Chopin Etude Op. 25 No. 11

[brendan765]

I understand this piece of Chopins really tests your ability to play independent parts in each hand. Right hand being very hard to cordinate with the left. This type of piece is of the slowest pieces to learn for me. To give you an idea of how difficult this is for me I would say it is harder than Liszt-Feux Follets, Liszt-La Campanella, Rachmaninoff-Prelude Op. 23 No. 5.

This piece is one that takes special attention when learning unless you have some crazy insane sightreading abilities along with some very good rhythmic integrity than I think it's obvious that it must be memorized hands apart very well before putting hands together.

I want to test my abilities and I've been looking for other music that has 2 independent parts in each hand. Reccomendations possibly?

[stravinskylover]

Hold on... you think that Chopin's "Winter Wind" etude is harder than Liszt's Feux Follets? I'm shocked...

You don't have to memorize the hands separately before you play with both, just be able to play each hand at at least near full tempo first.

If you're looking for pieces that have independent parts in both hands, might I recommend Bach?

[cabbynum]

Hold on... you think that Chopin's "Winter Wind" etude is harder than Liszt's Feux Follets? I'm shocked...

You don't have to memorize the hands separately before you play with both, just be able to play each hand at at least near full tempo first.

If you're looking for pieces that have independent parts in both hands, might I recommend Bach?

Some people are just naturally good at the technique TE 5 offers, those people make me very jealous.

I would also recommend Bach, if you want something more romantic look at Busoni transcriptions.
Or shostokovich 24 preludes and fugues. Any fugue really.

Also if you found the Liszt easy go for Rach prelude op.23 no.9 (I think thats right, its in Eb Minor) similar technique.

I've never learned the etude in question but, I have been doing a lot of sightreading and personally dont find it hard to read at all, its just a bit awkward.

[j_menz]

I want to test my abilities and I've been looking for other music that has 2 independent parts in each hand. Reccomendations possibly?

Pretty much any four (or five) voice fugue. Kapustin, Shostakovich would be good starting points.

There are also the Busoni Bach organ transcriptions, though you should probably tackle the Liszt ones first. Tausig and Reger next.

Outside of that, the Godowsky study on 25/11 would be worth a look; as would the Hamelin or Hinton Etudes based on (inter alia) this one.

[g_s_223]

IIRC some of the Ligeti etudes have brain-meltingly rhythmical independent parts for each hand.

P.S. The fine composer Fauré wrote many works for the piano, and as he was virtually ambidextrous they often have complex and independent LH parts.

[chopin2015]

 If you can get the first set of runs down at tempo, with the left hand, you can pretty much get the entire piece. I recommend knowing the left hand very well, as it keeps the melody and rhythm. It is very important.

 There are a lot of stretchy intervals where you may want to stretch your hand and keep a tense position in your palm. DO NOT DO THIS. When you practice slowly, make sure to keep your elbows loose, but think of them as heavy weights. that when you lift your hand and aim, when you let go, it falls to the key very fast. I know this doesn't make sense, but just remember to keep a closed hand position, do not stretch you fingers out. That is the point of this etude. To learn to play large intervals without stretching and tensing your pentascale hand position. K?

Do not sight read the piece. divide the piece into sections, divide the sections into smaller sections. memorize the right hand. while you play the right hand, sing the left hand to it, or rhythm play it. Then, play the left hand separately. Think about what tempo the left hand should be, and how fast would you have to play the right hand, to make the left hand sound the slow melody fast enough.

Anyways, if you have any questions, I played this etude like a year ago at a few auditions. The best it ever got was then. I highly recommend the BACH WTC. I also played a P&f at the auditions, as well.

I'd work on a couple p&fs at a time, if you like Bach.

[future_maestro]

Well, I don't know if "Testing" your ability on this piece is a good idea. If it is that hard for you to play this type of music, maybe you should build your skill level a little bit before trying to play it?

Talk with your teacher, ask if there's anything he could recommend that would help you with this piece.

My teacher can play both Etude op 25 no 11 and La Campenella without flaw, and he says that the La Campenella absolutely blows away the Etude.