grieg - op 54 no 3 march of the trolls - technique based peice

[shaunarundell]

This piece is listed as grade 5 in Pianostreet, but Bernhard lists it at 8+ and that agrees with my own assessment.

This is an interesting piece - its structure and harmony are quite simple and the chords are straight forward. The effectiveness of the performance is going to be based on the ability of play it at an appropriate speed (it's a 2/4 allegro moderato, but all the performances I have heard would be better characterised as presto) and dynamic contrast and range

My problem is how to play it fast enough  easily. I have been working on this piece for a week or two and have it memorised and the chords and notes down pat, but am a very long way from the speed I want.

I could just keep at it, speeding it up a little each day over months and months but I suspect,  that’s  the wrong approach and would never really get the sound I want even if did not hit a speed wall.

I am looking for suggestions in terms of the method(s) to use to acquire the appropriate technique to play this piece ?

Various issues I have are

Moving around at speed
Getting the chromatic descending chords fast and even
Getting the 6 note runs (bar 11-13, etc) fast and even
Getting the LH octaves fast and clean (bar 30 - )
Smooth flowing arpeggios in the middle section (bar 16  -)

I guess the above issues would apply to any piece the starts to ask for advanced technique at speed.

BTW, I know this is a 'boys own' type of music, that might be seen as lacking class, but who cares, it will be fun to play

Thanks

shaun

[weissenberg2]

I have learned this piece not long ago.

In the first page (and similar passages) with the chords with the descending chromatic scale on top, keep your wrists high and finger the top, if you practice it slowly like that you will eventually get it (the wrists may feel uncomfortable at first).

For the 6-note runs, just do something like 2-1-2-3-4-5.

When I was practicing the octaves in the left hand, I would sit at the piano practicing the jump for 5 minutes slowly, and now I can do it cleanly at presto.

In the arpeggios in the middle section, find out how to finger it comfortably and practice it slowly.

And practice it with no/very little pedal so you can keep it legato easier when you do use pedal.

[alinnman]

I have just worked through this piece, and I object to the "as fast as possible" approach. It is a march (albeit for small creatures called "trolls") and the tempo marking is "Allegro Moderato". Unless you are only in it for technical excercise there is *absolutely* no musical point in rushing it to some kind of Presto, despite the fact that many pianists tend to do this.

The challenge is to make a steady tempo, and a colorful intermezzo. I have chosen 132 BPM and using this tempo I can connect well to the intermezzo, which becomes a "poco meno mosso".

It is a difficult piece and it deserves a good interpretation.