Is this disc really necessary? With spectacular recordings of Chopin's etudes by Horowitz, Richter, Moravec, and Pollini readily available, is a new recording by Murray Perahia really necessary? Except for fans of the pianist, probably not: the poetic Perahia has nothing new to add to the already profoundly poetic performances of Moravec and Richter, and the virtuoso Perahia cannot compete with the astonishing virtuosity of Horowitz or Pollini. And while fans of the pianist will be gratified by Perahia's beauty of tone and astounded by his jaw-dropping virtuosity, not even they would be able to say that Perahia's very fine recording is in the same league as the sublime Horowitz, Richter, Moravec, or Pollini recordings. For collectors of Murray Perahia, a collector of Chopin's etudes, or a collector of any recent pianists' interpretations of standard repertoire, this disc may be necessary. But the less-avid listener is directed to the recordings of Horowitz, Richter, Moravec, or Pollini.
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