John Browning - piano
Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 152 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 72 mb
Artwork @ 300dpi = 6 mb
Total playing time: 56:29
Recorded 1968 | Released 1989
Info (allmusic.com):
The twenty-four Études of Frédéric Chopin (divided into two separate opus numbers, 10 and 25, but actually composed almost simultaneously) remain the most significant entries in that particular musical genre. In a letter written in the fall of 1829, Chopin remarked that he had composed an etude "in [his] own manner." Indeed, a great chasm stands between his achievements and the far drier etudes of such predecessors as Moscheles, Czerny, and Hummel. Unlike many nineteenth-century pianist-composers, Chopin did not wish to create studies of only technique and raw dexterity. Here, instead, are works which provide the pianist with an inexhaustible array of textures, moods, and colors to explore. Concert pieces as well as technical studies, the twelve Etudes published as Chopin's Opus 10 are an indispensable tool of the modern pianist's craft; furthermore, they are a rite of passage that no serious pianist can ignore. The blistering arpeggiations of the Etude Op.10, No.1 in C major lay down the foundation of nineteenth-century virtuoso pianism. The work consists, quite simply, of a series of daunting right-hand maneuvers, supported by the plain melody, in octaves, of the left hand. While the technical demands and harmonic syntax may go a good deal further than most musicians of the day would have found comfortable, the texture is essentially classical in nature (if not execution).
Track listing:
1. Étude No. 1 in C major, Op. 10
2. Étude No. 2 in A minor, Op. 10
3. Étude No. 3 in E major, Op. 10
4. Étude No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 10
5. Étude No. 5 in G-flat major, Op. 10
6. Étude No. 6 in E-flat minor, Op. 10
7. Étude No. 7 in C major, Op. 10
8. Étude No. 8 in F major, Op. 10
9. Étude No. 9 in F minor, Op. 10
10. Étude No. 10 in A-flat major, Op. 10
11. Étude No. 11 in E-flat major, Op. 10
12. Étude No. 12 in C minor, Op. 10
13. Étude No. 1 in A-flat major, Op. 25
14. Étude No. 2 in F minor, Op. 25
15. Étude No. 3 in F major, Op. 25
16. Étude No. 4 in A minor, Op. 25
17. Étude No. 5 in E minor, Op. 25
18. Étude No. 6 in G-sharp minor, Op. 25
19. Étude No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 25
20. Étude No. 8 in D-flat major, Op. 25
21. Étude No. 9 in G-flat major, Op. 25
22. Étude No. 10 in B minor, Op. 25
23. Étude No. 11 in A minor, Op. 25
24. Étude No. 12 in C minor, Op. 25
Review:
Amazon.com customer review:
John Browning died in 2003 at the age of 69; with his passing, we lost one of the true American greats. He belongs to the same generation as Gary Graffman, Leon Fleisher and Van Cliburn, but this CD in particular makes a compelling case for Browning as the finest of them all.
His ability to play the seemingly millions of notes in the twenty-four Chopin Etudes is only the beginning of the story, although it is quite an accomplishment itself; this was by far the most difficult music in existence at the time it was written in the 1830s, and it remains a monumental challenge. But these Etudes are more than merely splashy virtuoso showpieces of the Prokofiev or Khachaturian variety. They take elegance, grace, and above all the operatic touch. A pianist who cannot also sing in a variety of ways will be lost, and this is where Browning shines.
Listen to the "Revolutionary" Etude, Op. 10, No. 12; isn't the report of the right-hand chords interesting? It's crystal-clear, but the balance of the chords is shifted just a little bit so that it sounds slightly breathless, constrained, and desperate. It's a subtle touch that heightens the drama enormously, much in the way an actor will hone his delivery in subtle ways to express himself more poignantly. Or listen to the variety of touches and articulations in the F major etude, Op. 25, No. 3, which keep the repetitive rhythmical figure from getting stale. All of these are specifically requested by Chopin, by the way - most pianists make their own approaches based on feel, but Browning demonstrates that Chopin's directions, despite being rather dense and confusing at times, have their own logic.
Each etude is treated with a similar kind of love and dedication; there is not a weak track on this disc. As such, it represents a tremendous value and a more than worthy purchase.
Gramophone:
Click here to download
Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 152 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 72 mb
Artwork @ 300dpi = 6 mb
Total playing time: 56:29
Recorded 1968 | Released 1989
Info (allmusic.com):
The twenty-four Études of Frédéric Chopin (divided into two separate opus numbers, 10 and 25, but actually composed almost simultaneously) remain the most significant entries in that particular musical genre. In a letter written in the fall of 1829, Chopin remarked that he had composed an etude "in [his] own manner." Indeed, a great chasm stands between his achievements and the far drier etudes of such predecessors as Moscheles, Czerny, and Hummel. Unlike many nineteenth-century pianist-composers, Chopin did not wish to create studies of only technique and raw dexterity. Here, instead, are works which provide the pianist with an inexhaustible array of textures, moods, and colors to explore. Concert pieces as well as technical studies, the twelve Etudes published as Chopin's Opus 10 are an indispensable tool of the modern pianist's craft; furthermore, they are a rite of passage that no serious pianist can ignore. The blistering arpeggiations of the Etude Op.10, No.1 in C major lay down the foundation of nineteenth-century virtuoso pianism. The work consists, quite simply, of a series of daunting right-hand maneuvers, supported by the plain melody, in octaves, of the left hand. While the technical demands and harmonic syntax may go a good deal further than most musicians of the day would have found comfortable, the texture is essentially classical in nature (if not execution).
Track listing:
1. Étude No. 1 in C major, Op. 10
2. Étude No. 2 in A minor, Op. 10
3. Étude No. 3 in E major, Op. 10
4. Étude No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 10
5. Étude No. 5 in G-flat major, Op. 10
6. Étude No. 6 in E-flat minor, Op. 10
7. Étude No. 7 in C major, Op. 10
8. Étude No. 8 in F major, Op. 10
9. Étude No. 9 in F minor, Op. 10
10. Étude No. 10 in A-flat major, Op. 10
11. Étude No. 11 in E-flat major, Op. 10
12. Étude No. 12 in C minor, Op. 10
13. Étude No. 1 in A-flat major, Op. 25
14. Étude No. 2 in F minor, Op. 25
15. Étude No. 3 in F major, Op. 25
16. Étude No. 4 in A minor, Op. 25
17. Étude No. 5 in E minor, Op. 25
18. Étude No. 6 in G-sharp minor, Op. 25
19. Étude No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 25
20. Étude No. 8 in D-flat major, Op. 25
21. Étude No. 9 in G-flat major, Op. 25
22. Étude No. 10 in B minor, Op. 25
23. Étude No. 11 in A minor, Op. 25
24. Étude No. 12 in C minor, Op. 25
Review:
Amazon.com customer review:
John Browning died in 2003 at the age of 69; with his passing, we lost one of the true American greats. He belongs to the same generation as Gary Graffman, Leon Fleisher and Van Cliburn, but this CD in particular makes a compelling case for Browning as the finest of them all.
His ability to play the seemingly millions of notes in the twenty-four Chopin Etudes is only the beginning of the story, although it is quite an accomplishment itself; this was by far the most difficult music in existence at the time it was written in the 1830s, and it remains a monumental challenge. But these Etudes are more than merely splashy virtuoso showpieces of the Prokofiev or Khachaturian variety. They take elegance, grace, and above all the operatic touch. A pianist who cannot also sing in a variety of ways will be lost, and this is where Browning shines.
Listen to the "Revolutionary" Etude, Op. 10, No. 12; isn't the report of the right-hand chords interesting? It's crystal-clear, but the balance of the chords is shifted just a little bit so that it sounds slightly breathless, constrained, and desperate. It's a subtle touch that heightens the drama enormously, much in the way an actor will hone his delivery in subtle ways to express himself more poignantly. Or listen to the variety of touches and articulations in the F major etude, Op. 25, No. 3, which keep the repetitive rhythmical figure from getting stale. All of these are specifically requested by Chopin, by the way - most pianists make their own approaches based on feel, but Browning demonstrates that Chopin's directions, despite being rather dense and confusing at times, have their own logic.
Each etude is treated with a similar kind of love and dedication; there is not a weak track on this disc. As such, it represents a tremendous value and a more than worthy purchase.
Gramophone:
Click here to download
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