Chopin Op.10 No.1

[lukejones1]

Just thought I would post a recording I made of Chopin's Op.10 No.1 the other evening at the RNCM in Manchester. Hope you enjoy it.

 

Apologies for the rather high reverb, that room isn't the best available for recording unfortunately.

P.S. There is also a Scarlatti Sonata K11 and Debussy Prelude No.10 'La Cathedrale Engloutie' from the same session available if you are interested.

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[stevensk]

Nice! Good job! 

[minhogang]

Very good clarity! Sadly I can't produce this level of evenness with my small hands with the altered small hand fingering for the etude.

[piulento]

Wow, this is great!
Every note is properly heard - which is something a lot of pianists fail to do.
Thank you!

[adodd81802]

Very good clarity! Sadly I can't produce this level of evenness with my small hands with the altered small hand fingering for the etude.

Small hands? what can you reach?

[lukejones1]

Thank you for the kind comments, I hope to get a higher quality recording done on a better piano and in a more acoustically desirable environment in the near future playing all the Op.10 Études. Regarding the size of hands in this Étude it's true that having big hands does help (My hands reach an 11th relatively comfortably) however I first learnt this Étude when I was 10 years old studying with the pianist Andrew Wilde, and I could only stretch an octave back then, naturally it wasn't nearly the same level as I play the piece now but I think to develop evenness in this piece, its helpful to think of how you co-ordinate your arms with your hands and also think of contracting the hand shape as you move up the arpeggio so your hand is not stuck in a fixed position. Just a few thoughts, hope it helps.

[minhogang]

Thanks for the advice!

Small hands? what can you reach?

I can barely reach a 10th with my fingertips. I think my problem is the section with all the accidentals in the second page. It's been a year since I've attempted the piece though

[adodd81802]

Thanks for the advice!

I can barely reach a 10th with my fingertips. I think my problem is the section with all the accidentals in the second page. It's been a year since I've attempted the piece though

I think it's probably difficult, but I don't think you need "small hand" fingering... I can reach a 9th, 10th around the keys and I think the piece is playable.

Technique is the key in this piece.

[lukejones1]

Fundamentally once you've managed comfortably moving through the technical shapes (i.e. the chords and how they fit under the hand) the next step is building the speed and controlling dynamics and how you find your way of approaching that. Most people I know who play this piece tend to have different solutions to solving these issues. The second etude is also similar in this respect, once you are able to comfortably and independently move your third, fourth and fifth fingers whilst placing the chords you have to then build up the speed and be able to express what you want through articulation and dynamics.