This etude is probably the second or third easiest to memorize. The first step is to obviously figure out the chord progression. If you can play the chord progression, you know the piece. And don't just "memorize" the chord progression, figure out what each chord means to you- the most obvious example to me is C Major- grandiose and then F Major- More bass. Etc, etc.
The first way to prepare to learn this Etude, I feel, is to, with your right hand, (this might be considered "radical" by some) do a glissando (doesn't matter if it's clean) up the keyboard, and then hit the keys four times coming down (will explain more clearly later) and repeat over and over again. This should become the only thing you will need to think about while playing this piece.
That said, the easiest way to simply "be able to play" the piece is to do arpeggiated chord practice. Figure out the handings for each arpeggio. The first one will be 1-2-4-5 C-G-C-E. If you have trouble doing the stretches, play each note with an arm portato, meaning your fingers should be completely 100% passive and your arm is simply making a motion to place your fingers on the keys and then applying a force to push the key down. Closely observe how your forearm, wrist and hand move vertically and horizontal. This is the motion you will need in order to play the arpeggio with an even and full tone. After you do that (with all the chords you need to), practice that motion on just the first handing. When you feel you have it down, play the first and the second handings in rapid succession, essentially as consecutive arpeggiated chords. But instead of thinking about playing 8 things- each note, you will only be thinking about playing two- the chords. Then repeat this process with the second and third handings, and the third and fourth. Remember the glissando feeling- complete smoothness in motions, and eventually the entire ascending arpeggio will become one thought- that glissando.
The purpose of "hitting the keys four times on the way down" is to think four times coming down. For the first chord you will think "E, E, E, E". It was described to me as "glissando up, reach, reach, reach, reach, glissando up, reach" etc. etc. So basically you need to repeat the entire process of practicing the ascending arpeggio, but instead of playing two chords with 8 notes of equal value, you will be thinking of two chords with 2 notes of importance, so you should essentially accent the E's.
After you are able to play the entire arpeggio doing two chords at a time, move to three chords, and overlap. Then four chords in rapid succession, and overlap. Then you can either play five in rapid sucession, and overlap or go to six, as I did. Then you should be able to play the entire arpeggio fluently. If you are able to do this for each arpeggio, then you will be able to play the piece.
The most difficult chords are those in measures 29-30, 31-32, 35-36, 73-74 and 75-76. Above all, remember glissando, reach, reach, reach, reach.
As you might surmise, I have spent a lot of time thinking about this piece.
Topic: help with 10/1