Sunday 15 April 2012

Chopin - 27 Etudes [Okada] 

Another set of the Chopin Etudes that i'm listening to for the first time, the initial feeling is that Okada is a 'staccato' Pianist, he likes to show off the jagged rhythms in these pieces, he's slightly slow, and he uses different volumes to good effect, and he seems to pit the left and right hands against each other in different 'voices', yes there's losses, but there's gains also, one of the things that i learnt from Okada, is that even when he gets it wrong, it makes you realize more than ever what is the right thing to do, and why, so that when i go back to other sets, i'll now listen anew for how right the others play certain sections, but at the very least Okada has given me a greater scope of the possibilities of these pieces, plus, this is only my first listen, and i believe i'll certainly develop a greater love for this set, oh and it's my birthday [happy birthday to me!], and it's a pleasure to celebrate it with one of my very favourite Classical works ever.