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I almost never keep measure 42 at ff. Measure 41 and 42 are transitions from the choatic to the poetic. If you play 42 at ff, how will you play measure 43? The transition will probably sound very abrupt.

Perhaps we should ask why Chopin sticks two measures of simple appregios there? Isn't that a bit repetitive and potentially dry? What I have experimented is to play only one measure of appregio, and what I found was that the transition to the slow portion seems to be too fast, that I don't feel ready for it. What it means is that measure 42 is to get me ready for the cantible quality for measure 43, and measure 41 is to ease out the thunderstorm from the end of the first section. What I end up playing is something very similar to Maurice Hinson suggested in your post.

Also, for measure 41, you don't necessarily need to play louder to achieve a crescendo. As the pedal is depressed, the sound gets fuller and louder anyways. For me I plays the notes a bit softer but faster when ascending the appregio in 41, then slightly slow down and decreascendo quickly into measure 42. For 42 I try to create a bell like tone in a ethereal background to prepare for measure 43.

I'd suggest some experimentations on these 2 measures, you can probably take some more liberty in playing them and don't have to follow strictly with the score and notation

Thanks Jazzyprof, this helped me started. As I was trying this out last night, I learned the trick (I think). I was able to bring out the pinky accents by doing outward hand motion at every start of quadruplets.

I agree with BruceD on the 5,2,1,2,1,4...as you get up to speed it really helps to have your hand set up properly for the following arpeggios. I know a lot of people avoid using their 4th finger like the plague due to its inherent weakness, but it really will provide for the easiest transitions in my mind. There are a few other spots (one being the measures 7,8 arpeggios in LH I believe and a few others...will need to refer to my score when I get home) where I tried to incorporate another "more comfortable" fingering...but once again, I was forced to get out of that habit and embrace my 4th finger as I got faster. Eventually, it became very natural and any other fingering would seem odd and counterproductive.

Brandon, your fingering og 5,3,1,3 is interesting...perhaps it works well for you but I was playing that measure on my desk a second ago and it really contorts my hand into a very awkward position. I could see it perhaps being ok at slower speeds, but I fear that as you get it to performnace speed (or even 90% speed), that fingering might become quite a hinderance. This is purely my opinion based on my past experiments with various fingerings, but you may want to consider having a "backup" fingering in case that one does not pan out. THere just seems to be very little flexibility and reach when crossing my third finger over my thumb (especially at fast speeds)...would definitely trip me up. But we are all different...just wanted to share my thoughts, not judging.

David

I actually have it in my Dover edition too...

Can't believe you have this wonderful forum topic! Great! I'm 58 and one of the main items on my "Bucket list" is to conquer Fantasie Impromptu! When I was in 11th grade this was my competition piece, but my technique had never risen to the level of my ability to sight read & memorize. With only "a page" to go, the piece ran away from me; my fingers couldn't keep up; it was as if I heard a demonic laugh! All of a sudden I stopped, sat silent, panicked and could not remember how to get back into it. I closed the keyboard, stood up, walked off the stage, and never again returned to competitive piano--I went on to the S&G, Beetles, James Taylor, etc., etc.

But some day ....!

So does anyone not perform a crossover for these arpeggios?

I still can't decide to which fingering I should commit.

I can't imagine playing that arpeggio at speed without crossover (and without injury!) unless you have very long fingers. Try the various fingerings at the fastest speed you can muster and see which one works best for you...without undue stretching.

I think Bruce's suggestion is good. I had the same apart from the last one. 4 is better than 2 or 3 (for the reasons he mentions).

I'm using 5,3,2,1,2,3. I'm not comfortable switching the last note to 4. The transition from 3 to 5 for the first note in the next measure is very natural for me.

Comfort, i.e. lack of tension, should be an important factor in the choice of fingering, therefor using the fingering that is most comfortable at speed is best for each of us.

Regards,

Sure. I prefer 5-2 instead of 5-3 because I have small hands for example....

Hi! I've just barely joined the forums.

This piece was one of those that have always amazed me... how the heck to people play it? I've played on and off over the years, since I was a kid, so I guess I don't technically qualify as an "adult beginner" but I do like the concept of piano study groups! I never had such a luxury back when I was learning with a teacher... the only time I'd even see the other students was watching them perform at recitals.

Anyway, after many years of false starts and sort of "messing" around with this piece, in this latest surge of interest in piano (since the new year), I told myself that this time I am going to learn this right once and for all (Well, even so, currently it has taken kind of a back seat to Etude Op. 10 No. 3, my main project piece).

Progress has been decent, however, and I do have the piece fully memorized and can play it blazingly fast hands separately. Putting the hands together is another matter entirely... It's going at about 1/4 my hands-separate speed right now... I don't think it's just a simple matter of letting them play independently, or correctly mastering the 3-4 rhythm, which I do have down (after quite a bit of practicing, of course). Something about the coordination really does seem to take time, for me at least.

I think the debate about this was on a different thread, but the fingering I use for bars 7-8 is given by Beethoven ... the same fingering I use for the similar passage in the Moonlight Sonata 3rd Mvt.: 1242 1313 2412 4214 1243 , which I can play decently, although it does feel like I have to expend a little bit more effort to keep this at the speed of the surrounding measures. I also like Klindworth's "addition" in the cantabile section, and thanks to you guys, I finally managed to hear it in action (nobody plays it in the recordings I have).

Anyway, count me in; I look forward to seeing your insights on the piece, and hopefully will be able to provide some of my own

I use 5-3-2-1-2-4 which is the fingering indicated in my Carl Fischer edition.

I'm enjoying learning this piece.

As I begin to bring it up to speed, it becomes very enjoyable to play and listen to at the same time.

Not to derail the thread, but does anybody working on this piece have any suggestions for other pieces to work on concomitantly?

Is there anything else out there like this piece that has a similar "magic" if you will when played convincingly at speed. What I mean by this is that in reading about this piece, there can be certain effects to the listener that make the music sound even fuller and faster than it is actually being played (i.e. a Moire pattern).

I was considering working on the Black Key Etude as another work but would love to know what others are doing or considering working on that may be similar to the Fantaisie Impromptu.

I don't use a crossover fingering, but I do have long fingers.

Most beautiful piano composition in history i will learn soon.

I'm making good progress on this piece. I can now play it fairly smoothly with the intended speed, BUT, only after at least 15 minutes of rigorous warm ups.

Is it possible to play this piece from cold start reasonably well?

What fingering do you guys use for the right hand on the seventh measure on the seventh page of this score: http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usi...worth_Band_1_Bote_Bock_Op.66_1200dpi.pdf ?

Hey ab-ster, actually I only play this piece cold now...really useful for recital preperation. I will be doing stuff around the house and then rush to the piano and start playing, and if I stumble a bit (thankfully rare now) I play through it and typically can recover rather quickly and without too much notice (of course I then go back and drill the parts that trip me up). I think it is essential to practice it this way, because it will really alleviate your nerves and you will become confident and experienced under these "cold" types of conditions. Not many pieces are as daunting as FI right out of the gate especially when playing cold...so I feel your concern! Liebestruam #3 for example is a completely different beast and I would choose to play "cold" over FI any day of the week, even though Liebestraum is technically and musically harder. I have found though, once I really nailed down the rhythym, my stumbles were greatly reduced and almost nonexistent. Hardest part really is not to go too fast and rush things...making this piece suspenseful and musical was for me the hardest part.

David

Hedgeman26: thanks for your encouraging comment. I'm eager to get to that point. At least I know there's hope =)

cast12: I use 3251 4351 3251 4351