most challenging double note etude?

[liszmaninopin]

I am curious, but what do you think is the most challenging double note etude?  I am inclined to view it as rather a tossup between Rach's op. 23 #9 and Ligeti's Coloana Fara Sfarsit.  It seems like either one would help one's technique with respect to thirds tremendously.

[jon]

Listz's Feux Follets

[donjuan]

Maybe Liszt- Grande Etude No.5? (earlier version of Feux follets)

[Rob47]

rach op23 no. 9 is a prelude, but I would also say this is one of, if not the most challenging for double notes piece for myself. And its got a quicker metronome marking than feux follets (i think?)But then again if you are playing feux follets up to speed, op23 no. 9 would be no problem either.

your friend
Rob

[Max]

Probably the 1838 Feux Follets.

Theres a Debussy Etude which is very nasty, concerning double notes also.

[pianiststrongbad]

Chopin etude in 3rds.

[chromatickler]

Godowsky's transcription of the thirds etude

[IllBeBach]

Schumann Toccata--I know it's not an "etude" technically, at least by title...

[donjuan]

Schumann Toccata--I know it's not an "etude" technically, at least by title...

ok, well in that case, Prokofiev's Toccata!

[liszmaninopin]

Well, I've played the Prokofiev Toccata, but not the Schumann.  I can tell you that, while the Prokofiev is tough, it isn't even close to Rach's op. 23 #9 or the Coloana fara Sfarsit.

[thracozaag]

Well, I've played the Prokofiev Toccata, but not the Schumann.  I can tell you that, while the Prokofiev is tough, it isn't even close to Rach's op. 23 #9 or the Coloana fara Sfarsit.

 I agree, that Rach prelude is on another level of difficulty (if you try to actually play it up to tempo, which most people are incapable of doing).

koji (STSD)

[liszmaninopin]

You should here the coloana at tempo!  It's frightening.

[thracozaag]

 There are frightening double-note passages in the Scriabin 7th and 8th sonatas, and in the Reger Bach Variations.

koji (STSD)

[liszmaninopin]

actually, although it isn't one of the main difficulties of the piece, there are a few fun double note passages in Violette's Sixth Sonata-very tricky, one has to go up, then reach over the thumb with the second and third fingers to do rapid double notes (rather hard to describe).

[Baudelaire84]

"double 3rd" is a frightning word that can be physically and psychologggically off puting when playing virtuoso music... don't you think? I tend to forget they exist and concentrate on the top part.

[joell12068]

Godowsky's transcription of the thirds etude

I vote for this one also.  Especially since the thirds are changed to the left hand, making it considerably more difficult.

[chromatickler]

Godowsky's ignus fatuus 10/2 can also be considered a double note etude. Although in that piece, the double notes themselves should be the least of your worries.

[eViLben]

Liszt's etude d'après Paganini n°4 (arpeggio)
this one is a nice double note etude!!

[anda]

how about debussy's etudes in doubles? definitely more difficult than chopin (at least for me)

[bachmaninov]

On the Prokofiev Tocatta vs Schumann Tocatta topic...

I've played Schumanns... and have seen and heard Prokofievs many many times....

While they are both very difficult... I think Schumanns is  tougher, considereing it requires so much endurance... and i think there are more difficult passages, than in prokofievs tocatta.

Both very technical pieces!