Moszkowski - 15 Etudes de Virtuositie, Op.72

[invictus]

Which order do you think I should do them in? And can you also tell me which etude is exercising which technique.

[randmc]

This is kind of off topic, but I like that 'Entincelles' by him. I think its an etude, but I'm not sure. It's also called 'sparks' because thats the english translation.

[maxy]

Personally, I had fun with #2 (g minor) and the one in octaves. 

[westley]

I have only played a couple, but I can tell you that numbers 10 and 5 are probably the easiest although they are also somewhat less interesting musically.   Number 6 is very charming and also not too hard.  Number ten focuses on the outer fingers, but the main technical focus of all of the above three is playing groups of notes as one gesture, or at least this is how my teacher taught them.  The g minor etude (not sure of the number) which focuses on the left hand is a little harder than the above but is useful and musically effective.

[stringoverstrung]

This is kind of off topic, but I like that 'Entincelles' by him. I think its an etude, but I'm not sure. It's also called 'sparks' because thats the english translation.

étincelles is OP 36 no 6 if i'm not mistaken.

____________________________
_{without a home the journey is endless (Bos)}

[turner]

The 15 etudes of Op. 72 of Moszkowski are not graded progressively by difficulty. And while I agree with other posters that some are more difficult than the others, I believe a more useful way to understand them is to know the focus of each piece.

Acquiring a good technique on the piano is both a science and art, and opinions on pedgagogy is highly subjective. So the following is my take on the Moszkowski Op. 72:

No. 1: single-note finger passages, primarily RH; Czerny-like
No. 2: single-note finger passages, primarily LH
No. 3: chord passages/rotation; RH=LH
No. 4: wrist; RH=LH
No. 5: single-note finger passages, primarily RH
No. 6: single-note finger passages, chromatic, primarily RH
No. 7: broken chord passages; RH=LH
No. 8: double-notes/wrist/rotation; RH=LH
No. 9: octave; RH=LH
No. 10: weak/outer fingers; RH=LH
No. 11: single-note finger passages, broken chord, primarily RH
No. 12: single-note finger passages, weak/outer fingers like No. 10; RH=LH
No. 13: double-notes; primarily RH
No. 14: broken chord passages using all 5 fingers continuously; RH=LH
No. 15: double-notes; RH=LH

I personally find the musical substance in these pieces to be uneven. The most musically satisfying ones, to me, are Nos. 2, 6, 11, 12, 13 and 15. I find No. 10 rather silly and pedestrian, although technically it has helped me a great deal. Moszkowski must have been a very good teacher to write these exquisite piano exercises!

Hope this helps.

[Motrax]

Does anyone know of a (hopefully good) recording of Op. 72? I'm specifically looking for No. 9. Thanks.

[turner]

Motrax:

No. 9 has not been recorded individually by pianists as some other pieces in Op. 72, notably Nos. 2, 6 and 11.

I'm aware of 3 complete sets of Op. 72: Ilana Vered, Jeffrey Swann, and Alain Raes. I've heard all except Raes. Vered's hasn't been transferred to CD from LP, but the following link will take you to Swann's recording on Amazon, where you'll be able to hear a short sample of No. 9. Hope this helps.

https://tinyurl.com/cdu7b

[joell12068]

Does anyone know of a (hopefully good) recording of Op. 72? I'm specifically looking for No. 9. Thanks.

I have the Alain Raes recording.  PM me if you want it.