Chopin Op.25, No.8

[spirithorn]

I'm currently learning 25/8.  It's certainly impressive played "vivace", at the performance tempo of half-note = 69.  However, it's also such a beautiful piece at a slower tempo, say half-note = 50, that I sometimes wonder if the indicated tempo is perhaps too fast.  Does anyone else feel this way (about this or any other of the Etudes)?  I am talking about a slower tempo as a choice, not a necessity because of difficulty.

[spirithorn]

Surely someone has SOME opinion!  In the original post, I'm not talking about ridiculously slow tempi (like Rusnak's 10/2).  Just a bit under (sometimes) those indicated on the score, strictly for musical (not technical) purposes.

[shasta]

The 25/8 is very pretty.  <-- If you like it slower, you'll love Godowsky's transcription of it - - - very peaceful and dreamy.

[spirithorn]

The 25/8 is very pretty.  <-- If you like it slower, you'll love Godowsky's transcription of it - - - very peaceful and dreamy.

Thanks.  I haven't seen that transcription, but I'll have to check it out.

[practicingnow]

Yes - I agree with you - in fact, I find that generally all the Chopin Etudes are played slightly too fast - I think that Cziffra, Pollini, Browning, et al were on the wrong track musically.  Of course, they are amazing technically, but...
I personally would love to hear them all played at a refreshingly slower, saner speed than is normally done...

[cloches_de_geneve]

Yes, 25/8 is a wonderful etude, with some magic moments in it, it shouldn't be played too fast; I find that 1 minutes 10 seconds is a good orientation mark: Fast enough to keep its inherent brilliance and to impress audiences, but slow enough to reveal all its subtle beauties.