Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Members Recordings - Pianist Corner Chopin Etude - Op 25. No. 11

I performed this about 8 years ago - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGSCW7vcWT0

It was the last Chopin Etude I learned. I'm hoping to learn a few more of these Etudes now that I have a nice piano to practice on. Hope you enjoy the performance!

Hi benjamink, you have excellent technical skills in your right hand, almost everything is very clean and transparent! I think there is one major point many pianists don't care about enough: the real challenge in this etude is not to "survive" all these exhausting runs, but to shape the melody which is mostly in the left hand. There would be so many delicious "shadows" in it, and it's so rewarding not to play everything martellato! I congatulate you to have a nice new piano now, and I'm sure it will inspire you to discover the beauty of this melody which is much more than a few chords "fighting" against a dominating "firework"

Tony - thanks for the feedback. I agree with you about the left hand. I remember it was something I constantly battled in this piece. It seems for the left hand to be softer (but still be heard), then the right hand also needs to be softer. It will also require less pedal at times (perhaps this would be the key to automatically making the right hand significantly quieter). Even in this recording there are frequently times where the left hand gets buried.

Benjamink, I suggest that you often play parts of the piece l.h. alone, with a singing melody, as if it was an aria from an opera or so. Or even first sing it with your voice, and then play it the same way. Add the r.h. afterwards, just as a flexible ornamentation of the melody which still sings without making any compromises, and the r.h. has to "listen". It's about changing the perspective: not the l.h. accompanying the r.h. anymore, but a melody safely leading you through the piece. I wish you lots of success and satisfaction going this way