Chopin 12 Etudes Op. 10 (nos. 1-4) Sandro Russo Pianist

Frederic Chopin: 12 Etudes op. 10
Nos. 1 in C major, 2 in A minor, 3 in E major, 4 in C sharp minor.

Live performance in San Giovanni Gemini (Italy) by Sandro Russo (summer 2004).

www.sandrorussopianist.com

Twelve Etudes, Op. 10
dedicated to Franz Liszt
These set of twelve etudes were published in a single volume in 1833, when Chopin was 23 (four of them had already been completed as early as 1829). Chopin's genius is evident from first note to last, which the world of music had never before known any etudes as original, as musical, or as difficult.
No. 1 ripples from one end of the keyboard to the other, with it's extended arpeggios requiring a stretch of as many as six notes between adjacent fingers and the use of the index finger as a pivot. It has a musical reality that of a 4/4 chorale, the harmonies of which are spread from bass to treble.
No. 2 with its chromatic scale for the weak fingers 3, 4, and 5 of the right hand whose two other fingers are occupied with simultaneous chord tones. It may have been the inspiration for Rimsky Korsakoff's Flight of the Bumble Bee. [This is probably the most difficult of the set]
No. 3 "Tristesse" (Sadness): was subtitled "Tristesse" by one of its publishers, displays a melody so beautiful that Chopin said he had never written another to equal it. "A study in expression" (von Bülow), it never fails to move it's listeners, particularly when the haunting theme returns after the middle section's dramatic outbursts composed of fourth's and sixth's. The music must have had a special, private meaning for the composer for, when one of his pupils played it at a lesson, Chopin sighed sadly, "Oh, my homeland."
No. 4 - a whirling dervish of closely packed pianism - is meant to follow almost immediately,
for Chopin wrote in the manuscript Attacca il Presto. This requirement, suppressed in most
editions, means that, uniquely among his etudes, these two were conceived as a pair, for
performance together. So, the latter sweeps away the sentiment of the former in a cloud of fury.
© Copyright by Classical Music Corner 1996.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Frederic
• Chopin
• 12
• Etudes
• op.
• 10
• technique
• transcendental
• etude
• Liszt
• Czerny
• Pollini
• Ashkenazy
• Horowitz
• Richter
• Argerich

[Grigor99]

Oh now No. 3 was just too gorgeous! This guy knows Chopin. Bravo!

[sagalat]

Yes, very strong and nuanced. Until now, I heard only Richter's, but Russo is definitely right up there at the lonely summit

[FolderFILEneT]

and chopinesque77, The point is his interpretation is good(really i think), but there can be individual differences.

[FolderFILEneT]

Sorry, I am not live in English-speaking countries and not good at writing or speaking. So I have to say no bluntly.

Whatever, I usally using google translate program.

and, If you're angry, I'm sorry that I said.

[chopinesque77]

@FolderFILEneT All the great artists made some mistakes in live performances, yet the real value of a performance depends on much deeper things than what you pointed out. The world is full of machines who play all the notes perfectly but they arent able to make any music out of that. So go refine your ears!

[cammywatt95]

number 4 was amazing!

[cammywatt95]

i think it changes around

[MALULU033]

J'admire la clarté de ce jeu. Quelle maîtrise !

[rolipoli]

too mechanic. etude 2 is, beside technically lack, is lack in spirit. no ghost i can here there

[Pischnaholic]

Behold a great master of the keyboard -- one of many in the world today -- but he plays with a unusual style and verve.

Opus 10 #2, was especially good. I loved the way he brought ought out some unusual details in the tenor voice. Only Cortot has ever done that to my knowledge, and HE emphasizes different aspects than those of Mr. Russo.

I don't think Chopin asked for Presto Possible in #4. I'd like to hear more space between phrases, and less constant forte.

Even so it's just great.