Rach etude Op39 No 5 in E flat minor

[pseudopianist]

My teacher gave me this piece as a summerhomework. I just love it so much but it will be a huge challange for me since it would be by far the most difficult piece in my repotoire (The most difficult pieces I've played has been Fantasie Impromptu, First Transcendental etude and lets not forget the Bach C major fugue from WTC I) but it am willing to spend a lot of time on it.

I'm been going through the score and looking for the most difficult sections and such. From what I can tell the "B" section with the moving left hand 6-tuplets will be the easiest for me, it fits my hand perfectly but I'm more affraid of those huge chords and all the 4 against 3 and 2 against 3 rhythms.

How many of you have played this piece? What were your biggest difficulties with it? Which sections are the hardest and how to practise them.

I also love the fact that this edtion doesn't have any fingerings (except 1 bar)

Thanks in advance.

(Sorry if anyone find a indentical thread on chopinfiles.net. I just want the best out of two worlds)   
 
 

[Dazzer]

i'm learning it at the moment too. but having a bit of trouble memorising.

last part will be a problem. very jumpy.

[musicman]

I have been learning this over quite a long time; it really requires constant work to master it. I think it's one of the most difficult solo piano pieces Rachmaninov wrote.
Happily I am nearing mastery of the technical difficulties, the hardest of which I think is the section starting in B major (then modulating considerably) before the main theme returns in the left hand not far from the finish.

By far the most difficult thing about this piece is the interpretation; it's very easy to make it all sound like notes and not be music at all. This however is partly a function of the technical problems.

The best way to overcome the technical issues is to take out a bar or half a bar at a time and play it over 10 or 15 times very slowly. Phrasing is another issue. I found it hard at first to make the melody line 'breathe'.

I think it helps also, to remember the circumstances inthe composer's life surrounding its composition; at the time, he was about to flee the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, and the whole piece to me reflects Rachmaninov's sadness that the Russia he knew was being engulfed by an alien power, almost. I think this sadness shows in the music. But I see the modulation to E flat major at the end as an indication of hope; that one day he would be able to return. Sadly, that never happened.
 

[pseudopianist]

Thanks for the replies.


Musicman, thanks alot for the story surrounding the piece, really inspiring.
I will look into the B major section and do some sightreading. I've been taking out bars from what is the most difficult parts and practising them as you said.

Thanks again

[musicman]

Musicman, thanks alot for the story surrounding the piece, really inspiring.
I will look into the B major section and do some sightreading. I've been taking out bars from what is the most difficult parts and practising them as you said.

Thanks again

My pleasure...I hope it helps! 

I have just done some more practise of this piece and I feel disgusted with my playing; the right hand chords a couple of pages from the end sounded more like a brass trumpet than Rachmaninov.

Ah well, perseverance will win in the end hopefully..very difficult music!