Chopin Etude #4 Op. 10 (real piano recording)

[dickreuter]

I now recorded the Chopin Etude on my piano - no question it sounds much much better

[piano121]

It sounds veeeeery nice! Mush better than on the digital piano. I just wish I could play like that in some years! How long have you been playing?

 

[kelly_kelly]

Overall I think ir's good, but the tempo is still inconsistent (and generally a bit slow for my taste).

[daniloperusina]

A vast improvement in sound! A bit untidy, as already pointed out above, but the dramatic impact is great! I think the best part of what you do here is that you are able to squeeze out so much musicality from such a wild torrent of notes! Keep posting, please, and no more digital...:-)

[pianiststrongbad]

The sound is much better on a real piano.  I have no complaints at all.  I think the tempo is great.  I don't think there is any need to go as fast as Richter does.  Bravo!

[dickreuter]

Thanks for the comments!

I've recorded all of the pieces that I want to put on my CD next year on my site: www.dickreuter.com and I'm grateful for any comments you might give to any of the pieces.

thanks
Nicolas

[journeyyourmind]

Well it seems like you slow down slightly on all the parts that are troublesome, and they are noticeable and sound muddy/and or off slightly. Also sounds like sometimes you are over accenting notes in right hand to hide choppiness in the left hand, and someitmes you are "catching up" your speed to a previous speed which means you just need to clean up those parts. But...i LOVE that ending and you seem to nail that climax.  Just take those few parts, fix them and your 10/4 would be almost flawless.

[steve jones]

You know when you do your CD, have a think about using both close mics and room mics. Your playing sounds great, and the recording isnt bad, but for a CD you might want the extra definition of the close mics.

Just a thought.

But with respect to your performance, excellent stuff mate, very well done. I remember just a few short weeks ago you were no where with this piece. Now its sounds great!

Btw, how long did you say you'd been playing?

SJ

[dickreuter]

The recording will be done at a professional studio to make sure I get the most out of it. I'm 27 now and I started playing when I was 7.

[gorbee natcase]

What I don't get about this piece is your not supposed to use pedal apart from the last bar
Yet on a digital this is impossible to make a convincing performance without it as they are too sharper instrumment and the pedals dont have gradients/

Plus looking at some scores(chopin complete Etudes I think Urtext) pedal marking is clearly under half the entire work so whats the deal how are you supposed to play with/or without) it lol

Great smooth performance by the way loved it 

[le_poete_mourant]

What I don't get about this piece is your not supposed to use pedal apart from the last bar

I politely disagree.  True, pedal is not written out until the last bar.  However, I believe this was the case in most if not all of Chopin's etudes.  Rather, it can be inferred that pedal is necessary or suggested by some of the notation.  For example, in Op. 25 No. 10, there is no pedal marked in the exposition; instead, Chopin writes half notes in along with the octaves.  We know it is pretty much physically impossible to hold onto these notes while still executing the octaves successfully.  Therefore, pedal is the obvious solution. 

In this particular etude that dickreuter is playing, pedal is good in particular places, when used lightly and with discretion.  For example, I would suggest using pedal in the first measure, lifting off on the first beat of the second measure.  Also, with the last two rolled chords of the third measure, coming off on the first sixteenth of the second chord.  After r.h. arpeggios, when l.h. has chromatic-type runs and r.h. holds melody, pedal lightly.  Just so after the key change back from four flats (f-minor?) to C# minor.  And also on the fourth page when both hands have those parallel sixteenth runs.  There are more places throughout, but I won't take up anymore of your time and space by listing them. 

I think overall this piece is sound.  But if you're going to produce a CD, it should definitely be rock solid!  Go through and practice slowly, with metronome, being careful to get every note clearly and correctly.  Make sure your sixteenths are clear and specific.   And -- I'll pass on a piece of advice my teacher gave me about this piece -- make sure you get your fingers out of the way once you play a note.  We are often too concerned about hitting the next note to worry about releasing, and this can lead to muddiness and sloppy errors.  Good work and good luck! 

[gyzzzmo]

I agree with le poete.
Overall is very nice. Some place require some more attention, you probably know where. Also your left hand tends to be a bit too hasty, in the main theme when the fast octaves are in the left hand. Also on the finale part, stick to the tempo wich you started with.

gyzzzmo