Etüden op. 10. Rondos op. 1, 5, 16 & 76

Chopin's Études Opus 10 mark the beginning of the modern school of piano playing. He was the first composer to design a technique specifically for the instrument's strengths. Though concieved as a set, each Étude, while focusing on a specific technical detail, demonstrates a tightly woven correspondence between technique and musical expression. A perfect foil to the Études, the four Rondos have no pretensions beyond a joyful virtuosic exploration of the piano Chopin later rewrote the Rondo Op. 73 for two pianos—both versions of the pice are included here. Frederic Chiu, frequently compared to Glenn Gould, offers a reading that combines dazzling virtuosity with insightful lyricism.