Search - Felix Mikhailovich Blumenfeld, Daniel Blumenthal :: Blumenfeld: Complete Piano Etudes

Excellent performance, compositions lacking

thalberg | St. Louis, MO United States | 11/15/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Felix Blumenfeld is most remembered today as the teacher of Vladimir Horowitz, and not a composer; this disc is a perfect explanation of this fact. Daniel Blumenthal gives a sterling, virtuosic, and faithful rendition of the very difficult piano etudes of Blumenfeld, and there is no question that this is a top-quality performance. The compositions themselves, however, are average. The tracks are, predictably, in chronological order of composition, and one can trace the style of Blumenfeld from Chopinesque to, well, Chopin/Rachmaninoff-esque. The two distinguishing characteristics of these etudes are their extreme difficulty and their extreme unoriginality. That being said, Blumenfeld couldn't have chosen two better influences, and was extremely competent at what he did. His compositions are very pleasing to the ear, and are very emotionally charged. The pianism displayed in this performance is totally satisfactory, as are the pieces performed.
But only satisfactory."

Great Romantic Piano Etudes

Stewart L. Gordon | Rancho Palos Verdes, Ca. USA | 09/28/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Felix Blumenfeld writes etudes in the grand nineteenth century tradition, and they are worth hearing and playing. The performances on this CD are technically expert and musically satisfying."