Earl Wild: Chopin, The Complete Etudes
At 77, Earl Wild realized his long-held ambition to record all the Chopin  etudes, which have been in his repertoire for years. Given the legendary pianist's  flamboyant reputation, however, the results are more mild than wild. His legendary  technique, to be sure, is more than up to the task, but the inhibiting aura of posterity and  permanence hover over the proceedings, not to mention the Urtext police. One misses the  fire, abandon, and sense of risk Wild unfailingly brings to these works in concert. It is  obvious that a seasoned master is at work, although I wish he had been more at play! The  engineering is superb.--Jed Distler