Chopin's Etudes

[eViLben]

Which etudes do u find the most difficult ?
i played Op25 n° 1 & 2, that are, to me, the "easiest"
what's your opinion ?

Ben

[Gambit]

The most difficult is the one you have more troubles to play ti. Every etude was written for a specifical necessity.

For example Op 25-7 "Cello" sound easy but is very difficult, becouse you are playing the main subject with the left hand. Op 10-3 its an etude of expression. Op 10-12 is a supreme test four your left hand. Op 10-1 and Op 25 -10 are insane, you need a endurence of a steel.

All the etudes are hard, however the most difficult is Op 25-11 AKA "Winter Wind".

[comme_le_vent]

the double note etudes are the most fearsome for most pianists.
but none of these at all compare to the difficulty of godowsky's versions.
godowsky's version of op25no12 is even more dramatic and powerful than the original, and its for the left hand alone!
godowsky's winterwind its extremely difficult and complex, with shifting registers, multiple counterpoints etc. but the best thing is the end, which is practically the same as chopin's but with 10X the power.

[Gambit]

I hate Godowsky. He made his famous only for his remixes.  He also was a mediocre pianist.

[comme_le_vent]

I hate Godowsky. He made his famous only for his remixes.  He also was a mediocre pianist.

you have something in common with george w.  - you talk bollocks.

[eViLben]

oops there's a mistake in my question
i wanted to ask which etude do you consider the easiest ? =)
thx

[steinwaymodeld]

oops there's a mistake in my question
i wanted to ask which etude do you consider the easiest ? =)
thx

op.10 no.6 and op.25 no.1

[Hmoll]

Again, it depends on your technique. If you have great octaves, and endurance then that etude is not as much of a problem.
Some of the ones that are usually considered the easier are: Op 25 #1,#2, Op10#3,6 (only because no one plays it at the right tempo),9.

[allchopin]

6 (only because no one plays it at the right tempo).

What tempo would you suggest?

[Rob47]

am i the only one who finds pretyy much all the chopin etudes much harder than the liszt etudes?

[rachlisztchopin]

im just now beginning to learn chopin etudes...i think i will learn op 10 no. 6 first...is that a good first etude? and what part of technique does it focus on?

[Chitch]

am i the only one who finds pretyy much all the chopin etudes much harder than the liszt etudes?

Uhhhh what the hell? Are you talking about the Paganni Etudes or the Transcendentales?

[Gambit]

im just now beginning to learn chopin etudes...i think i will learn op 10 no. 6 first...is that a good first etude? and what part of technique does it focus on?

No. 6, like No. 3, is almost a nocturne, its elegiac character resulting from a long-line melody
being poised above a melodic counterpoint whose 'insistent, recurrent fluctuations...which are
like human breathing or a gentle throbbing ... constantly envelop the melody like an aura"
(Schmitz).  Striking harmonies, subtly conceived, underline the prevailing mood.  Time stands
still during the few minutes of its duration as Chopin conveys feelings for which there are no
words.

Hope this help

[Gambit]

am i the only one who finds pretyy much all the chopin etudes much harder than the liszt etudes?

No, you arent the only one. The Paganini etudes by Liszt arent as didactic as Chopins, but the transendental etudes are harder.

[Hmoll]

What tempo would you suggest?

Henle Urtext has a tempo of 69 bpm (dotted quarter note). The only recording I know that approaches that tempo is Perahia's.

[allchopin]

Henle Urtext has a tempo of 69 bpm (dotted quarter note). The only recording I know that approaches that tempo is Perahia's.

Yes, but actually Chopin's markings on tempo are not meant to be taken verbatim, or too exactly.  His 69 is probably about our 50, so to play it at the suggested tempo would be incorrect.

[rachlisztchopin]

my piano teacher has a lot of expertise,
op. 10 no. 1 and op 25 no 11 and 12: the etudes people really think are the hardest which is false...they just sound and look difficult
he told me the two most difficult etudes and i highly agree with him: most difficult is op. 10 no 2 which is just a nightmare because the right hand plays a chromatic scale the whole piece using only the 3rd 4th and 5th fingers while playing chords with 1 and 2...the left hand is just an easy breeze luckily...if some1 composes a piece similiar to this etude but with the left hand doing the same thing as the right hand, it will surely be one of the hardest pieces in piano repertoire....2nd most difficult is op 25 no 6...self-explainetory the etude is just 16th notes 3rds (trills basically) on the right hand once again...any one not believe me try it yourself its more difficult then playing arpeggios on op 10 1 and op 25 11 and 12

[Crucifixus]

Although I don't completely agree that any of Chopin's etudes is "easy", I do agree that Op.10 No 2 and Op.25 No 6 are the hardest ones. I will add Op.10 No 6 too, because of musical problems, seems that few pianists are able to convey the music.
K

[anda]

easiest (at least for me): op. 25 no. 2, 9, op. 10 no. 4 (this was my first chopin etude), 5, 8, 12

and no, except for paganini no. 5, i don't agree - liszt etudes are much more difficult than chopin's ones.

[trunks]

Chopin and Liszt etudes? None is easy to be fair. The hardest Chopin I feel are 4, 11 (double stretches), 18 (thirds), 23 (winter wind). 24 (ocean) is among the 'easier' ones.

Most friends on this Forum have sort of neglected Liszt's other etudes among his major works, namely 3 Concert Studies and 2 Concert Studies. Call the Transcendental and the Paganini Liszt's most difficult? Try No.1 & 2 of the 3 Concert Studies and you'll see!

Chopin's more difficult or Liszt's? No comparison here, it's inappropriate. They come hand-in-hand like brothers to each other. They are original works of the composers (except the Paganini-Liszt etudes - which is why they are not my No.1 favourite) and that is an important element that contributes to the value of these etudes. Godowsky's etudes? They were indeed - as Gambit had mentioned earlier here - remixed from Chopin's set. Godowsky's lacks the originality. Very difficult? Yes! Worth the difficulty? I seriously doubt it!