Chopin 24 Études

As a pianist, one of my greatest goal has always been the 24 Études by Frederic Chopin. For some time now, I have been learning and preparing these miniature (diabolically difficult) pieces for the stage. Playing these short pieces, makes me think of what dancing on ice must feel like: three minutes of the humanly impossible, while not forgetting to smile. And this, over the course of 60 minutes, 24 times. Last June, I had the chance to perform the Chopin Études for audiences in New York, London and Tokyo.

Having played the Études at Carnegie Hall on 8 June, I jumped on the plane the next morning, took 36 hours to catch my breath at home in Surrey, and then headed to the stage of Cadogan Hall. I had been looking forward for months to the feeling of the Steinway keys under my fingers on this warm and inviting stage of this sonorous and historic 1000-seat hall, located in one of the most chic and shiny parts of Central London.

Making a recording is always a challenge, because of the level of perfection needed before capturing a performance. Recording a live concert on stage, there is only one chance to get it right, and the microphone, hanging above the piano like a monster, will show every imperfection, without mercy. Recording in concert the 24 Études by Frederic Chopin, can become the pianist’s ultimate nightmare.

The 11 June recital of the 24 Chopin Études, with an encore of Liszt's La Campanella, at London’s Cadogan Hall was recorded, and rendered immortal, as it was performed that summer night. Since I started playing the piano 29 years ago, this was the hardest and most rewarding musical task I have ever completed. This was my Mount Olympus. The ringing, melodious piano sound in this historic auditorium, the transcendental emotions of Chopin’s music, the virtuosity pushing my concentration to the limit, the roaring standing ovation, were part of an experience that is now engraved in my memory forever.

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To listen to the album online please visit:
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/24-chopin-études-live-in-london/1467472975?fbclid=IwAR3MAuJBPyyH9VfSMayegXm1M1Npv1reVGhfsA_cXg_-5-Ic3O43IhyAP98