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Topic: Are Op 116-1 and Op 116-7 by Brahms as difficult as Chopin's Op 10-4 or Op 10-12  (Read 4403 times)

Offline presto agitato

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Hello

Do you people know those caprices by Brahms?
Do you think they are as difficult as Chopin's Op 10-4 or Op 10-12?

Thanks



The masterpiece tell the performer what to do, and not the performer telling the piece what it should be like, or the cocomposer what he ought to have composed.

--Alfred Brendel--
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Offline prongated

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I play all the Brahms op. 116, and I play the Chopin Etudes you mentioned. They are very difficult pieces for different reasons. The Chopin Etudes are for obvious reasons. Upon first impression, the Brahms did not appear so difficult - "just" a lot of sound and passion - but get into it and (especially in nos. 1 and 7) you are presented with so many problems! The rhythmic hemiola, the big legato sound, articulation (yeah, see those rests and staccato notes?), pedalling...took me a while to put them all together, and even now it's still somehow not quite right!

Offline presto agitato

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More opinions?
The masterpiece tell the performer what to do, and not the performer telling the piece what it should be like, or the cocomposer what he ought to have composed.

--Alfred Brendel--

Offline presto agitato

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Should I learn Op116-7 first?
The masterpiece tell the performer what to do, and not the performer telling the piece what it should be like, or the cocomposer what he ought to have composed.

--Alfred Brendel--

Offline blairkim

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yeah, I totally agree with Progated. Op.116 seems not hard when people look at the score, however, it requires lots of things like polyrhythms,phrasing, rests, pedaling....etc. You will learn many things from op.116.  ;D

Offline blairkim

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oh, I forgot to say that if you have time, play op.116 no.1-7. You will never regret!
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