Chopin Etudes 1,2,7,8,12,14,15

[awesom_o]

Hi everyone!
It's been a while since I've posted anything on here-I have been busy building up my teaching studio, and studying the works of the masters. I have also been devoting as much time as I can to improvisation and composition. All of these activities have left me with litte time to perform or record very much repertoire lately, but my first real recording project is nevertheless finally underway-the complete op. 10 and op. 25 Etudes! I decided to record the 24 in celebration of my 24th birthday-I've been planning it ever since I was a child, but being quite naturally lazy and disinclined to polish pieces I've already learned (I much prefer to study new pieces and have always been this way) it's taken quite some time to learn them all to a high enough standard to begin recording.

Some of the Etudes I've played since I was about 12, others I have learned more recently.
The piano is a NY Steinway D with Abel hammers-an interesting and effective combination, in my opinion-an intercontinental Steinway rather than a strictly German or American instrument. I cannot tell you nearly as much information about the microphones used-I have a professional audio engineer who is working with me on this project, and he is much more accomplished in his field than I am in mine.

Most of them are still on the cutting room floor right now and I still haven't layed down any takes for 25/11 or 25/12, so I still need a few more sessions to complete the project, but it should shape up some time later on this spring.

I hope you enjoy my work and thanks for listening!

https://soundcloud.com/carlisle-beresford/etude-no-1-in-c-major-op-10

https://soundcloud.com/carlisle-beresford/etude-no-2-in-a-minor-op-10

https://soundcloud.com/carlisle-beresford/etude-no-7-in-c-major-op-10

https://soundcloud.com/carlisle-beresford/etude-no-8-in-f-major-op-10

https://soundcloud.com/carlisle-beresford/etude-no-12-in-c-minor-op-10

https://soundcloud.com/carlisle-beresford/etude-no-2-in-f-minor-op-25

https://soundcloud.com/carlisle-beresford/etude-no-3-in-f-major-op-25

[hakki]

Wonderfully played! Bravo!

Especially very musical interpretation of the op.10 no.7 and op.25 no.3.

Thanks for sharing.

[awesom_o]

Thank you, Hakki.
That warms my heart-I found both of those two to be particularly challenging.

[blazekenny]

You have no chorale melody in the bass line in C major etude 10/1
Remember everyone can play the notes, but only a few pianists played the etudes beautifully...be one of them

[emill]

CONGRATULATIONS on the wonderful results of your efforts!!!
Though I enjoyed all the pieces, I particularly liked the Etude no. 2 in A minor, op. 10.
GOOD luck on the success of your teaching studio.

[awesom_o]

Thanks, emill!

Op. 10/2 certainly took a huge amount of work to control the voicing.

I have almost 10 students now-ranging from young beginners to adult amateurs to undergraduate piano performance majors

Teaching is wonderful way to develop yourself in a variety of ways. I really love to play four-hands duets with my students. Soon I will have my first studio recital ever!

[ajspiano]

Well done, my post is perhaps going to be a little critical but thats not to say that I don't appreciate the skill involved here and the quality of playing in general.

I rather enjoyed 10/2 aswell.

It does sound to me a little as though its technically still giving you some challenge in places, which is more than understandable - I find the thing a real horror to play consistently - maybe that's not the case for you though and I'm just relating some of my own problems to it while listening. But even if it is, its not detracting from it musically.. just perhaps from quite how you might play it if there was a touch more control available to you.

All that said I really liked the tempo fluctuation and dynamic nuance you put into it.

Your 10/1 could do with some more thought about the LH melody as was mentioned above..  Interestingly, the tonal quality of the piano makes your recording sound remarkably like pollini's rendition.

I felt like the revolutionary lacked a bit of the "flow" I'd like to hear in it - this was quite evident right at the beginning with the introduction. It feels like the jump to the RH chord is delayed, as in the octave G's to DFGD or FGDF. Maybe that's just my personal interpretation of it, that those jumps should feel instantaneous..

[frankiisko]

Well, I've enjoyed quite a lote your Op. 10 n.1 Maybe you could have played a more melodic line in the bass and a more "open and close" form in the arpeggio part. Anyway I think it's been a great interpretation

Your Op. 10 n. 2 -> Great voicing!! I haven't played it but it sounds quite personalized and correctly phrased.

Op. 10 n. 12 -> I find you play the accents in a very "marcato" way (in first mesures of the score), i wouldn't play them so hard, but it would be just my interpretation Maybe there is too much rubato in some parts and I also would play it a little bit faster.

Congratulations for your great work. I've played Op. 10 number 1 and 12, and i've liked your op. 10 n. 2. Keep this amazing work!!