast player, but to me she never sounds rushed. Her clarity of technique means that you don't hear a jumble of sounds. I'm open to debate as to whether anyone plays the Etudes better. But I'll be listening to these on my desert island. Remember, the entire body of these is so difficult that Rubinstein never recorded them -- and he is on record as saying some of them were beyond him. Imagine.The Schumann Symphonic Etudes are likely less familiar to many, but they are masterful (and difficult) works. The gold standard for these works has been Sfronitsky's interpretation, thankfully on You Tube. It is said no one ever played them better, and the works were nicknamed "sofronicheskie etudy." This may rile people but I think Lisitsa's version is better. Naturally, the recording is clearer -- there's a five decade gap in technology (plus Sfronitsky plays live which is often harder to record). But after the quiet opening, check Lisitsa's Tracks 26-27 and Sfronitsky (starting at about 2:30). Lisitsa's fingerwork is more agile, and every bit as lovely. On to the finale -- Lisitsa plays over 30 seconds faster and for the opening bars of the finale it sounds too fast at first listen. But she maintains the tempo and it really makes sense as the piece builds to its climax. When I went back to the Sfronitsky it sounded a little plodding.One may disagree with the Sfronitsky comparison I made, but (a) at the very least the modern sound is more enjoyable, and (2) she plays the hell out of the Etudes.

I have been a Lisitsa fan for several years and have heard her play live four times.So I was hoping for great things here.But I have two main reservations about this disc. One is the sound of the recording.There seems to be insufficient bass, with a lot of boost in the treble. As a result, the dialog betweenthe upper and lower voices is suppressed, especially in the Chopin. This is perhaps a result of Valentina's style, which hereseems to favor a lot of flash in the right hand and an indifference to the accompaniment figures. I realize I amgeneralizing, but this fairly describes quite a few of the set.The other reservation is certainly with her approach to the music. Frankly, she brutalizes the instrument andrushes the tempos. More than in some of her other recordings, she seems to flaunt her technicalability for its own sake. Sometimes you can see and hear this in her Youtube performances, in some of which shepulls her hands away from the piano at the end of a piece as if to say, "Did you see that? I can really play!"There are some beautiful moments in the Schumann set, but it too is marred by problems mentioned above.Furthermore,she doesn't seem to grasp the spiritual and imaginative qualitiesof the music.

The Chopin Études run the gambit of emotion from whimsiical to sad to tragic and peaceful to stately to military. Valentina Lisitsa plays all with the energy, clarity, power and grace that we have come to expect from her. The Schumann requires remarkable virtuosity (as if the Chopin did not) that is played with the same sensitivity of touch and wonderful turn of a phrase that should be impossible to do at the intensity Valentina Lisitsa raises it to.My only complaints are two. First, the picture on the front of the CD does not represent the artist. Turn the insert over to the picture that should have been on the front. Second, the track listing given has 3 Chopin Études (the last 3 post. Études) that are not on the CD. They are, however, on the digital download. I bought them separately as MP3 downloads from Amazon.

Valentina's recording of the etudes is in a class all of its own. There is a video of Richter playing Op. 10, No. 4 on Youtube that very much reminds me of Valentina's recording of the same etude here. She and Richter play it probably faster than anyone I have ever heard! Overall, everything here is played faster than what most pianists usually play the Chopin Etudes, and for some of the pieces I think parts of them may be too fast (Op. 10, No. 3, for example), but this recording, along with her others, is top notch, and it has a special place in my classical piano CD collection. I highly recommend this recording. I cannot comment so much on the Schumann because I am not as familiar with those pieces. For me, I bought this for the Chopin Etudes.

Every time I listen to Valentina play a piece that I know she does something extra beyond what I have previously heard. This is also true about the Etudes. Until now my favorite recording of the Etudes were the ones Maurizio Pollini recorded in 1990. And now I have found a new favorite of this beautiful collection piano pieces Chopin composed. I find her playing perfect and the interpretation breathtaking at times. Her performance of Etude Op.25 - No.7. for example really touched my classical esprit.Valentina is an extremely well capable pianist and there is no coincidence that she has become the phenomenon and the loved pianist that she is today. This recording, this album, is a masterpiece and I truly hope that there are many more to come.

How does one review a cd like this? Words are the problem. I can't think of any that do it justice. Brilliant, mind blowing, staggering - all pale shadows of what it deserves. I had thought that Sokolov's Chopin could not be bettered, but I was wrong. Lisitsa's playing is unbelievable - not just in shattering virtuosity, but in grasp of musical structure. Every note she plays is perfectly controlled, whether it is the right hand blasting off a torrent of notes like a machine gun, or the left hand playing underlying melodies that had not always been apparent in other performances. She seems to play straight through each set of studies - no edits or retakes, but no need for them anyway. However many versions of these Etudes you have, and I have a lot, you will have heard nothing like this. The virtuosic and beautifully played Schumann at the end is a bonus.

Valentina Lisitsa is currently my favourite pianist and her interpretation of various Etudes is an absolute delight. Certainly, a 'must have' CD to addto any classical collection. I now have several of her CD's and they all slot nicely into my moments of relaxation.

Exceed any expectation. It's an amazing work on the renowned op 10 and op. 25 Etudes. A recording not to be missed, to complete your CD collection of favourite pianists playing this Chopin's cycle.

A wonderful performance

Lovely take on the Chopin Etudes; very brisk and flowing interpretation