BRILLIANT CLASSICS Virtuoso Piano Etudes

This unique set offers an extensive anthology of the Piano Etude, a short, originally didactic piece dealing with a certain specific technical issue, in order to improve the technique of the player. During the centuries the Etude transformed from a simple technical exercise to an elaborate tone-poem, in which the technical issue is aimed at conveying a deep musical meaning and expressing the whole gamut of human emotions. A mind-blowing set of staggering virtuosity, pianistic glitter and brilliance, but also of human warmth, introspection and melancholy. The iconic Etudes by Carl Czerny (a pupil of Beethoven!) form the starting point, after which the journey continues through a staggering landscape of Etudes by both famous composers (Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, Rachmaninoff) and lesser known composers (Alkan, Henselt, Hummel, Moscheles, Moszkowski, Tausig, Lyapunov). The 20th century yielded fascinating piano Etudes by Debussy, Glass and more. Excellent performances by virtuosos of our time. The booklet contains an excellent essay by Ates Orga, an authority in this field.