CHOPIN ETUDES OP 25 COMPLETE ZLATA CHOCHIEVA

ZLATA CHOCHIEVA piano
FREDERIC CHOPIN Etudes Op. 25
Miami International Piano Festival
Aventura, Florida November 22, 2015
A brief illustrated commentary by Prof. Frank Cooper follows the video

[@jpage99999]

Ok, this is incredible. I am sitting here listening to these pieces I have heard for the past 35 years and it feels like I am hearing them for the 1st time. Her approach is so fresh, so new, so musical, soulful, so different than what I have heard before. All the others just blow through all the pieces as fast as possible. Zlata is attentive to EVERYTHING. Totally blown away by this incredibly musical interpretation. God bless you Zlata.

[@donaldallen1771]

I have been playing the piano for 75 years and the list of my teachers is more impressive than my playing. I mention this simply to make you aware that I know a little bit about this. I've also played many of the Etudes during that time, including the fearsome g#-minor that she makes look like child's play here (she is one of the very few I've heard rival Josef Lhevinne in this piece; Dubravka Tomsic is another). This is phenomenal piano-playing, artistry of the highest musical and technical order. Recall that Artur Rubinstein recorded all of Chopin's music -- except the Etudes. Josef Hofmann got angry when his recording company asked him to record the Etudes. These pieces are the Mt. Everest for pianists -- very few survive an attempt.

[@bailtree]

an insightful comment, thank you

[@kaleidoscopio5]

Etudes op 25: 00:42 1) A flat major 03:29 2) F minor 04:52 3) F major 06:45 4) A minor 08:23 5) E minor 11:33 6) G sharp minor 13:32 7) C sharp minor 18:43 8) D flat major 19:50 9) G flat major 20:57 10) B minor 24:56 11) A minor 28:31 12) C minor

[@claudiogoldman6016]

In my opinion, a great artist shall have a great technic and a big heart. She has both.

[@davidofpiano423]

Op. 25: No. 1 (Ab major) - 0:42 No. 2 (f minor) - 3:29 No. 3 (F major) - 4:51 No. 4 (a minor) - 6:45 No. 5 (e minor) - 8:23 No. 6 (g# minor) - 11:32 No. 7 (c# minor) - 13:33 No. 8 (Db major) - 18:44 No. 9 (Gb major) - 19:49 No. 10 (b minor) - 20:57 No. 11 (a minor) - 24:56 No. 12 (c minor) - 28:30

[@darquoy]

she is the live proof that piano playing is not coming from biceps but from heart and life energy

[@thegreenpianist7683]

Roland Schimpf who in the world has ever said it's coming from the biceps? Like wtg??! Fingers, fine, arms, fine, whole body, fine but biceps specifically?!

[@fernandoserico77]

You mean triceps!

[@meredith218461]

I love her playing of the final Etude, truly phenomenal.

[@chrisbaker9593]

+Meredith Foster Yes, terrific!

[@meredith218461]

@Mazzel Tov Did I say I only liked the final Etude?. In fact I'm a great admirer of Zlata Chochieva's artistry, and especially her interpretation of op.10 and 25 by Chopin of which I have her CD. Finally, might I suggest if you're going to disagree with an opinion your view would be taken more seriously without a troll-like insult.

[@meredith218461]

@Mazzel Tov Oh dear, you have just perfectly illustrated my last point!

[@martinedwards9921]

Yes, completely agree. If one compares her performance of Op 25 No 12 against that of Horowitz, Sokolov or Pollini, it is right up there amongst the best. Bravo.

[@chrisbaker9593]

Some numpty's phone receives a text at 15.48, during the 7th etude - the heart of the set, and she flicks an irritated glance audience-wise a couple of seconds later, but doesn't miss a beat. Wonderful to watch, and hear.

[@johnevans3115]

Superb playing of the Harp study.

[@jurriaanmeiresonne5895]

Thank you for this sensitive and very musical performance of the op. 25 Chopin etudes. I am very surprised. Greetings Jurriaan

[@freespirit995]

Great passion combined with great technique- Chochieva is one of the great pianists of the recent times!

[@BenBen-bb7bb]

She’s a servant to the music. Absolutely performing better than anyone who plays piano for the sake of playing piano. She plays piano almost like a catalyst in which the music releases itself

[@antecultura]

So classy, both spontaneous and thoughtful. True Chopin! Bravo!!!

[@paolofranceschi6874]

Superb playing of n. 8. Superb.

[@rodrixmusic]

Chopin's etudes are one of my favorite works, I've played a few but mostly I've heard lots of performances. The form, the approach of this pianist seems to me the most accurate I have ever heard. He gives a lot of importance to the phrasing and with that, she communicates a sound beauty that is difficult to find. As an anecdote, listen carefully to the chords of the left hand at min 25:48, she had a very little mistake that turned out beautiful, it sounds very jazzy. I discovered this fantastic pianist today. I will follow her carefully, she will be one of the greats.

[@gretareinarsson7461]

Beautiful and full of personality and she doesn’t rush anything as most do but tread’s them as the miniature world they are carefully shaping the melodic lines and themes. It hardly rivals Pollini’s first recording which in a class of its own but this is something to listen to more then one time.

[@harrywapenaar6753]

Chapeau!😃👍🎹

[@chonglamm8355]

Excellente interprétation !

[@eugeniedavid9827]

She is amazing!!!!!!! wonderful!

[@adelinemerlu7836]

Beautiful ❤

[@duxlee]

Wow, I am only listening the first three so far, and WOW!

[@SR-ib4zt]

F minor was excellent

[@kschuman1152]

Gorgeous bell-like singing tone, with astonishing color variation... Her playing reminds me of a certain other Russian pianist, who is unfortunately no longer with us.

[@kkassanova]

Who are you thinking of?

[@energy3195]

Злата, умничка!...

[@nuevopianista]

fantastica versión interpretación tantísimos detalles , sonido exquisito , gracias por compartir

[@renelicht]

... and the best music came out of the Études ...

[@horatiodreamt]

Nice performance. But a poster below is correct about Pollini's recording of the etudes in 1972 on the Deutsche Grammophon label. His performance at that time was superlative and virile.

[@davestahl6676]

Beautifully played, very musical.

[@paolofranceschi6874]

No words... ❤💢💥💫💫

[@leifsinclair9368]

Very well done.

[@Paroles_et_Musique]

A more feminine approach, unlike the major pianists who are often on steroids. I enjoyed a lot, especially the inspired transitions between some etudes. As the saying claims, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Bravo!

[@pianoman1973]

sublime !

[@claudiogoldman6016]

I don't understand some criticism here... many pianists do the mistake of play too fast or with too much rubattos... She doesn't.

[@Highinsight7]

she's still human... BUT well studied... and a natural... which is obvious...

[@andresgarcia9104]

Interpretación bellísima llena de una gran técnica y sensibilidad IGUAL que su singular física hermosura suspiro por ti.

[@paolofranceschi6874]

My god, listen n. 2... 😱😱😱

[@christopherczajasager9030]

1000 % more color than most

[@fernandoserico77]

Oh my god what a bad luck to spoil the last chord

[@luisgonzalez6196]

oh no, in the number 5 at the end she forgot half page!...anyway it was fantastic.

[@thepianocornertpc]

Zlata Chochieva is on a par with Perahia in the Chopin Etudes. Both pianists have a lot in common. emphasizing the lyrical aspect of these masterworks instead of using them as vehicles to show off technical prowess.

[@christopherczajasager9030]

Hers more natural and spontaneous than the two M.P.s..Maurizio and Murray...more Chopinesque

[@thepianocornertpc]

@@christopherczajasager9030 Please define"Chopinesque". What are the specific characteristics of "Chopinesque"?

[@christopherczajasager9030]

@@thepianocornertpc would take more space allowed on Dumbtube....Just for starters his given pedal marks ignored by most...not Zlata

[@thepianocornertpc]

@@christopherczajasager9030 Never heard of you. How many youtube accounts do you have with the same name? Trolling at its best? Btw ..I also found you on Dumbtube.😜

[@zugzwang2007]

Compared with the easy fluidity and expressiveness of her illustrations in the master class (also in Miami at the same time) this playing is rather nervous and at points laboured. It is beautiful, and impressive, but evidently not as good as she can be. That is one challenge of performance, of course.

[@osmhrk3543]

録音のためなのか、楽器の問題なのかあまり音色が。左手首が時々下がるのも関係あるように思う。

[@portoxali]

First etude tempo is not properly selected, plus at times fortes sound a bit banging. Some coordination problems with left and right hands playing. Expected more from this pianist after reading reviews.

[@Highinsight7]

she's played the etudes BUNCH of times live... some better then this... some not as good... STILL it's a HUGE task to take on as you well know... she gets nothing but a BIG BRAVO from me!

[@MusikPiratCH]

The old recordings by Vladimir Ashkenazy and Maurizio Pollini are much better, IMHO. And of course musically no match to Artur Rubinstein or Krystian Zimerman! :P

[@fredfeinberg3995]

Small correction: Rubinstein never recorded the etudes. But his Chopin is peerless, overall, as you suggest.

[@MusikPiratCH]

There ARE some recorded etudes by Rubinstein (e.i. at the Moscow Recital)! It's here on KZbin and also some etudes by Zimerman. But you're right both never recorded ALL etudes. *sad enough* Because musically Rubinstein and Zimerman are so much ahead of all other pianists at those etudes by Chopin! :D

[@fredfeinberg3995]

Oh, yes, I have every single one of them. Total Rubinstein fanatic. He played them with such balance and beauty. But there were some he felt he "couldn't do justice to". The guy could play the Brahms 2 concerto, so I think he couldn't handle all the Chopin Etudes pretty easily.

[@MusikPiratCH]

Be carefull. Don't believe everything Rubinstein told. He liked very much to tell everybody how he couldn't play all those Chopin etudes as he felt it should be played. But even when he demonstrated this (it used to be on KZbin) it felt VERY right to me! xD

[@fredfeinberg3995]

Of course not! His autobiographies (DO read them if you haven't already) are filled with Tall Tales; Ella Brailowsky called them "fiction". Since just about anyone entering the Chopin Competition can play them all, of course Rubinstein could, but I do think some of them, like the ones in thirds and sixths, would put him contention with monster technicians like Lhevinne, and he didn't want that.