Opinions on Mereaux's Etudes? (hardest Etudes ever???)

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Good? Bad? Favorites? Hardest?

I listen primarily to no. 24 "Bravura" and no. 45 "Scherzo alla Napolitana," the two hardest (as far as I know). IMO Bravura is both harder and better, being my favorite of the set.

Surely these Etudes are harder than Liszt's and Chopin's. I'd put them right below Godowsky's 53 Studies on Chopin's Etudes and just above Liszt's Douze Grande Etudes. In terms of individual pieces, I'd put both no. 24 and no. 45 as some of the hardest etudes for piano; right up there with Liszt's 1838 Paganini Etude 4b, the 1837 Wilde Jagd, and Godowsky's hardest studies (e.g "Badinage" and the incomplete Study no. 50).

I'm curious to hear what others think about the op. 63 Etudes.

Bravura:

Scherzo alla Napolitana*:

*performed significantly below tempo.

[transitional]

No. 24 sure does look difficult, but ironically, I feel like it doesn't have the same bravura as Chopin or Liszt etudes. I think I've come across these Etudes before and they just didn't interest me much musically.

Since you seem to really like Etudes, I'd recommend checking out Moszkowski's Etudes.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

No. 24 sure does look difficult, but ironically, I feel like it doesn't have the same bravura as Chopin or Liszt etudes. I think I've come across these Etudes before and they just didn't interest me much musically.

IIRC Hamelin doesn't like them and describes them as unmusical and absurd.
I'm not fond of many of them either, but no. 24 seems fine. Maybe it's in comparison to the other Etudes. I don't know.

Since you seem to really like Etudes, I'd recommend checking out Moszkowski's Etudes.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll give them a listen.

[gasplamey]

Only just seen this.
I have a saying when it comes to Mereaux's etudes:
"That is exactly how not to compose a difficult piece."

Anyways, I'd say no. 60 is about as hard as no. 24 and no. 45. They're all horrible, though.

Perhaps one could find a use for them if they find themselves in some sort of ultra-virtuoso piano competition where their opponents are playing, for example, the Alkan Concerto or something from Xenakis, or some other bullshit like that.