The Ultimate Chopin Etudes Thread

[invictus]

Ok, this is the ultimate chopin etudes thread, where you discuss everything about the etudes.

So lets get everything rolling by a very helpful guide:

A ranking of all chopin etudes

ALL OF THEM

Somebody mind giving a ranking of all the chopin etudes and in what order you should do them in, and also the description of the etudes of what they are called, purpose and so on.

[pianistimo]

maybe, as with swimming, one just jumps in the deep end with any one of them.  each explores a technical challenge.  valentina lisista just starts with op. 10 and goes through each and then op. 25 and goes through each.  that is the order of composition anyway - and chopin's most intense period of teaching was when he was composing the op. 25 - so they must be harder?  i don't really know.  i've only studied two.  really sad, but am making up for lost time now.

here's a couple of interesting sites.  the first one gives you lots of info on each etude (as to the difficulty of that particular etude) and also shows you what the original manuscript looked like!

www.chopinmusic.net/library.php?.w=Etudes  click 'here' on etudes - to go into the site.

and

https://axe.acadiau.ca/~059512b/etudes.htm

i'm interested to hear what longtime advanced teachers have to say about the order.  you would think that there would be a certain order, but maybe it depends upon the weaknesses of the individual student?

[pianistimo]

a lovely tribute to chopin was written by liszt.  wonder what he thought about the difficulties of each of the etudes.  i haven't read the whole thing - but here is the site:

www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext03/lfcpn10.txt

have to scroll down

[jas]

The Liszt bio is thought by many to have been written largely (if not completely) by Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein, his then-girlfriend and author (or aspiring author, not sure which). It's very florid. It's a shame because it could have been completely invaluable to Chopin scholars.
It's ridiculous that the book itself cost upwards of 100 quid when you can read it free online!

Jas

[pianohopper]

Some of the hardest, in my opinion.

Op. 25 No. 12
Op. 10 No. 5
Op. 10 No. 7 * This is only easier than 6 & 8 if you've played them first.*
Op. 25 No. 8
Op. 25 No. 6
Op. 25 No. 11
Op. 10 No. 4

[chromatickler]

hahaha this topic

[etudes]

Some of the hardest, in my opinion.

Op. 25 No. 12
Op. 10 No. 5
Op. 10 No. 7 * This is only easier than 6 & 8 if you've played them first.*
Op. 25 No. 8
Op. 25 No. 6
Op. 25 No. 11
Op. 10 No. 4

where is op.25 no.10 is it easy for you?

[brewtality]

Some of the hardest, in my opinion.

Op. 25 No. 12
Op. 10 No. 5
Op. 10 No. 7 * This is only easier than 6 & 8 if you've played them first.*
Op. 25 No. 8
Op. 25 No. 6
Op. 25 No. 11
Op. 10 No. 4

Kapell: What? no 10/2?!

Rudy: hahaha this easy man.

[pianistimo]

interesting, jas, about who wrote the book and how much it costs.  i really don't doubt what you are saying, because i've read other stuff that liszt wrote and it wasn't so 'florid' as you put it.  maybe they collaborated, because some of the things seem like liszt would be the most knowledgeable about (or am i wrong?).

[etudes]

Kapell: What? no 10/2?!

Rudy: hahaha this easy man.

copy joke
Horowitz: What? no 10/1?!

Cziffra: hahaha this easy man.

[jas]

interesting, jas, about who wrote the book and how much it costs.  i really don't doubt what you are saying, because i've read other stuff that liszt wrote and it wasn't so 'florid' as you put it.  maybe they collaborated, because some of the things seem like liszt would be the most knowledgeable about (or am i wrong?).

Yeah, you're probably right. Obviously Liszt must have had a major input, but the writing itself might have been the girlfriend or a collab.
He might have been a bit under the thumb.

[BoliverAllmon]

copy joke
Horowitz: What? no 10/1?!

Cziffra: hahaha this easy man.

not that great the second time either. lol

[stevie]

not that great the second time either. lol

your girlfriend after the honeymoon

[BoliverAllmon]

correct it wasn't that great. it was stupendous.

[orlandopiano]

Some of the hardest, in my opinion.

Op. 25 No. 12
Op. 10 No. 5
Op. 10 No. 7 * This is only easier than 6 & 8 if you've played them first.*
Op. 25 No. 8
Op. 25 No. 6
Op. 25 No. 11
Op. 10 No. 4

25/11's difficulty is overrated imo. If you know how to stay relaxed, it's pretty much a bunch of RH 5-2-4-1's over and over again. Just wiggling your RH back and forth basically. Of the ones you left out, I think 10/2, 10/10 and 10/11 are all harder than 25/11.