Chopins' exciting etudes

Freddy Kempf is a naturally spontaneous artist who seeks to recreate in the studio the same electricity that attends his concerts

Composer: Chopin
Repertoire: Complete Etudes, Opp.10 & 25
Artists: Freddy Kempf (piano)
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Instrumental
Label: BIS-SACD-1390

In the more exciting etudes, he really grabs his listeners by the ears, although he occasionally fails to relax sufficiently in the quieter numbers. Most of us would give anything to be able to play these excruciatingly demanding pieces like this, but in an impossibly competitive field, Pollini (DG) and Perahia (Sony) continue to hold sway.