What is harder chopin revolutiary étude or scherzo 1?

[max747]

I just finished the scherzo b minor by Chopin but I want to know if starting on the rev étude would be a step back. Some say it is one of the easier etudes but I don't know.I just started sightreading it for ten minutes and skipped around from section to section. The middle section and end contain some difficulties and thus I am thinking of pusing it what do I do

[birba]

Go for it.  I, personally think the rev. etude is more difficult.  At this stage play what you want.  who cares if something is more or less difficult.  You should learn ALL the etudes sooner or later!

[max747]

Thanks I was just wondering because I am trying to assemble a MTNA repertoire and slot of these competitions have restrictions like one romantic piece out of ur four pieces I do plan to learn the etudes at some point but if I use it in a mtna competition it will replace my scherzo. I like this étude and I will learn I am just not sure it will be now

[chopinatic]

Thanks I was just wondering because I am trying to assemble a MTNA repertoire and slot of these competitions have restrictions like one romantic piece out of ur four pieces I do plan to learn the etudes at some point but if I use it in a mtna competition it will replace my scherzo. I like this étude and I will learn I am just not sure it will be now

I personally found the revolutionary etude far far more easier than the Scherzo by far. The patterns are similar throught. But i have a strong left hand. Its also alot shorter. But it depends on what techniques your more familiar with.

[max747]

Most say the scherzos are hard and I agree but I think the étude sounds difficult and it's kinda of like most bang for ur buck. U invest time to learn a two minute piece that sounds impressive versus u learn the scherzos which repeats like mad and gives the audience the same thing over and over so u have to lay each time diffrenrltly as ur hand gets more and more tired. Has anyone played both pieces becuz I've only done the scherzo .I have decided that I am going to learn the etude but away from my teacher as we are working on other reportoire. Thus I will be learning this étude on my own which should not be too bad but does anyone have any advice

[chopinatic]

Most say the scherzos are hard and I agree but I think the étude sounds difficult and it's kinda of like most bang for ur buck. U invest time to learn a two minute piece that sounds impressive versus u learn the scherzos which repeats like mad and gives the audience the same thing over and over so u have to lay each time diffrenrltly as ur hand gets more and more tired. Has anyone played both pieces becuz I've only done the scherzo .I have decided that I am going to learn the etude but away from my teacher as we are working on other reportoire. Thus I will be learning this étude on my own which should not be too bad but does anyone have any advice

Well if you asked which would be better for a "bang" in a concert i may have said the etude. Just take the etude slowly, its simple as that, if you can play the schezro you shouldnt need much advice to play the etude. Just take it slow, no pedal when learning and keep it all even!

[max747]

Thnks for the advice no pedal seems to be everyone's advice for this piece so I will follow it. I just sightread the first the first two PGA and started playing it concert speed and it sounded muddy. I took off the pedal and it was better but I still need to slow down for more clarity what other etudes hav u played(chopin) becuz I also am working on 25/1(not very seriously becuz I don't think is virtuostic enough to put into a competion reotpore but it is a very beautiful étude) and I would like to get advice on this étude and or any others. I hope to do A few etudes ever year so that when I graduate high school I will have either op10 or25 under my belt.

[quantum]

I play both, but learned the Scherzo years before the Rev.

In my experience I find the Scherzo more difficult to interpret, but the Etude more difficult technically.

[pianowolfi]

Both of these are not easy. They're freaking hard. I play both btw.

[point of grace]

i only studied the etude, the scherzo is so long!

[pianowolfi]

the scherzo is so long!

But there are many repeats! 

[max747]

Thnks everyone 4ur discussions this is my first post as I am new to pianostreet and u guys all seem to know alot.

[pianisten1989]

Playing a chopin etude is never ever a step back, so don't worry about that

[m2r]

Playing a Chopin etude is supposed to challenge in some kind of technique go for it!

[gyzzzmo]

First, you cant really compare those 2. Secondly, at that level it depends on your technique whether a piece improves you or not. Has nothing to do with level. Its not the way of thinking you should have.

[max747]

I think tar playing the rev. Étude could definately do something for my technique. Almost everyone's left hand could be stronger. It is just tat in a repotoiee which requires 1chopin piece,like in a competition,which one should I put in to impress and hopefully win. I have finished sightreading the  the Etude just this week and I performed the scherzo at a few concerts about a month or two ago. So now I am preparing for the nxt competition and which one should I pick.btw if anyone wants to know I am also planing to use a Scriabin étude a prokofeiv sonata and a Beethoven sonata

[joao975ca]

the scherzo is harder, but you should pick up revolutionary...after all, you'll have to play them all

[extremelyfatchicken]

scherzo no 1 definitely.  although i've never played it, i've played revolutionary etude, and it's it's not that difficult once you get the arpeggios in the left hand.

[leonidli]

The scherzo is definitely harder than the etude... the etude is not actually that hard I think, but for the scherzo, first it's much longer, second it's much more complex, and third the technique required is much more variegated and troublesome. Take a look at the fast sections (at the beginning and the end).

[pianist1976]

I played both and I agree with the others: Scherzo 1 is much more difficult, with no doubt. The etude is difficult, I'm not going to be the first one who will underestimate the difficulties of the great Chopin etudes, but I also think that it's one of the more "playable" ones. The fast sections of the Scherzo are pretty uncomfortable to play but... I love it anyway

[semplice]

Hi,

I' ve played both, and I think, that the scherzo is by far harder than the etude.
It's not very hard to play the beginning of the presto "main" section. You need very relaxed wrists especially in the left hand.
In the agitato section it is very hard to keep your wrists relaxed. Playing the "main" presto section after the agitato section is very hard.
the Coda is't very hard at all. In my opinion the Horowitz Version of the chromatic scale is easier than Chopins version.
It was written, the Scherzo would be easier because of the repeats.
I think it is more difficult because of the "repeats"

[scott13]

Scherzo is much much harder than Op 10 #12. Rev etude is based so much around patterns that once learned repeat frequently, the Scherzo is not like that at all, and i believe the Scherzo actually goes faster with a more challenging  harmony as well.

[werq34ac]

I also am working on 25/1(not very seriously becuz I don't think is virtuostic enough to put into a competion reotpore but it is a very beautiful étude)

WOAH hold on. I was going to say that the revolutionary etude is easier than the Scherzo and that you should go for it since learning Chopin etudes is never a step back as someone said, BUT after reading that little snippet...
dude, judges hate people who show off with some virtuosic. I know a kid who won his state's mtna with a scarlatti sonata and a scriabin nocturne in the highest division. Guess what 2nd place played? Islamey. When it comes to these competitions, it doesn't matter AT ALL how difficult or how virtuosic your piece is. It matters how well you play it.


If you can play 25/1 well, the judges will probably find that more impressive than Op. 10/12.

[richterfan1]

Scherzo ofc! Revolutionary Etude is a really good study for the left hand though

[jeffkonkol]

scherzo will show a lot more range of interpretation... kind of demands it due to excessive repeats.  10-12 is pretty popular, which frankly may work against you in terms of a score.

to clarifywith respect to the etudes never being a step back.... they all feature an exaggerated attention to a certain technique.  If you happen to be well prepared for that technique, the piece may seem easy.  I think it is pretty universally agreed though that every technique that is focused on across the 24 is really worth developing.  Hence... it is never a step back to play one.  Even if it is an easier Etude, being able to really focus in on that technique is incredibly worthwhile.

[liszt1022]

The Sherzo doesn't sound that hard to me, I just don't know what Chopin was thinking with these particular rhythms and harmonies.

...AAck. Sorry. I can't post this with a straight face.

[point of grace]

the etude is so easier than the scherzo so, go for it!! its aggresive, it has musicality, expression, tension, really good for the left hand

[werq34ac]

the etude is so easier than the scherzo so, go for it!! its aggresive, it has musicality, expression, tension, really good for the left hand

But don't forget that the melody is in the right hand!

[point of grace]

But don't forget that the melody is in the right hand!

of course