Quest to complete Chopin Etudes - Op 10 no 4

[ahoffmann]

I wasn't looking forward to this one but what I really learned to value about it is how much there is to learn from it. I particularly wanted to try and bring out some quiet moments and not have it sound too metronomical.

Took a lot of work. Time well spent

Do please share any thoughts you have and I love it when people join me down this crazy road.

[adodd81802]

Clearly very talented. I don't have enough knowledge to comment properly on the piece so i'll just say bravo! And when will we see OP 10 No 2

[ahoffmann]

Thx.

Sigh. The dreaded op 10 no 2. I was going to try and tackle that next actually but to be honest right now I feel a little burned out with all this mechanical work. I'll attempt it though. Perhaps I'll do a practice video of it first.

[adodd81802]

I look forward to it. I can play through it at half tempo...  but I'm still at the stage where my 3/4 fingers start to seize up before finishing the whole piece.

I'm doing some exercises on the side to help.

Out of interest, how long have you been practicing this piece - in terms of days and hours per day? You don't have to answer that question, some pianists consider that quite personal.

[ahoffmann]

Out of interest, how long have you been practicing this piece - in terms of days and hours per day?

I presume you mean the Op 10 no 4.
I had learned the notes of it a few years ago but only to a point of muddling through it. And now I picked it up again in the summer but can't remember exactly when. Then came vacation and the real hard push started around mid-September until now. I never timed how long I practiced it but it was typically several hours if you count things like preparatory exercises etc. I can't say for sure though. I'd guess around 2-3 hours or so. Quite a lot for such a short piece.

[kawai_cs]

Quite a lot for such a short piece.

I think Chopin etudes deserve a lot of time and to play it as great as you did is absolutely worth many hours of practice.
I remember you playing last time op 10 no 1 and so I knew this one would be very nice before actually listening to it. (Then I listened to it )
And which one is your favorite?

[ahoffmann]

I think Chopin etudes deserve a lot of time and to play it as great as you did is absolutely worth many hours of practice.
...
And which one is your favorite?

You're right they take a lot of time to mature. I believe Ashkenazy said it took him over 10 years until he could play the op 10 no 1 properly. He certainly succeeded.

In the last year or so I learned a lot about making practicing more efficient which helps. I got a webcam that can point down at the keyboard so I can start making videos sharing my knowledge.

I don't have a single favorite but I have a soft spot for many of them. In particular the double-third etude, Winterwind, Revolutionary and many of the smaller ones that aren't played often like the op 10 no 7 and no 11.
Also I've noticed how beautifully the op 10 seem to lead into each other. Nearly every time, the last note is either the same or very closely related to the first note of the next etude. It's especially beautiful after the no 6 to kind of "wake up from the darkness" into the "dawn" of no 7.

[chopinlover01]

Agreed about the etudes leading into each other.
Sometimes though, IMO, it's intended to be a stark contrast; ex. No. 3 into No. 4 (which, by the way, was quite good here! I LOVED your pianissimo sounds!!!), or No. 11 into No. 12.

[ajlongspiano]

Wonderful job! So glad to see another person who loves music so much. Which etude next? I love Op.10 no.6

[brogers70]

That's very impressive. I second all the positive comments. If I had a suggestion, it would be this. The piece sounds a bit rushed. Not that the tempo is too fast, but I get the feeling that you are just the least bit early when finishing one phrase and going on to the next. Not that there should be a big pause, of course, but I think you are slightly shortening the last notes of many of the phrases and that gives a rushed, uneven feel at some points.

[ahoffmann]

Wonderful job! So glad to see another person who loves music so much. Which etude next? I love Op.10 no.6

Thanks

I want to make a first real attempt at the chromatic etude but if it's too much, I might delay that. I'm thinking of posting a trial run or something.
Yes the Op 10 no 6 is extraordinary. It's unusually dark for Chopin too. All the more amazing how the no 7 starts after that.

That's very impressive. I second all the positive comments. If I had a suggestion, it would be this. The piece sounds a bit rushed. Not that the tempo is too fast, but I get the feeling that you are just the least bit early when finishing one phrase and going on to the next. Not that there should be a big pause, of course, but I think you are slightly shortening the last notes of many of the phrases and that gives a rushed, uneven feel at some points.

Thanks to you too. Very observant comment btw. It's something I often catch myself doing when I listen to a recording of myself. Looking back, I feel I did that to some extent with all of the etudes I've uploaded so far. So there's definitely something to work on. Thx for pointing it out.

[ahoffmann]

Here are some exercises I used for this piece:

[francoisfj]

It's played very well! I don't have sufficient knowledge to critisize it, but I really enjoyed it!