Easy, Yet Impressive Etudes?

[abigailky]

Hi all,

Sorry, I'm starting a new topic... AGAIN! 

I'm wondering if you know any easy but impressive etudes. When I say easy, I mean easy enough (for example, Liszt's Transcendental Etudes are... yes.... too hard!)

I wouldn't really play one of Czerny's etudes as I'll be playing it for a repertoire competition.

I've had a look at Chopin's etudes, and of course the few that I liked are fast and they look hard to me!

Any suggestions? Sorry I'm so picky!

-Abi 

[chopinrabbitthing]

Hey there

Realistically, you won't be playing an etude if you don't find it difficult 

It really all depends on your dedication, strengths, weaknesses, and of course, time to learn it.
I mean, if you have small, agile hands, you obviously going to find a fast etude for small hands easier for an etude with large chords and octaves.
I think the Chopin Etudes will be a brilliant place to start looking: (I'll just mention some that I find easy enough?

Op 10 No 3 is slow, and relatively easy in terms of technique.
Op 10/5 is slightly difficult, but is popular with really amateur pianists.
Op 10/12 is also slightly difficult, esp. if you have a weak left hand.
Op 25/1 is considered easy, I think it is as well, also easy to memorise.
Op 25/2 I've never looked at this one, but it only seems like mixed rhythms, I think this one is really boring.
Trois Nouvelles Etudes No 1 Rarely played, seldom mentioned, it's probably the easiest though and I think it's on the Trinity Guildhall Advanced Certificate (somewhere around Grade


Liszt:
Tbh, I think Gnomenreigen out of the Two Concert Etudes will be easiest.
Transcedental Etude No 1 is quite tough, especially if you haven't played any Liszt or Etudes


Morton Gould: Boogie Woogie Etude - I'm in love with this, I'm not quite sure how difficult it is

Rachmaninoff: Etudes Tableaux No 7 I think is quite easy, but not very impressive.

Let me know what you think of these, and good luck 

[j_menz]

I'm wondering if you know any easy but impressive etudes.

An easy but impressive etude is any etude that covers skills (and ONLY skills) you have already mastered.

Don't really see the point, however, unless it's for an audition.

[asiantraveller101]

Have you checked out MacDowell, Moscheles, or Moszkowski etudes? They are usually used as precursor to Chopin or Liszt etudes. Have fun. 

[abigailky]

Don't really see the point, however, unless it's for an audition.

The main reason I'm going to play an etude is so I can improve my technique but, if I could find one that is nice/impressive that kind of sounds like a piece I could play it for a competition.

Have you checked out MacDowell, Moscheles, or Moszkowski etudes? They are usually used as precursor to Chopin or Liszt etudes. Have fun. 

I have, indeed. Thanks for the suggestion!

Realistically, you won't be playing an etude if you don't find it difficult 

Haha yes I know. But I need one that won't take me like a year to learn or anything if you know what I mean!
Chopinrabbitthing, wow thank you for all your suggestions!  I'll have another look through these.

Thanks everyone!

-Abi 

[thepianist09]

Personally I would play Chopin Op.25 no.2 in F minor, contrary to what has been said above I don't find it boring at all. It is quite technically difficult and impressive to play, but beautiful at the same time.

If you just want showy go for the Butterfly Etude, but I don't find it particularly pretty, although it is much more so than Rubensteins 'Staccato'.

Liszt Etudes are lovely, not as hard as his Transcendentals, and they are certainly ones to look at.

Away from Etudes, you could try Rachmaninov Preludes, again for showy do what everyone does and play the C# Minor Prelude, but if you want more look at his third or fourth. They are glorious.

[chopinrabbitthing]

No prob
Chopin's "Butterfly" etude is also beautiful, I completely forgot about it.

[awesom_o]

Easy, impressive, and etude, are three words which cannot coexist meaningfully with each other.

[pianist1976]

Op 10 No 3 is slow, and relatively easy in terms of technique.

This isn't the first time I listen or read such a thing about Op 10 no 3. That could be true... if you'd wipe off the entire central section. I can't understand why there is people who considers this one an "easy etude". I don't think it is

[awesom_o]

Absolutely. The middle section of op. 10/3 requires staggering virtuosity to play cleanly and musically. As for voicing and phrasing in the outer sections.....  no such thing as an easy Chopin Etude.

[chopinrabbitthing]

I play op 10/3.
It's still RELATIVELY easy compared to the others, and the middle section isn't too difficult when you are patient.
It's also a bit easier when you can "understand" and study the music well, the voicing, in particular.
The only problem for me it that it's quite difficult to memorise.

[awesom_o]

hmm. I just recorded all 24 and op. 10/3 is the one I've played for the longest time (since I was 12-I am now 24).

I would not personally say that it is relatively easy compared to the others. Having that very mindset will imho prevent an artist from being able to make an artistically dedicated recording of the material, whether they are an amateur preparing their first or second study, or a fully-fledged artist with a concert career and a record label.

Sure, I was playing op. 10/3 (very poorly) when I was 12, while I certainly wasn't playing op. 10/1 or 10/2 at the same age.
 But as there are plenty of 12 year old pianists that play adequate renditions of the faster studies.
25/11, 10/4, and 10/8 all come to mind as being etudes which young pianists in competitions play frequently with considerable skill.

I have yet to see a 12 year old pianist play 10/3 with anything close to what I'D call 'considerable skill.'

[chopinrabbitthing]

I totally agree with you...I kinda hate seeing kids my age just splat out the notes and bam, they're done with the piece.
Really, I think she's just looking for something to play, not perfectly or anything. So really, it's up to her...

I personally think out of all the etudes, this one is one the hardest to interpret and figure how you'd like to play it. I don't really like the famous pianists' rendition of this piece, I prefer to have my own style. I haven't found a favourite interpretation of this piece yet, the closest is actually...Lang Lang's.

[awesom_o]

Honestly, Lang Lang's recent recording of the Chopin Etudes is very, very fine indeed. NOT everything is to my taste, but he's been getting better and better lately. Also, he's known the Chopin etudes forever. He's had almost two decades with them and in that time they've matured and come a long way!

[jy_]

Morton Gould: Boogie Woogie Etude - I'm in love with this, I'm not quite sure how difficult it is

I really enjoyed this piece... is the orchestra really necessary? Saw a number of solo piano recordings w/o the orchestra

[chopinrabbitthing]

I really enjoyed this piece... is the orchestra really necessary? Saw a number of solo piano recordings w/o the orchestra

No, I like it solo, I don't what the orchestra is doing...it's not really an etude with the orchestra anyways..