If you had the fastest fingers in the world..

[opus10no2]

If you had the ability to play faster than anyone else, would you use this ability to take world records in every piece where it would be applicable - ie - most Chopin and Liszt etudes, and speedy sections of many other pieces.

[invictious]

If i had a girlfriend, she'd probably be even more impressed with my fast 'fingering' than playing mephisto waltz at 3 times the speed...

Just had to do it ya?

[pianistimo]

having fast fingers is nothing.  being able to think at lightening speed is.  i mean - who of us (relatively few i think) can change a minor mistake in a chopin etude to a sort of cadenza passage that leads into the rest of the etude.

[donjuan]

If I had the fastest fingers in the world, I would have my own website, and it wouldn't be piano related, if you know what I mean..

[pita bread]

Haha, the words of a true Don Juan

[maxd]

you can get into the sport of finger-racing.

[avetma]

having fast fingers is nothing.  being able to think at lightening speed is.  i mean - who of us (relatively few i think) can change a minor mistake in a chopin etude to a sort of cadenza passage that leads into the rest of the etude.

I read that was what liszt did when he missed a note

[counterpoint]

I would play all Beethoven Sonatas in one concert   

[avetma]

And yes, If I had the fastest fingers in the world, I would challenged Kissin to Feux-Follets battle

[opus10no2]

having fast fingers is nothing.  being able to think at lightening speed is.  i mean - who of us (relatively few i think) can change a minor mistake in a chopin etude to a sort of cadenza passage that leads into the rest of the etude.

Having fast fingers is not nothing.

And thinking quickly like that just takes a little knowledge of harmony and a thorough mastery of the technical figurations in the etude.

Believe me - having extremely fast fingers is more rare.

[rach3pianoconcerto]

I guess your asking if we could all be Franz Lizst. Now there is someone who must of had some divine gift. He could think and play at lightening speed.

[imbetter]

Well, Valentina Lisitsa would definatly pick no.1, she already has picked no.1. But I personally would choose number two and not ruin my pieces with exreme speed like she does.

[brewtality]

If you had the ability to play faster than anyone else, would you use this ability to take world records in every piece where it would be applicable - ie - most Chopin and Liszt etudes, and speedy sections of many other pieces.

Yes. People nowadays play too slow. It's disgusting really.

[burstroman]

I would only hope that my interpretive insight and musical sensibility could keep up.

[quantum]

I would play the slow movement of the Hammerklavier sl*wer.   

[opus10no2]

The results to this poll are interesting, evidently not enough people have commented, so tell us why you chose your option..

[elevateme]

well, the best technique in the world practically guarantees you fame. There are a lot of huge pianists today who are all technique and no musicality. gavrilov is a fine example

[rob47]

well, the best technique in the world practically guarantees you fame. There are a lot of huge pianists today who are all technique and no musicality whatsoever. gavrilov is a fine example

i disagree. check out these recent live nocturnes very nice

https://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2006/12/gavrilov_on_chopin.html

[maxd]

...hey, not bad..

beats the recent pollini

no speed-masturbation here..

[elevateme]

ok i take that back then. ive only heard his etudes which are all technique.

to think of a pianist with technique but no clear musicality - perhaps kissin at times. sorry kissin fans he is a great pianist but sometimes hes just not

[opus10no2]

well, the best technique in the world practically guarantees you fame. There are a lot of huge pianists today who are all technique and no musicality whatsoever. gavrilov is a fine example

That's a ridiculous claim about Gavrilov.

[brewtality]

That's a ridiculous claim about Gavrilov.

don't you just love it when people make such sweeping statements after only having heard one recording? just delicious.

[elevateme]

nah i also heard his ballades and rach concertos and they were crap. but yeah delicious

[opus10no2]

You should have felt an empathy with them then, do you not see yourself in his playing?

[elevateme]

why should i see myself? i dont really understand that sorry

[opus10no2]

why should i see myself? i dont really understand that sorry

Because you are crap 

Don't go around calling great artists crap.

[elevateme]

when did i say gavrilov was crap? i just said his chopin ballades & etudes & rach concertos were crap. im sure when he wants to be hes alright

and hey i posted ondine in the audition room to prove i wasnt crap. you havent posted anything. except star wars . so shhh

[franzliszt2]

I cannot stand Gavrilov's playing. It's just so fast and pianistic ALL the time. His Chopin etudes are awful!!!! BANG BANG BANG!!!!!!!! His Chopin sonata OUCH!! His Ballades...I havn't got enough time to start a rant about them, I'd be here til the yr 3000.

But he is a great pianist. I just personally don't like his playing

[bjahdc]

elevateme mentioned posting "ondine in the audition room".
What is the audition room?
Is it on this site? Where can I find it?
Thanks!

[brahms4me]

If I had the fastest fingers:  1)  I'd be very grateful,  2)I would have to try and NOT show off and let the ego soar, and 3)  I would still aim to be as musical as possible.

When I get in the way of the music, then it tends to NOT be about the music but about me.  Frankly, I'm not that exciting to have it 'all about me'.   

[opus10no2]

I cannot stand Gavrilov's playing. It's just so fast and pianistic ALL the time. His Chopin etudes are awful!!!! BANG BANG BANG!!!!!!!! His Chopin sonata OUCH!! His Ballades...I havn't got enough time to start a rant about them, I'd be here til the yr 3000.

But he is a great pianist. I just personally don't like his playing

You can't handle a bit of fury? Shame on you.

[pianowolfi]

I f you have the fastest fingers you will use them. Sooner or later. You won't be able to resist. A good musician wants to have all possibilities of expression, so as well fast fingers. Yep.

[elevateme]

You can't handle a bit of fury? Shame on you.

if you think the chopin ballades are just about fury then youre an idiot.

[franzliszt2]

You can't handle a bit of fury? Shame on you.

Yes of course I can, I love a bit of fury, but if you seriously look towards Gavrilov for fury, then your clearly not experiencing the fury.

and hey i posted ondine in the audition room to prove i wasnt crap. you havent posted anything. except star wars . so shhh

Star wars??? DA FURY!!!

[opus10no2]

Yes of course I can, I love a bit of fury, but if you seriously look towards Gavrilov for fury, then your clearly not experiencing the fury.

Expand on this.

(bet thats what girls say when you drop your trousers, eh?) hehe

[shoenberg3]

It seems as though every Elevateme posts are followed by franziliszt2's....

[elevateme]

It seems as though every Elevateme posts are followed by franziliszt2's....

what an unbelivable coincidence. so what is that supposed to mean? i really can't believe youre still having a go at franzliszt2 and me.

the posts are like 8 and 11 hours apart... is it my fault that no one posted in that time?? someone else please stick up for me here

[franzliszt2]

It seems as though everytime me or elevateme posts, shoenberg3 posts trying to insult us! I can tell he's not one to bear a grudge.

opus10no2 I shall expand....

I was just meaning that Gavrilov's recordings don't havethe same fury as say...Jack Gibbons' Alkan piano music, or Cziffra hungarian Rhapsodies. 

[donjuan]

It seems as though everytime me or elevateme posts, shoenberg3 posts trying to insult us! I can tell he's not one to bear a grudge.

weak evidence

It seems as though every Elevateme posts are followed by franziliszt2's....

strong evidence

[elevateme]

yeah isnt it strange that most of my posts are followed by franzliszt2s. i still dont get what the big deal is?

weak evidence

and how is it weak evidence? at the moment, 3 of shoenberg3's last 4 posts have been pointless insults towards franzliszt2 and me. so how is that weak? obviously once he posts more that will change.

[lostinidlewonder]

Even if you have the fastest fingers in the world does that mean you play the piano well? Speed = NOTHING, I don't know why people encourage it and are so impressed by it. It is like saying, oh your staccato is legendary you should blah blah blah. Speed interests only those who know nothing about music and like to see dogs stand on their two hind legs and hopping around in a tutu.

[opus10no2]

Even if you have the fastest fingers in the world does that mean you play the piano well? Speed = NOTHING, I don't know why people encourage it and are so impressed by it. It is like saying, oh your staccato is legendary you should blah blah blah. Speed interests only those who know nothing about music and like to see dogs stand on their two hind legs and hopping around in a tutu.

  die

[arbisley]

I would agree to a certain amount of that. Too many showmen, not enough musicians are what seem to fuel the concert stage. I also get the feeling sometimes that when I start playing things extremely well and with great detail I lose musicality, maybe concert pianists take it to an advanced level. Maybe that's a supid assumption and vast generalistation by comparing everyone to me But I still find a lot of people play fast and unmusically and that's all people want because they don't want to hear music, but as lostinidlewonder said, to watch dog tricks

[opus10no2]

That would be an appropriate analogy if the 'trick' the dog were performing was coordinating complex motions with terminal velocity.

In short - I wish you a painful and slow death.

[chromatickler]

Speed interests only those who know nothing about music and like to see dogs stand on their two hind legs and hopping around in a tutu.

the statement 'a dog is more musical than lostinidlewonder' cannot be proven wrong, while the statement 'a dog can play a chromatic scale at bpm=150' can be, and is easily proven wrong.

get to grips with reality and bow before the musical genius of the dog. it's the only sensible thing to do before you reach enlightenment via the art of speed.

[dnephi]

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[/sarcasm]
Ok, moving on, I would play pieces with As fast as possible very fast.  I would play the best that I could.

[arbisley]

But i never said playing fast pieces fast was not in order... that's an awesme thing to do but it sometimes isn't balanced by quality in slow pieces, but that's veering off onto another discussion....

[avetma]

I would say that speed doesn't matter so much.

Pogorelich said:

"First, technical perfection as something natural. Second, an insight into the development of the piano sound, as perfected by the pianist-composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, composers who understood the piano both as a human voice ... and as an orchestra with which they could produce a variety of colors. Third, the need to learn how to use every aspect of our new instruments, which are richer in sound. Fourth, the importance of differentiation."

[opus10no2]

But i never said playing fast pieces fast was not in order... that's an awesme thing to do but it sometimes isn't balanced by quality in slow pieces, but that's veering off onto another discussion....

This has nothing to do with slow pieces, that's child rape.

This is all about the ability to play fast in fast pieces.

For example - in Chopin etudes, playing the 10/1 in around 1:00-1:20 , 10/2 in around :55-1:00, 10/4 in around 1:15-1:25.

The thing is, these pieces actually sound awesome at these tempos, so I do not see a problem.

[opus10no2]

I would say that speed doesn't matter so much.

Pogorelich said:

Pogorelich is a chimera cross breed between a snail and a human, what do you expect.