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....Have to admit I don't care for the revolutionary that much....
I think there's a high chance that's totally because of its familiarity. It's a remarkable and striking piece of music -- musically.
As per what you said, of course that's subjective and personal. But I'm telling you. In view of what your tastes and preferences seem to be, it's hard for me to imagine it wouldn't be that way for you.
The remarkableness of the music depends on an excellent performance, including good attention to dynamics -- which, as has been said, doesn't always happen, even in performances by top professionals.
Back to the nature of cheating in etudes, I'm currently cheating the last bit of Liszt's "Un Sospiro". The right hand arpeggios are a bit ridiculous near the end, and I just cross over with my left hand...because hand crossing is one of the technical elements of this piece, and with only a week to learn it before performing it, putting in the extra practice isn't worth it.
Working on: Chopin - Nocturne op. 48 no.1 Debussy - Images Book II
Back to the nature of cheating in etudes, I'm currently cheating the last bit of Liszt's "Un Sospiro". The right hand arpeggios are a bit ridiculous near the end, and I just cross over with my left hand...because hand crossing is one of the technical elements of this piece, and with only a week to learn it before performing it, putting in the extra practice isn't worth it.
I do think that we probably obsess too much about playing music the way it's written rather than in the way that puts the music across better, or that suits our technique better, or that makes more sense to us. Most professional concert pianists have no such qualms, as I've witnessed often in live concerts.
Probably the most common is the redistribution of hands - just watch Mikhail Pletnev, who possesses one of the most transcendental techniques around, playing Chopin's last Prelude from Op.28: http://youtu.be/weNs4NuhJ0g
....Have to admit I don't care for the revolutionary that much....
I think there's a high chance that's totally because of its familiarity. It's a remarkable and striking piece of music -- musically.
As per what you said, of course that's subjective and personal. But I'm telling you. In view of what your tastes and preferences seem to be, it's hard for me to imagine it wouldn't be that way for you.
It's true that too many bad/mediocre performances can totally ruin a piece for me...The revolutionary has it's moments, but I think it's just not so much to my musical taste as a whole. I'd say my favorites in addition to 10-2 are 10-6, 10-9, 10-10, 25-1, 25-07, 25-10, 25-12. But sometimes you hear a performance of the others that totally hits home
(hence, I did not pay 40 dollars to go see Lang Lang play a bunch of Chopin etudes last year).
Nor should you pay 40 dollars to go see LL play a bunch of anything... ever! At least you used the correct wording with "see", rather than "hear".
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
... and I don't dislike the etudes. But to compare them musically to Chopin's more thoughtful pieces is an exercise in worship, IMO.
Well I took note of the 'IMO', but I totally disagree. Your use of the word 'worship' is utterly insulting, I have no problem rating the etudes amongst the finest of Chopin's works.
Sorry mate, did you ever study music at uni?
I suppose this is some British thing to leave out articles, so I assume you mean any college or university as opposed to some place called uni? If so, yes.
Good point! And that gets into an aspect of this that I thought of saying in the other post but didn't want to take up more space.
The thing is, those words in British apparently have a slightly different additional connotation -- as is the case for the word "school" in the U.S. When we say "go to school," the word has a slightly different, broader meaning than when we say go to a school.
The words "university" and "hospital" don't have such an additional broader meaning in the U.S, and that's why it sounds a little strange for us to hear them without any article. I'm guessing that in the U.K., they do.
The thing is, those words in British apparently have a slightly different additional connotation -- as is the case for the word "school" in the U.S. When we say "go to school," the word has a slightly different, broader meaning than when we say go to a school.
Yes, I'd noticed that you use "school" for just about every educational institution. Here we'd never say "school starts again this week" about college, or university, or anything other than, well, school, the school you go to from the age of 5-18 (approximately).
Originally Posted by Mark_C
The words "university" and "hospital" don't have such an additional broader meaning in the U.S, and that's why it sounds a little strange for us to hear them without any article.
But "college" does have this broader meaning, like the way we use "university", yes?
The thing is, those words in British apparently have a slightly different additional connotation -- as is the case for the word "school" in the U.S. When we say "go to school," the word has a slightly different, broader meaning than when we say go to a school.
Yes, I'd noticed that you use "school" for just about every educational institution. Here we'd never say "school starts again this week" about college, or university, or anything other than, well, school, the school you go to from the age of 5-18 (approximately).
Originally Posted by Mark_C
The words "university" and "hospital" don't have such an additional broader meaning in the U.S, and that's why it sounds a little strange for us to hear them without any article.
But "college" does have this broader meaning, like the way we use "university", yes?
I used to think it odd that when chatting to Americans of well beyond school age, they say they go to school, until I realized they meant a higher establishment like university.
Luckily, most other ex-British colonies still use 'school' and 'university' in a manner understandable to us. Somehow, saying that you go to "Oxford School" doesn't sound as impressive as going to Oxford University. I wonder if "Harvard School" is just as good as Harvard University.....
....I wonder if "Harvard School" is just as good as Harvard University.....
A while back Bill Maher did a what-if 1799 version of his old Politically Incorrect show. One of the panelists said "Harvard School." It sounded pretty funny.
The thread has somewhat departed from the original question.
And, I feel, I have to repeat my previous point:
That is, the opening C-c octave of the op. 10 no.1 etude is musically very important, therefore it has to be played as an octave.
I don't care for the other *cheats* the OP might consider, but I feel responsible at least to point out that dropping the top C in the first octave is totally a wrong *cheat*.
I suppose this is some British thing to leave out articles....
Yeah. As near as I can tell, it's done with just a few nouns, "university" and "hospital" being the ones I've noticed.
Sorry, I'm still learning American usage, sometimes this can be awkward. Yet when I talk to my mother in London, sometimes SHE can't figure out my Catch 22.
still use 'school' and 'university' in a manner understandable to us. Somehow, saying that you go to "Oxford School" doesn't sound as impressive as going to Oxford University. I wonder if "Harvard School" is just as good as Harvard University.....
