8/17/05 | Seemingly out of nowhere, Joyce Hatto has become the fourth pianist to record the complete Chopin/Godowsky Etudes. Donald Manildi writes "anyone having qualms about the prospect of a 75-year-old woman tackling the Studies should put prejudices aside and listen to the high quality of her playing. She handles all the challenges with aplomb, seems to have no difficulties dispatching the writing with intelligent shaping of the material, she balances all the textures appropriately, has little need for 'emergency rubato' and maintains a remarkably consistent level throughout. She also is able to rise to the big moments in pieces like Studies Nos.1, 22, 32, 42, and 43. Inevitably neither she nor probably anyone is likely to eclipse Hamelin in certain individual cases. But I think her achievement merits very high praise and her discs are absolutely worth including in any serious Godowsky collection. Buy them now