Chopin: Etudes, Op.10/Op.25

Frederic Chopin (Composer), John Browning (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: John Browning
• Composer: Frederic Chopin
• Audio CD (September 29, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000003EVJ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,340 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #56 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Etudes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Etudes recording I've heard, June 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chopin: Etudes, Op.10/Op.25 (Audio CD)

Out of all the Etudes recordings (10+) I've heard, this one is by far the best; technically Browning is nearly perfect on this CD, but more importantly, he seems to understand how Chopin intended these pieces to sound, and never plays too fast or too slow, too loud or too soft; in Op.10 No.4, for example, his speed is astounding, but he still brings out perfectly the melodies and note combinations that others seem to miss. Op.10 No.12 is another example--often muddied due to overpedaling by others, but Browning's rendition is crystal-clear. He does the only worthwhile rendition of Op.25 No.10 I've heard--fast and furious in the beginning, slow and peaceful in the middle and even faster and more ominous in the end. In short, it's a must-have!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous, August 9, 2005

By 

Jeffrey G. Jones (Northern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chopin: Etudes, Op.10/Op.25 (Audio CD)

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.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exellent technical display of cristal clear passages., May 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chopin: Etudes, Op.10/Op.25 (Audio CD)

It is in my opinion, that Browning is one of the greatest technician of the keyboard. Every note was clear, heard with carefull thought and passion. Many pianists have recorded the complete Chopin Etudes, but Brownings recording is far superior.

-Matthew Weissman