Quest to Complete Chopin Etudes

[ahoffmann]

Hi all.
I have recently set myself the task of learning all Chopin etudes and want to upload them to youtube. First two uploads below. This is going to be one hell of a mount Everest to climb and I'm expecting lots of hard work and frustration but I'm determined to manage it eventually.
I'd love people to join me, give advice and share the experiences. Next one I'm working on is the Revolutionary study.




Op 25 no 12:

Op 25 no 2:

[throwawaynotreally]

.

[ahoffmann]

Thanks

Well I haven't set a deadline but I'm certain it'll take me beyond 2015. Perhaps I'll be done in my next life.

Welcome to the ride. Are you planning on recording  or performing them?

Oh yes no 1. Not looking forward to that one - and especially not the chromatic one.

You'll enjoy no 9 a lot. It's not difficult but very nice - more like a Nocturne.

I'm dreading no 4 as I really don't like it very much but know that it's very hard. Hopefully it'll teach me like it taught you.

Good luck to all of us

[throwawaynotreally]

.

[verqueue]

Hi ahoffmann,
we've met before. I'm planning to do whole op. 10 this year.

No 1. I started from this one, the harderst part of it is before me - speeding it up. I can play it in the middle tempo and don't feel any problems with this. But speeding it up even a little causes many mistakes...

No 2. I tackled some years ago, so I know how to practice it and I remember the notes. Bringing it up to the tempo will be easier than the first one.

No 3.The third one is nice, probably it will be the last one.

No 4, 5. I'm lucky, because I performed no 4 and no 5 in the past, so I don't have to work on them much.

No 6. The same as no 3.

No 7. This one I'm scared off, because of musical challange.

No 8. I don't like this one.

No 9. This one I played, it's very nice. It will not take much time to recall it.

No 10. This one I'm doing now also. It's not to hard to memorize, there are a lot of patterns. Proper articulation is challange in this one. I have enough flexibility to play it.

No 11. This one has challanging pedal.

No 12. I performed it, so no problem here.

After I will half-finish no 1 and no 10, I'll start no 7 and no 8. I'll do my best to start them in February. It'll be great to work on this pieces in the company .

[ahoffmann]

Ah hi verqueue,

Yes, no 8 is also one of my least favourite. Like no 4. Actually no 4 is only even remotely enjoyable when it's not played too fast. Speed totally ruins it for me. It's not that they're "bad". They just don't inspire me like the others.

Glad you didn't find it hard to memorize no 10. I can't say the same for myself.  I don't know why, certain pieces of Chopin's are like that.

I was supposed to do no 1 soon now but I might have to delay it (Thanks Scriabin). We'll see. I haven't given it my full attention yet so I can't tell how much of a struggle it'll be. Fortunately I feel this is one of those that work nicely also at a slower tempo. I have no doubt that no 2 will take ages no matter what I do.

I know a story of one of the great pianists of the 20th century (can't remember who) who performed op10 no 1. Apparently he started on the wrong note, and from that point on, played not a single right note for the duration of the piece. 
 

[ahoffmann]

Well it's later than I planned but here we are with the 3rd installment:

[verqueue]

I like very much your emotion. For live-performance it's good! Don't be nervous next time .

Hope to hear your no 1 soon! How long do you think you'll have to practice it?

[ahoffmann]

Thx verqueue.

It's really too early to tell how long it'll take. It's nasty. To put it mildly.

[pet]

I'm working on the Revolutionary etude right now!  It's a task....working on all of them...  I have completed the black key etude and the on in C# minor.  I finally have those two up to speed.

What mic are you using to record?  I'm on a look out for one..  I'm not really sure how to set up stuff for my grand piano.

Keep it up!  You're sounding good!

[cbreemer]

Very impressive ! It seems you have complete technical mastery over this etude. The sound is a bit bass heavy, maybe you could go a little lighter on the LH or else more forte in the RH.
Very nice diminuendo (una corda I guess) near the end. The closing chords could be played with a bit more pomp and drama, IMO. Great work ! This may not be the hardest of the Etudes but if you
get this far you can do them all.

[ahoffmann]

Hi pet,
thx.
which c# minor? Op 10 no 4?  I'm not looking forward to that one. It's my least favorite. While the one in book 2 is one of the most beautiful ever.

I'm using the Blue Yeti microphone. I chose it for being pretty good for its price class and that it's USB so I can just plug it into my laptop. It's far from perfect though.
Recording piano is pretty tricky. With a grand you should also try putting the mic inside the open piano in various places. Also try underneath. One has to try a lot of different things basically.

[ahoffmann]

Thx cbreemer,
the bass is heavy I think because of the mic positioning. It doesn't sound nearly as heavy in reality. But if I put the mic higher up, then you hear the knocking of the keys and it sounds really artificial

You're completely right about the closing chords. I don't know why I lost energy there. It's not the way I would normally play it.