Good accurate list, no. 1 always gonna be either op10/2, 25/6 or 25/11, so you made those top 3 which is what I'd do. Definetly 10/1 is put correctly as no. 4, that is a really tough beast to conquer. Overall very well done indeed, if i was making a list it would probably be exactly the same... I'd maybe make the top spot 25/11 as it has many different difficulties rather than a unique single difficulty, the fact you need high stamina, incredible accuracy at that speed and duration, also you need a strong left hand to match the right hand notes at speed like you do in 10/4, not easy to match hands at such high speeds 100%, overall just a very tough piece. However the only etude i can't play is 25/6, i literally don't have the technique to play it past a few bars, so it's a wall to me. But to someone who can handle thirds well it's probably not that difficult to them... They would also no doubt be more comfortable with 10/2.
In my experience, 25/6 is harder to approach from the student's standpoint. 10/2 though is feared even by people with incredible technique. 25/6 is harder to begin learning and it's a more daunting piece to think about, but i think there's a level of uneasiness in 10/2 that never leaves whereas sufficient practice of 25/6 makes one feel comfortable. so there's definitely arguments for both. 25/11 is also really hard but aside from the stamina issue, you just need to drill it a lot. i actually think 10/7 should be a bit higher and 10/4 a bit lower but that's just me.
Thanks for your comments! Yes, Op 10 no 2 is a very hard etude, even after tons of hours of practice. Anastasia Yasko really messed up with this etude in this year's Chopin Competition. About Op 25 no 6, it's a hard etude, but with more breaks to relax the right hand and more comfortable runs.. But again, that's just how I feel it.
@@Alla-Marcia ua-cam.com/video/of_afnCe4IE/v-deo.html this piece is literally no issue for this pianist, he makes it look easy, and even plays it significantly faster than it needs to be, just to rub it in lol.
@@markfowlermusic most professionals will still be able to play 10/2 with "relative" ease, i'm just saying that they fear it more than 25/6 which they'll also be able to play without much sweat. i will say, this may partially be because nobody in concert plays just one etude, and 10/2 comes right after 10/1, which is an *incredibly* difficult shift, where as 25/5 to 6 isn't.
I was sceptical when I saw this titled as the "definitive list", but after watching the video, I agree with pretty much every placing. So yeah, I would also call this the definitive list.
That’s the beauty of Chopin etudes, you will struggle the most on those you require to have a deeper understanding on what you should do. Finding the best way to overcome technical issues sometimes requires to unlearn what you have learnt. this is one of the reasons Chopin etudes are the most difficult of all.
Curious, I've been studying this one lately for the past months and although I agree it to be tough, I think its difficulty lies on th fact that it is an almost no-rest study for the right hand and its 8 pages make it a resistance and relax excercice. You may get to the 5th page and not feeling fresh enough to be equally precise as in the first 3 pages. The left hand parts I first thought they were impossible to aim and they turn out to be more systematic and pattern based. So i dont thing it is on the top 3, but among the top 10 group. I coulnt tell where to put it exactly though. But thats just me. I promise the butterfly etude is giving me an equal headache event being only 2 pages long because of its octave extensions for my middle-sized hand.
@@lavatrex6736 yea I know I meant like some people I know say the ocean etude is harder than the 25 no8, which I don’t understand coz I’m practicing both rn
I’d definitely say that Op. 10 No. 9 and No. 12 are in the wrong place. For an instance - you would never say that a piece is not hard if you can’t play it in tempo. Time markings on both of the etudes I named are never used, in fact it’s too hard to play them like that. Op. 10 No. 12 is often played at quarter note = 125 but never at 152 as how Chopin wanted. Op. 25 No. 5 is easier than how you ranked it, and even Op. 25 No. 2 is harder than how you ranked it as it’s not played in tempo.
I understand why some people could find op 10 no 12 more difficult than op 25 no 5. Their difficulties are actually not comparable. About op 10 no 9, it has always been one of the easiest etudes for me if not the easiest, even played at a high tempo. I do not find op 25 no 2 hard to be played fast neither.
In my opinion, Op25 No 2 should be higher on the list. A lot of people forget that you should be playing two triplets, just two strong beats, not three strong beats that match the left hand notes. This make a HUGE rhythmic difference, and is very hard to execute well. I recommend this video to understand it better. ua-cam.com/video/j-EBKDX1x4o/v-deo.html
Woah, agree with everything, exepct i would put op25 no 6 as number one. Also looks like i made a huge jump from op10 no5 to op10 no4. Idk what was my teacher thinking, but i am practicing it , and it is not as hard as it sounds. Good list overall!
I'll rank the ones I've been playing so far (hardest to easiest): Op25no11 Op10no12 Op25no12 Op25no10 Op10no2 Op10no9 Yep, it wasn't a typo: Revolutionary comes 2nd hardest and Chromatic 2nd "easiest". I think my left hand is very weak (e.g. I still struggle a lot to play accurately the middle section of 10-9) compared to the right hand, that may be why I didn't find those 3-4-5 finger rallies in Op10no2 especially challenging. If Chromatic was about doing the same with the left hand, then it would definitely be on the top lol
Good list, but it is also important to notice that some of these studies become more or less difficult as we vary our interpretative vision about them...for example Number Op 25 n 2 is not so simple if we play it really Presto ( as the marking requires) and with a real jeu perlé ( here partially absent, because the great Francois wanted to underline the melodic line, instead...). All these studies are really difficult, and It would be more correct to compare those based on similar techniques, or having similar purposes...
It's obviouslly subjective, but the arpeggios pattern is always the same and not that difficult in my opinion. Like in any other one, playing it really fast and without any mistakes is a challenge. Also making it sound clear enough and with a strong base is hard.
M K j agree op25-12 is difficult , eight y of work piano -eight ten hours a day only student in superior classe in the tempo at Paris Conservatory . the easier for me was op10-12 *( four y work piano six hours a day ; it's no subjectif but reality of keyboard technic
Anytime anyone says "definitive ranking", they lose credibility. But this is reasonable list, I've seen list where someone ranks waterfall as easiest saying "it's just arpeggios"... Different people find different things difficult. They may even understand the word "difficulty" differently. To me, difficulty means how hopeless I am when I practice it. So I'm gonna go 25/6, 10/2, and then all the rest. Yes winter wind, waterfall are hard, but I know I can get it, I just need to grind the hours, days and months. Whereas those two just make me depressed.
As someone who had studied and performed all the 24 I don’t fully agree with everything and certainly not my definitive list. I believe each of the study presents its own unique challenge and the difficulties vary depending on the pianist, technical ability so the list of each pianist will be different depends on their technical preferences. For example I found op.10/8 much harder than 10/10 or 25/8 harder than octaves. But to each their own.
In my opinion, I do think people overrate Op. 10 No.1 just by looking at it. Sure it looks absolutely insane but honestly its just Chopin testing whether you can contort your hands while expanding and contracting them. One day I sat down and thought 'how hard could it be' and to my surprise it wasn't actually difficult. Discipline yourself into sitting there like a robot and going over and over each run and soon enough you'll get it right. Took me 2 months to learn. Of course the real difficulty is performing it because everyone in a 2 mile radius will hear if you mess up. But after a while of going over and over it again I almost found it difficulty to make mistakes just because the runs felt so right under my fingers. I would be quite surprised if nobody else had the same experience with Op. 10 No. 1 as me becasue don't get me wrong i am no virtuoso. But IMO there are much harder etudes in the Chopin etudes book, and personally Torrent goes above Waterfall for me, along with Sixths and Op. 10 No. 7. Not sure if anyone can relate but it would be interesting if anyone that had the same experience as me or even a different one could reply.
All are soooo difficult for me...but so beautifull also that make the learning and practising enjoyable. Op10 no 1,2,3 and Op 25 no 1,2,5 are my daily regimen now. Nice list anyway.
Op 10 no 6 is always called "easy" when it is rated level 7 in Henle plus it I deceivingly easy because of it's slow tempo but the thing is it's harder than Op 10 no 9, Op 20 no. 2.
Thirds is a hard technique. I've practiced them a lot and now they are not so difficult for me, even played really fast. But I guess everyone has different streghts.
Alla Marcia, please do me a favor, will you? Listen to Wim Winters play Chopin’s opus 10 no 2. At the slow tempo, is he right, quote: «Like the ones who have trouble seeing the extreme technical difficulties in this recording. Anyway». I can not understand the «extreme technical difficulties» in his slow tempo. Am I right or not?
Wtf 25 10 was one of easiest Chopin Etudes for me, and I learned 10 3 and 10 4 in the same semester of the College. For me 10 4 was a little bit harder, but only a little bit
Really nice list, I would have put 10 11 higher, 25 4 lower, maybe 10 8 lower too. Next time you should put the name of the performer of the etude, you made a nice choice
The better your technique is, the more you realize that they are all equally difficult. To play them completely relaxed and in a musical way respecting the writing. Like one that you classify as easy op 25 no 2 which is often played in eighth and quarter notes instead of the triplet which should be against the triplet of the bass with extreme lightness and in much greater speed. Op 25 no 4 should be played subtly by making the 2/2 feel and by highlighting the melodies of the bass and the upper voice. I'll stop here, as there would be too many comments to make. Also try to play op 10 no 12 in 2/2 as written, without overpowering the notes.
You are right. It was just an attempt of classifying the etudes based on their techniques. Obviously, achieving perfection is almost equally hard on all of them. Anyway, I don't think making sound triplets right in op 25 no 2 is a big deal if you have a decent technique and musicality. I agree that op 25 no 4 is a really difficult one, as you can see in the list.
I agree on your comments. This list addresses the difficulty to learn them which I totally agree, but to master them is totally different issue. Some people criticize Chopin for dedicating his life only to composing for the piano, I would love to know his reasons. I think you can get some partial answers once you learn his preludes and etudes. The basis of most, if not all, the piano technique is gathered in those pieces.
Nice list, i would put op. 25 nº11 in nº1. It's the longest with the main theme in sevral tonalities. If i'ts played always with fingers 523(4)1 (even with 5 th finger in black keys) gets easier but it's still the most demanding in stamina. Also op 10 nº 12 and 10 nº 1 demand a lot of stamina for left and right hand, they could go higher but not too much. I've played op 25 nº 6 and i still think it shouldn't be as nº 2 but it also depends on the speed of the etude. This performances are all played "presto as possibile" when the etudes are only allegros in some cases. Op 25 nº 10 and nº3 should be way lower, i've lerned them and memorised them in a week in my early 20's, they aren't as dificult as many that you show lower in the list. But this is still a nice list. As a pianist with small hands, in some cases the dificulty is in some unreachable extensions in some etudes, so the most dificult for me would never be 25 nº6 or even op 10 nº 2 since they have no extension problems. So having a small hand can really turn the list almost upside down in some cases.
ua-cam.com/video/6Kx1QGAooL0/v-deo.html Op.25 No.11 (winter wind) is the only Chopin etude I ever learn. I knew it was a difficult piece but had no idea where it stands in relation to other etudes in terms of difficulties. I like it desperate enough, hence, I managed to learn the whole piece. I wish to learn other etudes too but struggle to find times and concentration due to family commitments. I was so happy that I could play this etude as an amateur pianist, especially that I haven't had any serious practice nor piano lesson since 1995. Hope you lots who know this piece well to comment on my playing style, techniques and challenges. Thank you!
Op 25 no 11 combines some technical difficulties from op 10 no 1 and no 2 and other etudes. It is surprising that even though no 2 is simpler and shorter, its simplicity is what makes it harder. For instance, you can rely on impulses on op 25 no 11 in order to obtain the required sound and strength to make it work while op 10 no 2 only relies on rotating, fingering and weight transfer.
nice list, i'd say that op 25 2 is higher , the tempo is not correct there. 25 1 little lower, 10 5 higher than 10 3 10 11 higher, 25 5 lower , but others are in good places i think.
I think that this is mostly very acurate but i wonder where you would put the "méthode des méthodes" etudes? For some reason everyone forgets about these 3 Chopin etudes
Heyo , friendly pianist here. I have lots of piano friends and we all can agree that Op 25 no11 is indeed hard but it doesn't come close to op 25 no 6 and Op 10 no2 We speak out of personal experience and on a technical scale. Op25 n11 is musically harder
Concierto en general Cambiaría posiciones del op 25/10 y 25/8. Sextas es más incómodo que octavas Op 25 no 3 y op 25/1 casi al mismo nivel Op 10/5 me parece mas difícil que el revolucionario
@@alainspiteri502 Actually I don't agree ... for example, it depends on the physical characteristics of the pianist .. for example, I have medium-size hands ... for me playing 25/6 or 10/2 is not a big problem, but playing 25/11 or 10/1 is a bigger problem due to the fact that the span required is much larger ... I have very good octaves .. so also 25/10 is not a problem ...but for somebody else fast octaves may be a problem ... so, there is not a single metric for difficulty
@@martinopipino don't understand what you mean because 10-1 or op25-11 there are not one octave ; op10-1 is a displacemrnt of the hand ; no octaves in 25-11 but in french ( accords brisés ) also octave with lateral displacement of the hand so no problème with size of fingers and the hand ; to play 1/10 znd 25 / 11 it's necessary ten work hours a day and 8-10 years of piano it's the end of Paris-Conservatory with sonata op35-2 movt 1 or Faure " Thème et variations Czerny Toccata op-92 etc etc ...
@@alainspiteri502 you don’t get the meaning of what I said. The octave is just an example referred to 25-10 .. of course in 10-1 and 25-11 there is no octave technique. I was just saying that difficulty is subjective, and I presented as an example the case of 25-10 which for me is easy but for somebody else is difficult, as well as 10-1 or 25-11 that for me are difficult but maybe for somebody else are easy
what kind of hand do you have? do you have big hands? Small hands? are your fingers long? it will depend on the type of hand how difficult a Chopin etude is. speed is not everything, and here you demonstrate it very well! you did not put op 25 no 7, op 10 no 3 and op 10 no 6 in the lowest positions and followed only by necessity. good video, but for me it is not feasible
I assumed "standard" hands, as mine are (I have quite short fingers but I can reach a 10th or even a 11th). It is true that small hand could increase the difficulty of some etudes.
@@Alla-Marcia Small hands, like that of mine, increase some difficulties much more than others. I played 10-1 two years ago, but I cannot play 10-4 even now. Because of small hands.
This is subjetive, in my opinion op 10 n 12, op 25 no 12 and op 10 no 4 are more difficult and the op 10 no 8 is more easy but its depend of the person, but the op 25 no 6 is more difficult then the op 10 no 2
Yes, it depends on the person. For me op 10 no 8 is really hard, with a difficult left hand as well, but the ones you mention are also really challeging.
Personally I never play 1 Etude. I play @ minimum 1 opus or the other--but typically the whole set ,as they blend into each other quite well( especially after playing them all everyday for 3 years straight!) My current repertoire is many orders of magnitude harder than these Etudes. Gaspard de la nuit,Petroushka & Islamey + Busoni's Chachonne in d minor & Schubert's Fantasy,Liszt b minor sonata & Brahms Paganini Variations both books. Difficulties are all relative depending on time,experience, situation &circumstance. Everything you don't know is " hard" yet is "easy" once you know it right?
very personnal your list no for a pianist , the first study for me was " Revolutionary worked with two years of piano and j played it with four y-piano ; all studies CHOPIN are difficult but the easier is op10-12 for a young same level that mvt 3 of Clair de Lune Beethoven Sonata ; your list is more a lover-music than a pianist ex me
@@Alla-Marcia it all depends on how we are playing them ; my friend after stop piano during 44 years start playing the piano again j have listened her with op25-2 tempo one minute 90 seconde with a good legato without pedal without a false note j have recorded her ; me j worked op10-12 with three work-years piano j have eight y old ; so j don't agree 100-100 with studies in the tempo of Chopin ; j don't known you understand what j mean : my friend 60 y old play very well " Fantaisie Chromatique ' J S Bach easier than studies Chopin !!
Wrong rankings! Slower pieces do Not imply that they are easier, by no means! To be able to create singing tone effect out of the percussive instrument piano is one of the most challenging If not the Most challenging task of a pianist!
This is a ranking based on technical difficulty. I don't know if you play the piano, but I can asure you it's not easier to make op 10 no 2 sound fine than op 10 no 6. I asume that the pianist is decent enough to "create tone effect" so technical difficulty can be discussed. If you are not, please don't come to this videos to bother.
I’m I have study some etude but I I don’t think double third etude os that bad I feel like wrong note etude is prolly the hardest one I have done and ocean etude should be the first one on the list 😊
You overrate No. 23 as so many do, especially putting it ahead of No. 1 and you massively overrated No. 4. If people put anything above 1, 2, 18, and 22, they are either being dishonestly contrarian or ignorant. Keep in mind if you aren't sustaining sans pedal the inner voices of 22, you are playing it wrongly, as most, even virtuosos do.
22 is octaves right? Yeah that Étude wasn't too bad for me and I played it correctly too. But maybe octaves are just natural for me. The thing is, the difficulty of all of these Études heavily depend on the player, for Rachmaninoff and me, 3rds is the hardest, for Arthur Rubinstein Winter Wind was the hardest etc.
@@thenotsookayguy Did you keep the inner voices independent? Did you not rely on the pedal to sustain the inner invoices? If you did either, you didn’t play it right.
@@Manx123Na, my hands are really flexible, I can comfortably reach a 9th with just my thumb and index and a 7th with my pinky and middle, plus I spent some time on Liszt's 1st Technical Exercise with helps out with finger independence. Also I try to put some effort into getting good at voicing so I can play like Katsaris.
Good accurate list, no. 1 always gonna be either op10/2, 25/6 or 25/11, so you made those top 3 which is what I'd do. Definetly 10/1 is put correctly as no. 4, that is a really tough beast to conquer. Overall very well done indeed, if i was making a list it would probably be exactly the same... I'd maybe make the top spot 25/11 as it has many different difficulties rather than a unique single difficulty, the fact you need high stamina, incredible accuracy at that speed and duration, also you need a strong left hand to match the right hand notes at speed like you do in 10/4, not easy to match hands at such high speeds 100%, overall just a very tough piece. However the only etude i can't play is 25/6, i literally don't have the technique to play it past a few bars, so it's a wall to me. But to someone who can handle thirds well it's probably not that difficult to them... They would also no doubt be more comfortable with 10/2.
In my experience, 25/6 is harder to approach from the student's standpoint. 10/2 though is feared even by people with incredible technique. 25/6 is harder to begin learning and it's a more daunting piece to think about, but i think there's a level of uneasiness in 10/2 that never leaves whereas sufficient practice of 25/6 makes one feel comfortable. so there's definitely arguments for both.
25/11 is also really hard but aside from the stamina issue, you just need to drill it a lot. i actually think 10/7 should be a bit higher and 10/4 a bit lower but that's just me.
Thanks for your comments! Yes, Op 10 no 2 is a very hard etude, even after tons of hours of practice. Anastasia Yasko really messed up with this etude in this year's Chopin Competition. About Op 25 no 6, it's a hard etude, but with more breaks to relax the right hand and more comfortable runs.. But again, that's just how I feel it.
@@Alla-Marcia ua-cam.com/video/of_afnCe4IE/v-deo.html this piece is literally no issue for this pianist, he makes it look easy, and even plays it significantly faster than it needs to be, just to rub it in lol.
@@markfowlermusic most professionals will still be able to play 10/2 with "relative" ease, i'm just saying that they fear it more than 25/6 which they'll also be able to play without much sweat. i will say, this may partially be because nobody in concert plays just one etude, and 10/2 comes right after 10/1, which is an *incredibly* difficult shift, where as 25/5 to 6 isn't.
I’d agree with you yet I would say mastering op 25 no 6 would be more difficult than mastering op 25 no 11
Pretty accurate, I won't nitpick here because it's different for everyone, but this is a very great overview of the two sets, well done!
Appreciate it! It's hard to be objetive in this kind of lists.
I was sceptical when I saw this titled as the "definitive list", but after watching the video, I agree with pretty much every placing. So yeah, I would also call this the definitive list.
Thank you!!!
In my personal experience, Op. 10 no. 2 is not too bad. I found my worst difficulties in ones such as op 10 no.1 and no. 8.
That’s the beauty of Chopin etudes, you will struggle the most on those you require to have a deeper understanding on what you should do. Finding the best way to overcome technical issues sometimes requires to unlearn what you have learnt. this is one of the reasons Chopin etudes are the most difficult of all.
LOL
For me personally, I totaly agree with you. I think op.10 no.2 was actually quite easy. I had the hardest time with op.10 no.9
@@AdrenalineLegends that makes sense if you have small hands
@@igo.spekkyjarvonvreich like I have realyyyyyyyyyyyyy small hands
The most accurate list imo! Well done:)
Thanks!! Interesting compositions in your channel btw!
@@Alla-Marcia Thanks!! I’m so glad you listened to them!:)
Pretty accurate. Only change I’d make is put op 10 no 11 a little higher on the list.
Thanks!! Where would you put it?
Curious, I've been studying this one lately for the past months and although I agree it to be tough, I think its difficulty lies on th fact that it is an almost no-rest study for the right hand and its 8 pages make it a resistance and relax excercice. You may get to the 5th page and not feeling fresh enough to be equally precise as in the first 3 pages. The left hand parts I first thought they were impossible to aim and they turn out to be more systematic and pattern based. So i dont thing it is on the top 3, but among the top 10 group. I coulnt tell where to put it exactly though. But thats just me. I promise the butterfly etude is giving me an equal headache event being only 2 pages long because of its octave extensions for my middle-sized hand.
this is literally the only accurate tier list i've found of these other than the one by shijun wang
Thank you!!
Fr I will never understand how some people put op25 no12 after 25 no8
@@Ilovepiano927 because with 25 12 you can miss/not sound notes and it sounds fine
@@lavatrex6736 yea I know I meant like some people I know say the ocean etude is harder than the 25 no8, which I don’t understand coz I’m practicing both rn
This video helped me thank you
Nice to hear. Thanks!
when i got to the harder etudes i had to check my settings to see if it was on normal playback they were so much faster than ive normally heard😭😭
best list i've seen yet!
Thanks a lot!!
I don't think it's definitive but most will agree, I think the Top 3 is interchangable but it really doesn't matter.
Thaks for the comment!
Oh my gosh, I actually started my Chopin Etudes with Op. 25 no. 9 😂
Well, it's not one of the hardest, but I believe it's difficulty is underappreciated.
Hahah me too!
love how the first one Im learning is already at place 8
Great list! This is quite accurate! For me, Op. 25/11 is #1 and Op. 10/2 is #2. Thank you for the upload!
Thanks! Op 25 no 11 is absolutely up there.
I can tell you have a great understanding of piano technique. Someone who doesn't know wouldn't have any clue of how hard those top 3 actually are.
The most accurate list I've seen no doubt
Thank you!
I’d definitely say that Op. 10 No. 9 and No. 12 are in the wrong place. For an instance - you would never say that a piece is not hard if you can’t play it in tempo. Time markings on both of the etudes I named are never used, in fact it’s too hard to play them like that. Op. 10 No. 12 is often played at quarter note = 125 but never at 152 as how Chopin wanted. Op. 25 No. 5 is easier than how you ranked it, and even Op. 25 No. 2 is harder than how you ranked it as it’s not played in tempo.
I understand why some people could find op 10 no 12 more difficult than op 25 no 5. Their difficulties are actually not comparable. About op 10 no 9, it has always been one of the easiest etudes for me if not the easiest, even played at a high tempo. I do not find op 25 no 2 hard to be played fast neither.
In my opinion, Op25 No 2 should be higher on the list. A lot of people forget that you should be playing two triplets, just two strong beats, not three strong beats that match the left hand notes. This make a HUGE rhythmic difference, and is very hard to execute well.
I recommend this video to understand it better.
ua-cam.com/video/j-EBKDX1x4o/v-deo.html
Woah, agree with everything, exepct i would put op25 no 6 as number one. Also looks like i made a huge jump from op10 no5 to op10 no4. Idk what was my teacher thinking, but i am practicing it , and it is not as hard as it sounds. Good list overall!
As number one easiest or hardest?
@@nasirferguson4098 hardest of course :)
I'll rank the ones I've been playing so far (hardest to easiest):
Op25no11
Op10no12
Op25no12
Op25no10
Op10no2
Op10no9
Yep, it wasn't a typo: Revolutionary comes 2nd hardest and Chromatic 2nd "easiest". I think my left hand is very weak (e.g. I still struggle a lot to play accurately the middle section of 10-9) compared to the right hand, that may be why I didn't find those 3-4-5 finger rallies in Op10no2 especially challenging. If Chromatic was about doing the same with the left hand, then it would definitely be on the top lol
The only reason Op. 10 No. 6 is "easy" is because it's played at nearly half the tempo Chopin intended.
Not easy in my opinion, just a bit easier than the others.
It's not particularly difficult at 100% speed. Just need a bit of stamina.
Good list, but it is also important to notice that some of these studies become more or less difficult as we vary our interpretative vision about them...for example Number Op 25 n 2 is not so simple if we play it really Presto ( as the marking requires) and with a real jeu perlé ( here partially absent, because the great Francois wanted to underline the melodic line, instead...).
All these studies are really difficult, and It would be more correct to compare those based on similar techniques, or having similar purposes...
Comparing them based on similar techniques would be a great idea as well, maybe I could try to make a video. Thanks!
Biggest surprise to me was op. 25 no.12 being in the middle, i thought it was one of the hardest
It's obviouslly subjective, but the arpeggios pattern is always the same and not that difficult in my opinion. Like in any other one, playing it really fast and without any mistakes is a challenge. Also making it sound clear enough and with a strong base is hard.
M K j agree op25-12 is difficult , eight y of work piano -eight ten hours a day only student in superior classe in the tempo at Paris Conservatory . the easier for me was op10-12 *( four y work piano six hours a day ; it's no subjectif but reality of keyboard technic
A M no op25-12 can not be clair its imposdible to keep the first bass note j stop write here sorry
I tried to play it and it was much harder for me than op 25 no 6 and op 10 no 2
@@DavitMinasyan-rn3fv And can you play those two without trouble?
Very impressive, but can you do now a list of Chopin-Godowski etudes?
Nice idea! I'll try
Anytime anyone says "definitive ranking", they lose credibility. But this is reasonable list, I've seen list where someone ranks waterfall as easiest saying "it's just arpeggios"...
Different people find different things difficult. They may even understand the word "difficulty" differently.
To me, difficulty means how hopeless I am when I practice it. So I'm gonna go 25/6, 10/2, and then all the rest. Yes winter wind, waterfall are hard, but I know I can get it, I just need to grind the hours, days and months. Whereas those two just make me depressed.
Thanks for the comment! Yes, the term deffinitive is not really appropiate.
As someone who had studied and performed all the 24 I don’t fully agree with everything and certainly not my definitive list. I believe each of the study presents its own unique challenge and the difficulties vary depending on the pianist, technical ability so the list of each pianist will be different depends on their technical preferences.
For example I found op.10/8 much harder than 10/10 or 25/8 harder than octaves. But to each their own.
In my opinion, I do think people overrate Op. 10 No.1 just by looking at it. Sure it looks absolutely insane but honestly its just Chopin testing whether you can contort your hands while expanding and contracting them. One day I sat down and thought 'how hard could it be' and to my surprise it wasn't actually difficult. Discipline yourself into sitting there like a robot and going over and over each run and soon enough you'll get it right. Took me 2 months to learn. Of course the real difficulty is performing it because everyone in a 2 mile radius will hear if you mess up. But after a while of going over and over it again I almost found it difficulty to make mistakes just because the runs felt so right under my fingers. I would be quite surprised if nobody else had the same experience with Op. 10 No. 1 as me becasue don't get me wrong i am no virtuoso. But IMO there are much harder etudes in the Chopin etudes book, and personally Torrent goes above Waterfall for me, along with Sixths and Op. 10 No. 7. Not sure if anyone can relate but it would be interesting if anyone that had the same experience as me or even a different one could reply.
nice video
Thanks!!
All are soooo difficult for me...but so beautifull also that make the learning and practising enjoyable. Op10 no 1,2,3 and Op 25 no 1,2,5 are my daily regimen now. Nice list anyway.
Thanks! Appreciate it
you are a good piznist to play op10-1
6, 3, 5, 14, 24, 9, 8, 19, 13, 10, 11, 12, 16, 4, 17, 15, 7, 20, 21, 1, 2, 18, 22, 23
17 over 16 and 4? Op 25 no 8 is so hard, even legendary pianists seem to have so much trouble with it.
@@Alla-Marcia I maybe overestimated the difficulty of op 25 no 5. I ranked op. 25 no 8 (20) as the 7th most difficult, you ranked 6th.
@@josephmathmusic my mistake, I thought 20 was ranked lower, sorry!
I feel like 10-4 is kind of like hitting a brick wall for people who don’t have really strong left hands. I’ve always felt like that’s no 4.
Op 10 no 6 is always called "easy" when it is rated level 7 in Henle plus it I deceivingly easy because of it's slow tempo but the thing is it's harder than Op 10 no 9, Op 20 no. 2.
For me thirds is hardest
Thirds is a hard technique. I've practiced them a lot and now they are not so difficult for me, even played really fast. But I guess everyone has different streghts.
For me the hardest is Op.25/8
@@CatkhosruShapurrjiFurabji One of the most underrated in terms of difficulty, in my opion. Could be higher.
Alla Marcia, please do me a favor, will you? Listen to Wim Winters play Chopin’s opus 10 no 2. At the slow tempo, is he right, quote: «Like the ones who have trouble seeing the extreme technical difficulties in this recording. Anyway». I can not understand the «extreme technical difficulties» in his slow tempo. Am I right or not?
I’ll rank the etudes that I’ve played
Highest to lowest
Op 10 no 2
Op 25 no 5
Op 10 no 11
Op 25 no 7
Op 25 no 2
Op 25 no 1
That's a reasonable order for me
Wtf 25 10 was one of easiest Chopin Etudes for me, and I learned 10 3 and 10 4 in the same semester of the College. For me 10 4 was a little bit harder, but only a little bit
how about 10-1?
May I ask who’s performance is the chromatic the right hand only section is beautiful
Really nice list, I would have put 10 11 higher, 25 4 lower, maybe 10 8 lower too. Next time you should put the name of the performer of the etude, you made a nice choice
I think both are really difficult when played Allegro. A clean performance of op 25 no 4 is almost impossible.
The better your technique is, the more you realize that they are all equally difficult. To play them completely relaxed and in a musical way respecting the writing. Like one that you classify as easy op 25 no 2 which is often played in eighth and quarter notes instead of the triplet which should be against the triplet of the bass with extreme lightness and in much greater speed. Op 25 no 4 should be played subtly by making the 2/2 feel and by highlighting the melodies of the bass and the upper voice. I'll stop here, as there would be too many comments to make. Also try to play op 10 no 12 in 2/2 as written, without overpowering the notes.
You are right. It was just an attempt of classifying the etudes based on their techniques. Obviously, achieving perfection is almost equally hard on all of them. Anyway, I don't think making sound triplets right in op 25 no 2 is a big deal if you have a decent technique and musicality. I agree that op 25 no 4 is a really difficult one, as you can see in the list.
I agree on your comments.
This list addresses the difficulty to learn them which I totally agree, but to master them is totally different issue.
Some people criticize Chopin for dedicating his life only to composing for the piano, I would love to know his reasons. I think you can get some partial answers once you learn his preludes and etudes. The basis of most, if not all, the piano technique is gathered in those pieces.
Nice list, i would put op. 25 nº11 in nº1. It's the longest with the main theme in sevral tonalities. If i'ts played always with fingers 523(4)1 (even with 5 th finger in black keys) gets easier but it's still the most demanding in stamina. Also op 10 nº 12 and 10 nº 1 demand a lot of stamina for left and right hand, they could go higher but not too much. I've played op 25 nº 6 and i still think it shouldn't be as nº 2 but it also depends on the speed of the etude. This performances are all played "presto as possibile" when the etudes are only allegros in some cases. Op 25 nº 10 and nº3 should be way lower, i've lerned them and memorised them in a week in my early 20's, they aren't as dificult as many that you show lower in the list. But this is still a nice list. As a pianist with small hands, in some cases the dificulty is in some unreachable extensions in some etudes, so the most dificult for me would never be 25 nº6 or even op 10 nº 2 since they have no extension problems. So having a small hand can really turn the list almost upside down in some cases.
It was tough to rank the top 4, those four could be reordered depending on the pianist qualities and obviously speed. Thank you for your comment!
ua-cam.com/video/6Kx1QGAooL0/v-deo.html
Op.25 No.11 (winter wind) is the only Chopin etude I ever learn. I knew it was a difficult piece but had no idea where it stands in relation to other etudes in terms of difficulties. I like it desperate enough, hence, I managed to learn the whole piece. I wish to learn other etudes too but struggle to find times and concentration due to family commitments. I was so happy that I could play this etude as an amateur pianist, especially that I haven't had any serious practice nor piano lesson since 1995. Hope you lots who know this piece well to comment on my playing style, techniques and challenges. Thank you!
Op 25 no 11 combines some technical difficulties from op 10 no 1 and no 2 and other etudes. It is surprising that even though no 2 is simpler and shorter, its simplicity is what makes it harder. For instance, you can rely on impulses on op 25 no 11 in order to obtain the required sound and strength to make it work while op 10 no 2 only relies on rotating, fingering and weight transfer.
Every single etude is the most difficult one.
nice list, i'd say that op 25 2 is higher , the tempo is not correct there.
25 1 little lower,
10 5 higher than 10 3
10 11 higher,
25 5 lower , but others are in good places i think.
Thanks for the suggestions! It was tough to choose
@@Alla-Marcia thank you too, for making video like that !
I think that this is mostly very acurate but i wonder where you would put the "méthode des méthodes" etudes? For some reason everyone forgets about these 3 Chopin etudes
btw you forgot to mark 25 11 in the chapters
literally the most difficult one and they forget it
@@theo2650 its not the most difficult, and it is on the list
Heyo , friendly pianist here. I have lots of piano friends and we all can agree that Op 25 no11 is indeed hard but it doesn't come close to op 25 no 6 and Op 10 no2
We speak out of personal experience and on a technical scale.
Op25 n11 is musically harder
@@g.d.c12 Yeah honestly i would agree with that, doesn't change the fact that they didn't mark it at all lol
@@lavatrex6736 true lmao
Op 25 no 4 should be lower in my opinion.
Do you play it? I find it really hard. Thanks for the comment.
I think the same
I played it, and I found it easier than op 25 n°7 and op 10 n°12, that are the others etudes that I have played
Concierto en general
Cambiaría posiciones del op 25/10 y 25/8. Sextas es más incómodo que octavas
Op 25 no 3 y op 25/1 casi al mismo nivel
Op 10/5 me parece mas difícil que el revolucionario
I would put 25/11 as n1 … but I guess it’s very subjective
difficult here is not subjectif but the reality of rhe technic
@@alainspiteri502 Actually I don't agree ... for example, it depends on the physical characteristics of the pianist .. for example, I have medium-size hands ... for me playing 25/6 or 10/2 is not a big problem, but playing 25/11 or 10/1 is a bigger problem due to the fact that the span required is much larger ... I have very good octaves .. so also 25/10 is not a problem ...but for somebody else fast octaves may be a problem ... so, there is not a single metric for difficulty
@@martinopipino don't understand what you mean because 10-1 or op25-11 there are not one octave ; op10-1 is a displacemrnt of the hand ; no octaves in 25-11 but in french ( accords brisés ) also octave with lateral displacement of the hand so no problème with size of fingers and the hand ; to play 1/10 znd 25 / 11 it's necessary ten work hours a day and 8-10 years of piano it's the end of Paris-Conservatory with sonata op35-2 movt 1 or Faure " Thème et variations Czerny Toccata op-92 etc etc ...
@@martinopipino in the piano-technic the hand accompagnies the fingers by a lateral movement
@@alainspiteri502 you don’t get the meaning of what I said. The octave is just an example referred to 25-10 .. of course in 10-1 and 25-11 there is no octave technique. I was just saying that difficulty is subjective, and I presented as an example the case of 25-10 which for me is easy but for somebody else is difficult, as well as 10-1 or 25-11 that for me are difficult but maybe for somebody else are easy
25 no 6 is number 1, and 10 no 2 is number 2.
For me the list of the hardest
25 no 6
10 no 2
25 no 11
25 no 8
10 no 1
10 no 4
That's a good order actually.
This is the same for me as well.
Whi plays it? 0:12
Cecile Licad
what kind of hand do you have? do you have big hands? Small hands? are your fingers long?
it will depend on the type of hand how difficult a Chopin etude is. speed is not everything, and here you demonstrate it very well! you did not put op 25 no 7, op 10 no 3 and op 10 no 6 in the lowest positions and followed only by necessity. good video, but for me it is not feasible
I assumed "standard" hands, as mine are (I have quite short fingers but I can reach a 10th or even a 11th). It is true that small hand could increase the difficulty of some etudes.
@@Alla-Marcia Small hands, like that of mine, increase some difficulties much more than others. I played 10-1 two years ago, but I cannot play 10-4 even now. Because of small hands.
This is subjetive, in my opinion op 10 n 12, op 25 no 12 and op 10 no 4 are more difficult and the op 10 no 8 is more easy but its depend of the person, but the op 25 no 6 is more difficult then the op 10 no 2
Yes, it depends on the person. For me op 10 no 8 is really hard, with a difficult left hand as well, but the ones you mention are also really challeging.
Found op 25 no 5 easier than op 25 no 2
That Op. 25 No. 2 is SUPER SLOW. I can even comfortably play it faster than that.
It's impossible not to consider "Op. 10 n 4" the most difficult one!
I will put it as the 3, the 10 2 the 2 and the 25 6 the 1
you have a bad carpian tunel the op 10 no 2 is in the same level of op 10 no 1
Personally I never play 1 Etude.
I play @ minimum 1 opus or the other--but typically the whole set ,as they blend into each other quite well( especially after playing them all everyday for 3 years straight!)
My current repertoire is many orders of magnitude harder than these Etudes.
Gaspard de la nuit,Petroushka & Islamey
+ Busoni's Chachonne in d minor & Schubert's Fantasy,Liszt b minor sonata & Brahms Paganini Variations both books.
Difficulties are all relative depending on time,experience, situation &circumstance.
Everything you don't know is " hard" yet is "easy" once you know it right?
Ok buddy
very personnal your list no for a pianist , the first study for me was " Revolutionary worked with two years of piano and j played it with four y-piano ; all studies CHOPIN are difficult but the easier is op10-12 for a young same level that mvt 3 of Clair de Lune Beethoven Sonata ; your list is more a lover-music than a pianist ex me
I'm also a pianist myself and have played most of them.
@@Alla-Marcia it all depends on how we are playing them ; my friend after stop piano during 44 years start playing the piano again j have listened her with op25-2 tempo one minute 90 seconde with a good legato without pedal without a false note j have recorded her ; me j worked op10-12 with three work-years piano j have eight y old ; so j don't agree 100-100 with studies in the tempo of Chopin ; j don't known you understand what j mean : my friend 60 y old play very well " Fantaisie Chromatique ' J S Bach easier than studies Chopin !!
@@Alla-Marcia don 't mixe work a study and play a study in tempo of Chopin
Trust me thirds is not the hardest!!!
Wrong rankings! Slower pieces do Not imply that they are easier, by no means!
To be able to create singing tone effect out of the percussive instrument piano is one of the most challenging If not the Most challenging task of a pianist!
This is a ranking based on technical difficulty. I don't know if you play the piano, but I can asure you it's not easier to make op 10 no 2 sound fine than op 10 no 6. I asume that the pianist is decent enough to "create tone effect" so technical difficulty can be discussed. If you are not, please don't come to this videos to bother.
Cringe
@@WEEBLLOM bro talking to him self
@@creepergreen1162 grammar
@@WEEBLLOMu are so toxic lmao
Jesus, that Black Key Etude is horrible. Too fast, sloppy, not worth a recording.
You must be a scary teacher
@@Offic139 Not a teacher. But scary.
I’m I have study some etude but I I don’t think double third etude os that bad I feel like wrong note etude is prolly the hardest one I have done and ocean etude should be the first one on the list 😊
You overrate No. 23 as so many do, especially putting it ahead of No. 1 and you massively overrated No. 4.
If people put anything above 1, 2, 18, and 22, they are either being dishonestly contrarian or ignorant. Keep in mind if you aren't sustaining sans pedal the inner voices of 22, you are playing it wrongly, as most, even virtuosos do.
22 is octaves right? Yeah that Étude wasn't too bad for me and I played it correctly too. But maybe octaves are just natural for me. The thing is, the difficulty of all of these Études heavily depend on the player, for Rachmaninoff and me, 3rds is the hardest, for Arthur Rubinstein Winter Wind was the hardest etc.
@@thenotsookayguy Did you keep the inner voices independent? Did you not rely on the pedal to sustain the inner invoices? If you did either, you didn’t play it right.
@@Manx123I did.
@@thenotsookayguy I doubt it, lol
@@Manx123Na, my hands are really flexible, I can comfortably reach a 9th with just my thumb and index and a 7th with my pinky and middle, plus I spent some time on Liszt's 1st Technical Exercise with helps out with finger independence. Also I try to put some effort into getting good at voicing so I can play like Katsaris.