Schumann Toccata

[bachmaninov]

I am learning this piece along with some other ones... But this is really really bothering me!

-This piece sounded pretty tiring... But my hands are dying just trying to practice it... What should i do? I can't picture myself playing the whole thing without my hands breaking.

[Antnee]

Yes this piece is very tough, But I love it! What gets tired, your hands or your arms or both? Make sure you space your practice sessions about 36 hours or so apart to let you muscles gain their maximum growth out of their last session. It may take a long time but eventually you arms won't tire. Just make sure you don't hurt yourself.

[maxy]

If you say your hands are already dying, be very careful...
The piece requires big hand stretches to then play  sometimes not very confortable intervals in the middle.  Play the 10ths broken if you must.
Locked wrists won't survive.

I hope you have a good teacher...
Good luck!
It is a fun piece!

[argerich_smitten]

I know this isn't really a fair question since everybody's technique differs, but how hard is this piece?  I read through some of it, but I never made the time investment to try and learn/familierize myself with all the technical problems.  Schumann himself declared it was the "hardest piece yet written" (obviously an over-statement), but from what I can see, once the mastery of a few motions is obtained it won't be too bad (just a little tiring).  

[liszmaninopin]

Well, I've not actually played the piece, so I can't offer much in the way of specifics.  However, in general, I'd say that this is a very difficult piece of music-technically it probably vies with just about everything written before it.

I have played the Prok toccata, however.  It was definitely not easy, but once one got the hand of some certain motions and rythms, it rather fell into place.

[Antnee]

This is what allmusic.com says about it  

Schumann's Toccata, Op. 7 is a perpetual-motion tour de force that calls for pianists of exceptional digital abilities. It is cast in in a sonata-allegro form; bold chords announce the main theme, which requires a continuous rocking motion in both hands even as it cascades over the keyboard. (This is likely the sort of passage that Schumann famously ruined his hands trying to master.) The second subject offers little relief for the pianist, and the development, with its unison octaves, even less. The piece finally fades away, as though from exhaustion. For all its fireworks, the Toccata never loses the delightful spirit of the composer at his most playful, the quality that lifts the work beyond the realm of mere technical display.

I would imagine it to be quite frightful to perfect. I can honestly say I will be just listening to it for quite a while

[maxy]

Argerich_Smitten...

Funny... I have heard Argerich would play the Schumann Toccata every day before practicing to see if she is "in shape".  

And I say the Schumann Toccata is harder than the Prokofiev Toccata.  People could disagree.

[pianistavt]

I am looking at the Schumann Toccata, considering working on it, see what I can learn from it.
my question is:
is this piece only really playable by pianists who can span a 10th?
I read through the first theme and it seems that if you can't easily span those 9ths and 10ths, you're kind of wasting your time - a jump is going to slow the piece down, lose that all-important perpetual motion effect.

If you've played this successfully doing jumps I would very much appreciate hearing about it - -