Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39 No. 8

[nolan]

Hello,

Have you ever just heard a piece and fell in love with it? I have recently spent a lot of time working on Rachmaninoff's Op. 32 No. 10 Prelude in B Minor and have started looking at his etudes. I found a recording of Op. 39 No. 8 and knew it was something I would want to work on.

I know it will be a challenge, but I think I am up for it. Looking through the music is exciting, but I can spot certain areas which will need a lot of work. The first thing I recognized was that the LH has a lot of "jumpy" patterns. Making them smooth and bringing out the tenuto notes will probably be tricky (for me anyway). Are there any suggestions that might make my practicing more efficient?

It also looks like it will be challenging to memorize. But then again, I probably wouldn't be able to play many of the passages NOT memorized!

If you have any general or specific advice for this piece, I would love to hear it. Does anyone have a favorite or preferred recording of this etude or any of the Rachmaninoff preludes or etudes?

Thanks,
Nolan

[BoliverAllmon]

I can't really help with the etude, but had a question about that prelude. How hard did you find it to be? What was the hard part?

[nolan]

BoliverAllmon,

One of the things I usually struggle with is memorization. I found that memorizing the differences between the opening and closing sections was pretty tricky. It isn't that they are technically difficult sections, the rhythms are basically the same and you get used to the hand positioning, but knowing what comes next and what inversion or part of the chord you play can get confusing.

The middle section (Tempo I) with that great build-up of chords and the melody coming through rising up to the huge emotional swell was the main reason I wanted to learn this prelude. Don't just bang through all of the chords...let everything build slowly, bring out the melody. Experiment with the m.d. and m.s. markings...I found that sometimes splitting the melody octaves between both hands made it easier to play and bring out.

"L'istesso tempo" ... take the time to really count out the rhythm so you aren't just guessing. I sometimes feel like I could be more confident on that rhythm. When I started this section, I don't think I understood it at all...I kind of just played it through. But playing through it helped me understand it. Listen to each voice...have the two alternating parts call and respond to one another.

Don't get nervous about the glissandi/arpeggiation near the "veloce" marking. Figure out the pattern and practice it slowly until it is comfortable.

Your original questions were: "How hard did you find it to be? What was the hard part?" I am not a teacher, so my scale of difficulty is relative to my ability. When I first started practicing the piece I thought it was way over my head, but I loved that middle section. I purchased the Rachmaninoff "Complete Preludes and Etudes-Tableaux" book just to play that prelude. Looking through the other preludes and etudes, I think this was one of the less difficult ones. Even now, that book seems intimidating. The hard part was probably sticking to the whole piece until I learned it all. Take your time and pay attention to dynamic markings as you learn it. It is a heck of a lot harder to add them in once you've learned the whole thing.

Good Luck!
-Nolan

[nolan]

Well, it has been a week since beginning this piece and it has lived up to being quite a challenge. I'm almost finished with the first page (note-wise) and have been trying to keep myself from looking ahead.

To my surprise, the LH part hasn't given me as much trouble as the RH. Taking note of the tenuto notes (LH) isn't so hard when using a certain fingering. Getting used to the hand shapes for the RH has been tricky.

I am also surprised that no one else has worked on this (or atleast no one will come forward ). I have found a particular recording that suits my tastes...the Volodos recording at Carnegie Hall. I would love to hear your suggestions.