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