Etudes Tableaux- Recordings

[dmk]

I am currently learning 6 of Rachmaninov's Etudes Tableaux and was wondering if any one could recommend a good recording of the complete set (ie op 33 and 39).  I have a couple scattered over a few CD's but I was really hoping to buy one (or two) recordings so I could have all of them (they are beautiful works)

any ideas or advice on playing these?  Does anyone have any favourites

dmk

[Motrax]

I would probably recommend Ashkenazy's recording, though I haven't actually heard it. I love how he plays the preludes, though, and the etudes are similar in style so I'd think he'd do justice to these pieces.

I would recommend against getting Helene Grimaux's or François Joel Thiollier's recordings - these are the ones I have, and I don't like either of their interperetations very much.

[hodi]

you can get some free (and legal) mp3's here:
https://www.serg.vangennip.com/www/piano.html

[jpowell]

Nikolay Lugansky's recording of both sets is very good.

[Floristan]

I really like Howard Shelley's recording on Hyperion:

https://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1067222

[rohansahai]

Ashkenazy's great at both the sets of etudes and the preludes as well. Highly recommended!!!

[Motrax]

I don't like Lugansky's preludes at all, and I would assume the same for his etudes (though I haven't heard them, really). Though he's Russian, his style feels a little weak... it's just missing something which reduces some great pieces into rather mundane little things.

[dmk]

Thanks so much for all you help and suggestions!

I have all the Ashkenazy preludes, so i went and ordered these.   I also bought the Shelley becuase they had it in stock and I figured they would be quite different to the Ashkenazy's.  I actually really like these, they are a much better interpretation that a lot of the others I have floating on randon CD's......

Thanks again

dmk

[musicsdarkangel]

I don't know if he did the Tableux, but Dimitri Alexeyev is a phenominal Rach player.


I'd also recommend Ashkenazy (of course, he's probably my favorite pianist)

[dmk]

Just another question,  has anyone actually played these.  Which are your favourites???  Which do you find the most difficult or the easiest?

I am learning

op 33 n 1, 3, 5, 8

op 39 n 1, 2, 6


I love op 33 n8, i know its not hard and its a little trite but I really love the melody. 

Cheers

dmk

[pianiststrongbad]

I've never played these, though my favourite is op. 39 no. 5 in Eb minor.

[Motrax]

Your choice for Op. 33 is interesting... you named my least favorite as your favorite, and mentioned the others which I don't particularly care for.  I like 2, 4, 6, and 7 from Op. 33.  I'm learning 4 and 7.

I don't like Op. 39 so much as a whole, but I absolutely love number 2 from the set. Number 5 is also pretty good.

Do you have any specific questions about the etudes, or are you just curious to see who plays them?

[dmk]

Motrax,

I think i better clarify which ones I am learning...op 39 is pretty straightforward but in op 33 I am learning

op 33 no 1 in F minor
op 33 no 3 in C minor
op 33 no 5 in D minor
op 33 no 8 in G minor

I my edition (Boosey and Hawkes) in op 33 everything is number sequentially until no 4, in other words the 4th Etude in op 33 is numbered op 33 no 5 and so and so forth so that the last etude is the 8th but is marked op 33 no 9.  Does anyone know how they are usually referred to: by their opus number or by the number marked on top of the etude (for example in exam syllabuses).  (Have i confused everyone or just myself!!). 

I am not just curious as to who plays them but I am more interested in which ones they have played and found difficult etc. and any tips from anyone who has played any of them (Eventually I would like to learn them all...!)

In so far as a specific question for example op 33 no 8 (G minor) in bar 30 there is a run of demisemiquavers.  I have been playing this with both the right and left hand.  I have had some people agree with this and others who think I am crazy and the whole passage should be played with the right hand.  I would be interested to know how others have played this passge.

Op 39 no 2 I learnt this no problem, it wasn't too hard, but I have days where I really love this piece and when I feel as if I am producing a musical interpretation and others where I really don't like the sound of it at all...has anyone else had any difficulty with this piece making it sound like its not just notes on a page...

Cheers 

dmk

[stefano]

I have played op.33 no3 and 9 and op.39 no.5 and 6.

Op.33 no.9 is Fantastic and pretty difficult, it brings a torrent of sound out of the piano.

Op.33 no.3 is haunting with a quaint section in C major. Also rachmaninov used it for his second movement of his 4th piano concerto.

Op.39 no.5 is widely thought of as the greatest of all etudes tableaux.  It is very complex and requires strong hands and a velvet touch in the cantilena sections.

Op.39 no.6 is perhaps the most difficult of all etudes tableaux. Huge jumps in the left hand alternate to an agitated running right hand.  Indeed a great piece.

Other than these, you should take a look at scriabin etude op.42 no.5 its an excellent work that works wonders for the fingers.

[Op. 1 No. 2]

Other than these, you should take a look at scriabin etude op.42 no.5 its an excellent work that works wonders for the fingers.

I think that one's harder than all the Rachmaninov Etudes.

[Motrax]

For bar 30 in the G minor, I only  use one hand. However, as long as you can play fluidly (so there's no break or unevenness between hands), using both hands is fine.

33-1 (f minor) isn't particularly difficult note-wise once you've got it in your hands. However, be careful with pedalling - you want the top voice to ring out though the duration of every measure, and if you use too much pedalling the accompanying chords will drown out the melody.  Can't think of any other specific troubles that might arise from it.

33-3 (C minor) I take back what I said for this one - since I last posted, I came to the conclusion that it's an amazing piece.  The difficulty here also lies in the voicing. Make sure you don't lose the melody with all the 16th notes which reach far above the melody itself. Though you can do neat things with stressing the 16th notes, but always make sure to listen to yourself so the melody doesn't fade away.

The break in numbers might be due to Rachmaninoff's numbering. He removed three etudes from this set, and put two of them back later. So the ordering is sometimes odd.

33-4 (D minor) This is possibly MY favorite etude. I would say it's rather difficult, as it requires a great deal of care to shape a beautiful sound.  Furthermore, there are more "voices" than would be apparent only by looking at the stems of the notes. For example, if you look at measure 11, that section has four voices, and it's quite a challenge to bring each of them out. It gets harder later on, but you still have hidden little melodies and voices which aren't marked.  I don't know if Rachmaninoff wrote the piece with extra melodies in mind, but they are certainly there, and he probably did know what he was doing with composing at this point.

I gotta run, I'll finish this up later. Good luck!

[JP]

I've played some, but have analysed all.. IMO 39/6 is the hardest.

[cherub_rocker1979]

I am currently learning 6 of Rachmaninov's Etudes Tableaux and was wondering if any one could recommend a good recording of the complete set (ie op 33 and 39).  I have a couple scattered over a few CD's but I was really hoping to buy one (or two) recordings so I could have all of them (they are beautiful works)

any ideas or advice on playing these?  Does anyone have any favourites

dmk

I highly recommend Nikolai Lugansky's recording.

[verywellmister]

What does "tableaux" mean, anyway?

[brewtality]

I highly recommend Nikolai Lugansky's recording.

why do you bring up so many old topics?

[kreso]

You forgot to mention Richter, Kissin (selection from op.39), Gavrilov (op.39/3,5) and Berezovsky.