Classical Pianist ranks Chopin Etudes Op.10

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On this channel I am sharing my experience and thoughts about fingerings, interpretation, fingertechniques and playing piano in general. If you have any questions or ideas please leave it in the comments!

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[Chopin-Etudes-Cosplay]

I finally found the answer to what’s the hardest etude: it’s whatever etude you’re currently practicing! 🙃
Because whenever I’m practicing an etude I feel like it’s the hardest

[MusicalBasics]

Agreed with everyone you said except nr 9. That one’s the easiest in Op 10 imo

[FrancescoPianoMusic]

S tier: op10, op25
A tier: ---
B tier: ---
C tier: ---
D tier: ---
E tier: ---
F tier: this category doesn't even exist here what are you doing!

[JOlsson]

My daughter found No. 2 to be insanely difficult because it was hard to play it consistently. Some days she would breeze through it, other days her arm and hand would just cramp up halfway through. I remember watching Kate Liu play it at the Chopin competition in 2015 and her no. 2 etude was the one piece she made significant audible mistakes in both of her performances of it. Her teacher also said that you'll seldom find people performing it publicly because it's so easy to crash-and-burn.

[teresamao]

I love this video. Please do one for Op. 25!

[knoly]

I'm so excited ! I think that if I had to do this, I would put every etude in the top tier, each of them is so unique and incredible !

[juanferrequetglas]

Actually op 10 no 9 is the first I learned, and the easiest in my opinion, its surprising you see it comparable to op 10 no 1.

[brownfox]

I think its better to keep everything in one channel. Multiple channels will just divide the viewership and slow the growth.

[jimwinchester]

I found your remarks, their honesty and candor particularly, actually extremely valuable guidance to a novice painist like me. Many thanks!

[corvus]

The choice to give your piano a voice of its own is a funny addition and adds to your channel's uniqueness

[olavk]

Much depends on speed. No. 3 and 6 become easy if you play them in the usual slow tempo, but with Chopin's metronome markings they become much harder. Especially op. 10:6 becomes extremely difficult if you try to play it at Chopin's speed, which is at least three times faster than the tempo of most recordings. For Op. 10:3, Chopin's speed is about the double.

[markus]

I think there are different types of players, those racehorses with fast fingers, or those lyrical singers, or those analytical superbrains etc.. For each of them the difficulty ranking will be different, also depending on hand size or even the circumference of your fingers (I knew a professional pianist who couldn't put his fingers on the white key between two black keys, that's why he needed to play them turned laterally or outside of the black keys).
During my studies, my professor told me that Chopin etudes always go to the limits for everyone. However, after 20 years of living with them, I have now a completely different opinion: There is always one specific simple technical cell out of which every etude is made, and which is then exercised in all variances. This one cell is very physiologic, and they all help make your hand more relaxed, more balanced, and more flexible. Once you understood how to master this one cell, you'll know how to play the rest of the same etude. If you encounter bars where you think that the cell needs to be changed, it might direct you to the actual way how to play the whole etude. It is from the easy bars that you learn how to play the difficult ones, but also vice versa. For example, in Op 10no1, the bars between e-flat minor and A major seem to be tricky for every pianist, but once you know how to do them (with the original and not the alternative fingerings!), the whole etude suddenly makes more sense. For me, these 24 etudes are the holy book of hand physiology!

[thomasmosinger]

You should name the second channel "Spill the Key" because you share true knowledge :)

[Assassunn]

No surprise about the No. 2, might be the hardest Chopin etude with Op. 25, No. 6

[caozijia]

I really like your style to play Chopin! I am working on my first Chopin, Valse in e minor. A hard piece…

[cosmic_gate]

I learnt 24-12 as my first etude. Next I learnt 10-3. Now I'm learning 10-4 and it's a dream come true! Love the piano

[SeaRasp]

Would love to see your ranking of the op 25 etudes next

[clairerussell]

'KeyTalk'? :3 so excited for this other channel <3

[elaineloureiro]

This is amazing! It would be great if you could share your practice in Op10n2. Thank you!❤

[tubularvelociraptor]

11:59 I think the word you are looking for is a polymeter. Specifically at measure 9, you switch polymeters to fit 6 groups of 2 in the right hand AND 4 groups of 3 in the left hand; into one measure, but each hand playing an eighth note in every beat of the 12/8 time.