[VIDEO] Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 8 in F Major

[jlh]

If you didn't know by now, I finished the DVD for my recital on 02/20/2007 and have been in the process of encoding portions of it to put on youtube for a few days now.  This one is Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 8 in F Major.  Hope you enjoy!

Josh

[kd]

Wow, it was wonderful, just showed the entire virtuosic and musical potential of this etude! Just a small suggestion: it would be nice to have a real ritardando right before the final passage going down and up, and perhaps a slight ritardando before the second entry of the main theme.

[gyzzzmo]

You ever reply in your own posts or do you only post these vids for wasting forum space? :S
I say this, because if i want to see clips ill go to youtube myself and see some Kissin or Lugansky. This is a forum though and only post stuff if you're willing to discuss.

gyzzzmo

[jlh]

You ever reply in your own posts or do you only post these vids for wasting forum space? :S
I say this, because if i want to see clips ill go to youtube myself and see some Kissin or Lugansky. This is a forum though and only post stuff if you're willing to discuss.

gyzzzmo

Of course I reply to my own threads... I'm not just posting to annoy you personally.  I thought it was understood that in posting ones playing on here implies that the poster is looking for honest opinions from knowledgeable pianists. 

I'm sorry that your honest opinion is that my playing is a waste of space. 

[jlh]

Wow, it was wonderful, just showed the entire virtuosic and musical potential of this etude! Just a small suggestion: it would be nice to have a real ritardando right before the final passage going down and up, and perhaps a slight ritardando before the second entry of the main theme.

Thanks for the input!  I can see what you mean about those two locations, and yes a slight ritard could be one way to do that.  I find that too much ritard in this piece makes it lose its drive, though, and I was already taking my good ole time with my rubato in the coda.   

Best,

Josh

[soderlund]

I working on this very difficult etude, and have been for some time too. Your playing is very inspiring and helpful, thanks for sharing this. Awesome technique, obviously, and you bring out the left hand very well, it is balanced all the way.

[thalberg]

Great work!  I've heard this etude a million times at the Cleveland International competition, and I'd say you'd stack up very well against the competition.  Good tempo, steady rhythm, solid technique.  Thanks for posting a video--it's fun to see people instead of just hearing them.

[mephisto]

Amazing

I love you playing. Since this is an etude I have to comment that your technic is very fluent and you play even.

[teresa_b]

Very nice!  This is a very difficult etude, and you play it with nice evenness and exciting tempo.  If you would like a suggestion, I would say sometimes I don't hear the LH melody quite well enough, and around 50 sec, the transition to the minor needs more clarity.  In fact maybe look at all the transition points, because I am not sure I follow where you are going when the harmonies get a little bit murky.  It's good to think about what you want the listener to hear in terms of the general direction.

These points are picky, but when you play this well, you have to get down to the tiniest nuances.  Then you pull off a spectacular performance!
Great work 
Teresa

[nyonyo]

Very nice!  This is a very difficult etude, and you play it with nice evenness and exciting tempo.  If you would like a suggestion, I would say sometimes I don't hear the LH melody quite well enough, and around 50 sec, the transition to the minor needs more clarity.  In fact maybe look at all the transition points, because I am not sure I follow where you are going when the harmonies get a little bit murky.  It's good to think about what you want the listener to hear in terms of the general direction.

These points are picky, but when you play this well, you have to get down to the tiniest nuances.  Then you pull off a spectacular performance!
Great work 
Teresa

Agree 100% with Teresa assessment. It is a good performance. Not to mention that this is an extremely difficult piece. My only feedback is in the middle, you started losing breath. You playing was not as clear as at the beginning. I am comparing your performance to that of Pollini or other professional. Anyway, if you keep practicing and clean up the middle part, it will be a great perfromance. This kind of piece suits your style.

[lau]

i think it's solid and a pleasant experience. just my opinion on that last chords i think the last few should not slow down  get or softer.

[jlh]

Great work!  I've heard this etude a million times at the Cleveland International competition, and I'd say you'd stack up very well against the competition.  Good tempo, steady rhythm, solid technique.  Thanks for posting a video--it's fun to see people instead of just hearing them.

Thanks!  I worked on this etude some as an undergrad as well... amazing what happens when work on something again after a few years. lol

Very nice!  This is a very difficult etude, and you play it with nice evenness and exciting tempo. 

   Thanks!

Agree 100% with Teresa assessment. It is a good performance. Not to mention that this is an extremely difficult piece. My only feedback is in the middle, you started losing breath. You playing was not as clear as at the beginning. I am comparing your performance to that of Pollini or other professional. Anyway, if you keep practicing and clean up the middle part, it will be a great perfromance. This kind of piece suits your style.

I think perhaps the reason for that may be that this was the first piece in the second half of the recital -- and was followed by another 9 etudes by Rach, Scriabin and liszt... maybe I was subconsciously holding back a bit to save for later?

Anyway, I appreciate your feedback!

i think it's solid and a pleasant experience. just my opinion on that last chords i think the last few should not slow down  get or softer.

Yeah, there are several opinions I have heard over the years on how to pull off those last few chords.  I think in the end one should choose an approach that makes the most sense to the performer.