Prokofiev toccata op.11

[IgnazPaderewski]

I first heard this piece played by John Lill in RFH in march, and it is possibly one of the most fantastic pieces of music I have heard recently. It is so fantastically constructed that even a first time listener can grasp the musical journey throughout (Mr Lill played tremendously though). who has played this? how hard is it (i downloaded the music, looks reasonably unpleasant).

[donjuan]

 :-/ I actually brought this piece up when I was talking to my piano teacher.  He shut the book right away and told me he would never be mean enough to suggest anyone of his students play it.  

I, personally would love to give it a shot (trying never hurt anybody) but I'm not sure my wrist could handle the maddening pace and Chromatic chord progressions.  

This piece is actually one of my favorites.  There is a good recording out there of Demidenko playing it.  There are times in that performance i expect the deep, rich, tempestuous tones to leap out of the speakers and swallow me whole!

[finn]

Hello,

(I'm new to piano forum) -- I heard Argerich play this piece and was blown away.....I am working on the Toccata; basically, it is feasible, but I can honestly say that up to this point it has been 1) very grueling work but 2) it is therefore the most rewarding! I have small hands, so small hands are not an obstacle; I may never play it at quite the speed Argerich goes, but I say GO FOR IT--it's been a love-hate relationship, but again, slooooowwwww practice will make the piece VERY REWARDING once you get it!! Good luck!

[DarkWind]

 :-/ I actually brought this piece up when I was talking to my piano teacher.  He shut the book right away and told me he would never be mean enough to suggest anyone of his students play it.

Doesn't sound like a very good teacher to me...

[julie391]

lets just say its quite hard

[piano88]

Argerich made a superb recording of this for DG- Its certainly the best out there and the octaves at the end are mind-bending!

[jlh]

Doesn't sound like a very good teacher to me...

Actually, the teacher may be wiser than you realize.  He probably knows his students better than they know themselves and that the Toccata is probably beyond their capacity.  It's a grueling piece of music -- the most difficult technically that I've ever played.  Granted other's I've done, like the Rach #2 are also very difficult, expecially because of the length, but this toccata is the equivilent of a sprint -- difficult from start to finish and hardly a break for the whole piece.  I'd start with some Rach or Liszt Etudes first and work up to it.

[DarkWind]

Meh, his use of the word "never" makes him sound like if he would never get his students up to this level of technical prowess. But maybe it just means that all his current students aren't incredibly, great technical-wise.

[anda]

Argerich made a superb recording of this for DG- Its certainly the best out there and the octaves at the end are mind-bending!

i'm not sure we're talking about the same recording, but i have one recorded from the busoni competition she won in '57. exceptional performance!