Chopin - Étude #1 op 10

[frankiisko]

Hi to everyone! Today I'd like to show you one of the pieces that I played recently in a concert.

It's the Étude #1 composed by Frédérik Chopin. It's, in my opinion, very difficult because you have to play the arpeggios very fast and it's hard to keep a continuity between them. For me, this is one of the most difficult Chopin's Études.

It receives the name of "Waterfall Étude" because of the descendant arpeggios that seem a musical waterfall (at least, I interpret this surname like that LOL!)

Well, here you have my performance of this Étude. I hope you like it!

[49410enrique]

outstanding. worthy of the highest  'nod of approval' the coveted and rare chuck norris thumbs up.

[frankiisko]

Haha!! Thank you very much and thanks to Chuck Norris! 

[ajspiano]

Great work! - really enjoyed hearing your rendition. Are you planning to bump the tempo further in time or are you happy with it as is?

My real suggestions are fairly subjective, just relating to the individual interpretation. So take it of leave it. Maybe your doing some of them anyway, I did watch this while on a noisy bus without earsphones

So, I like the opening to be quite strong, and I imagine the first 8 bars to form a kind of cycle o the water falling over the top of a VERY high waterfall, crashing into the river below, and causing small ripples further down stream..  It goes kind of like this:

Bar 1-2: the first bit of water blasts over the top of the waterfall.
Bar 3-4: this is similar to the first but more about the water falling down through mid air than crashIng over rocks at the top. There is an accent on the RH "D" for the last beat. For me this forms a more subtle part of the image - my view kind of pans backward and I take in the rest of the surrounds (trees, birds etc)
Bar 5-6: the water draws close to the river below here, at the top of the RH run, and as the LH "D" octave hits - this is the moment that the water crashes into the river.
Bar 7-8: I like this to evoke the more subtle water movement (maybe this is not so physically realistic for a waterfall ) the LH G is somewhere around mf, it must be very resonant but not loud or harsh, RH is beginning p an there is a cresc, it ha a real floating kind of thing about it. The imagery here is more about these small ripples appearing and then spreading (cresc is the spreading). The accent on the D#/Eb at the end changes my view again as the water seems to tail off at the top of the water fall before another surge comes over the top and we return to the C major arp.

....

That aside, and using less imagery now - I tend to buy into the softer/no pedal in bar 17 that a lot of performers do, but only momentarily. 17-18 and 19-20 have these little swells like <><.. But they are all in the softer dynamic range. The the F bar 21 is loud, but between the hands I like an fp effect and then a long cresc up to the beginning of the A7 arp bar.

Bars ~30-32 are some of the most dramatic in the piece, along with the ending, I really bring them out. The left hand I play very heavily there.

 the D7/Gsus and Cmaj7/Fsus#4 bars - I kind of romanticise these a bit, the are extremely expressive bars. On the decent pollini does this kind of accent and echo thing with the first two crotchet beats are stronger and the second two echo them. This can be pretty challenging I find because you are playing the part with the changing melody notes much softer. It's difficult to balance the echo effect and bring out the melody the right way.

I like a big cresc for the section where the RH is playing 2 octave patterns.

Small amount of rit. for the tail end of the E major arp that transitions to G7 before returning to the original theme.

During the ending, you want to make sure there is excellent clarity on the decending chromatic shifts, you bring out the top RH notes in chromatic units a semitone apart, rather than as arp patterns an octave apart... Pollini also does this really well.

Anyway, this is all just MY thoughts, no need to pay too much attention.

AJ

[danhuyle]

Great work! - really enjoyed hearing your rendition. Are you planning to bump the tempo further in time or are you happy with it as is?


AJ

I don't see a need for bumping the tempo further.

One of the demands I find in this is playing clean arpeggios.

I believe you can offer more color and variety in the playing. Otherwise, well done 

[ajspiano]

I don't see a need for bumping the tempo further.

Neither do I, unles you aim to reach the mm. - I was just curious as to the OP's perspective.

[p2u_]

Well, here you have my performance of this Étude. I hope you like it!

As a person: I liked it. Good attempt and lots of potential.
As a coach: Although you start brilliantly, the B7 going down (in bar 22 I believe) catches you off guard and you never recover from that; the brilliance is gone and you start thinking too much.

In general: Take it a bit slower for the time being; it's still impressive music and you have everything it takes to make it work. Also, it may be the recording, but I would try to make something more of the bass line. And a last remark: you should have a closer look at Chopin's marks for the dynamics and see how you can relate your touch to those.
P.S.: Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it is with positive intention.

Paul

[johnmar78]

excellent work my friend for your dedications.....Chopin would hear that in his grave.