About Chopin's Etude no. 12 op. 10 - Revolutionary

[vincentl]

I have been told that this etude is not too difficult to learn, disregarding the tempo, starting off at a slow and easy speed first then just pick up the tempo slowly. What do you guys think? Or should this piece be put aside first until you've developed a greater technique?

[zeusje]

Actually I try to play many chopin etudes, but op. 10 no. 12 I've always been avoiding, don't know why but perhaps I find it one of the more difficult ones.

Maybe you'll like this link:

https://www.pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=631

I particularly like in that how it is explained how all the etudes are interrelated, I thought it was a good approach so I started with op 10 no. 1,2,3,4 and I'll look forward from there. The first four are pretty difficult, I think no.4 might help me to play no. 12 for example.

[vincentl]

Thank you for the site, it is very helpful and informative. I want to complete Chopin's Op. 10 Etudes from 1 to 12, and the site you gave me will help me. I am currently on No. 3, unfortunately I had to start from there, because I can't find a copy of No. 1 and 2 at the moment.

[scottmcc]

starting with op 10 #3 is probably not a bad thing--it's one of the "easier" ones technically (but not so easy musically).

there are probably better study guides to the etudes than the pianosociety link above.  op 10 nrs 1 and 2 are widely regarded as among the hardest of the set, and I really wouldn't recommend them to start with.

if you search this forum, you'll find much more in depth explanations of my points above in a number of different threads.

[stevebob]

Ditto to what scottmcc just wrote.

Maybe you'll like this link:

https://www.pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=631

I particularly like in that how it is explained how all the etudes are interrelated, I thought it was a good approach so I started with op 10 no. 1,2,3,4 and I'll look forward from there. The first four are pretty difficult, I think no.4 might help me to play no. 12 for example.

I don't think that "all the etudes are interrelated" is an adequate summary of that guide, and it definitely doesn't suggest that learning them in numerical order is "a good approach."

[birba]

Yes, I don't see how he said they were all interrelated.  He talked about the form and how most of them are ABA.  He talked about the technical aspect dealt with in each etude.  They definitely should not be studied in sequential order.  I think you should consider op. 25 along with op. 10.  There are a couple there that should be among the first chopin etudes studied.

[vincentl]

Oh, thank you for your advice everyone, I guess it was fortunate to have started on the op. 10 no. 3 etude. So, I will probably finish the no. 3 etude first, any suggestions on the next etude to be learned? I only had an interest to start on Chopin's Revolutionary etude because, I read somewhere that it is not too difficult to start from that etude. Of course, I did not analyze the piece yet, still finding a copy in local music stores.

[birba]

Op. 25, no. 2?

[zeusje]

Yes I said they are all interrelated, that was perhaps an overstatement, and is not really something that summarizes the article.

There are some indications though in the article that make it seem that the author sees some ordering in the etudes:

for example:

Opus 10 no.4
Notice also the similarity in this respect with No.3 and how this étude builds on what has been learnt in the previous one ...

Opus 10 no.7
This work extends the lessons of No.6 but the main lesson here is the ability to play two diff.....

Opus 10 no.8
This work follows on from No.7 as being primarily another work concerned with counterpoint. In this cas....

[stevebob]

That article is filled with subjective opinions and baseless claims, as exemplified even in those few brief quotations.

I think that Piano Society is a decent site overall, but the Internet isn't the place to expect well documented and well written information about Chopin's music.  There's frankly a lot of crap out there; I can think of a couple of sites with commentary and musical "analysis" that's even less credible than the Piano Society essay.

The foremost present-day Chopin scholars are probably John Rink and Jim Samson.  The books they've written, edited or contributed to are serious and significant.

[gyzzzmo]

Books, articles and the internet might be all great media, but wether or not you should start on 10/12 depends on your current technique and knowledge of learning.
And sometimes you should just start on a piece if you have enough self-critisism, to check your limitations or possibilities. You definitely dont have to be a 'virtuozo' to start on it, it is an etude afterall.