Chopin - etude op. 25 No. 6 (thirds)

[electrafingers]

Hi everyone

This is a relatively new recording of me playing Chopin's thirds etude (op.25 No. 6)

Would be happy to know what you think

Ishay

[ganymed]

Wow really well done .... I think the tempo is just right. Of all the chopin etudes, I think with years of practice I would somehow manage to learn them. But this etude. I could never imagine to play thirds that FAST???

May I know how you practiced this piece?

[bench warmer]

Impressive!
Your last downward run seemed to go a little more subito than the rest of the piece. You should listen to see if you think you rushed it. That may be too subjective a criticism as your interpretation of the Etude was very good.
 Excellent playing.

What piano did you play & did you record in a studio; what equipment did you use?
The quality is very good.

[pianistimo]

i'm just in awe.  thirds are so hard to play like that.  can't really comment on the rest.  never played it.  i like listening, however.

[electrafingers]

Thanks for the comments guys.

It was played on a Hamburg Steinway D, with professional recording equipment. Can't tell what equipment exactly - a professional technician made it.

ganymed, I can't tell you much about how I practiced it - and generally I don't think it would be a good idea to pass ideas about practicing or technique in these forums. Many things can be done through the web, but in this case I think confusion is more likely to be the outcome than any real progression. Piano technique is an extremely delicate issue which still requires an intimate one-on-one situation.

Ishay

[ramseytheii]

ganymed, I can't tell you much about how I practiced it - and generally I don't think it would be a good idea to pass ideas about practicing or technique in these forums. Many things can be done through the web, but in this case I think confusion is more likely to be the outcome than any real progression. Piano technique is an extremely delicate issue which still requires an intimate one-on-one situation.

Ishay

 

Sounds good!  The opening is too dry for my taste; it doesn't properly set up the mood for the piece.

Your left hand phrasing sounds square to me.  Have you ever read James Huneker's book, "Chopin: Man and Music"?  This is an interesting book (unpalatable to many, because written in an overblown, Bostonian-Victorian style) in which he talks about most of Chopin's pieces individually.

For this etude, he shows versions of several editions that were published.  In those days, famous pianists often made editions of the works that they played, with their own idiosyncratic accentuations, phrasings, pedal markings, fingerings, etc.  This doesn't happen anymore, but it happened a lot back then, and a lot of those editions are no longer available.

In any case, he shows the left hand passage from this etude in a few different editions, and the range of accentuations is very surprising.  I urge you to look at this, because you approach the left hand in a very literal way, but also in a way that strikes me as square.  I think it can be more artistic, more interesting, more vocal and less literal.  I think that about a lot of Chopin performances, though.

Good job!

Walter Ramsey


PS I don;t have the book handy, but when I get to my library, I will type out the exact editions he quotes, and any other relevant information.

[mkaykov]

what a wonderful recording - you pay attention to every detail. I consider this etude to be the most difficult out of Op. 25, for me at least. The downward runs on the second page are wonderful, and I love the emphasis on the bass line in the left hand.

You have a wonderful double notes technique.

Please post more of your recordings,

[rachfan]

Hi Ishay,

This is superb playing as usual, aided by a formidable technique.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!

David 

[pianomx]

Amazing! Sound is great and thirds are perfectly balanced and synchronized all the time. Technically is very impressive!
Just one thing though, if I may: you stop on the first note every time you start a new fragment. It's cool on the first dropping scale (the one from D#) but doing it every time kinda ruins the thing. I know is easier to play the passages when you pronounce very clearly the first notes and add a bit of tenuto as you did, but maybe you should look for the opportunity of not doing it every time. And your left hand could be much carefully handled. But hey, I'm not the one to say or critic in a bad way. I'm trying to play this etude since one month, I hope I can play it as well as you some day

[communist]

very very good

[michel dvorsky]

It's a very beautiful recording. Congrats.

Now that you have the technique to play this piece virtually perfectly, the only way you'll come close to Lhevinne in terms of overall excitement is if you take some chances.  Be romantic!