# "Cheating" in Moszkowski's Etude Op. 72 No. 11 - Thoughts? (video)



## MasterRaro (11 mo ago)

Hey everyone,

First post!

So I decided to test out a rather judicious left/right redistribution with this piece. Please know that I did initially study this piece as written but later chose to experiment with the technical arrangement below. Fun fact: There's a live encore performance of Pletnev somewhere on YT where he sort of does something similar. It's possible Moritz is rolling in his grave. I'm not sure!

My inclination is that it's not worth it in the end... You gain speed but lose accuracy because of all the jumps/hand crossings, and you also lose control of the sonority, because the left hand can't remain on the underlying harmonies unless you manage to catch it just right with the pedal.

Please let me know your thoughts on revised technical redistributions of this nature - this piece or any other!

M


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

That's excellent! I don't know about the "cheating": knowing how difficult everything Moszkowski wrote it is, anything a pianist can do to make it more playable is fine by me. I struggled with his The Juggler for a long, long time - finally gave up. You play beautifully by the way.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Doing the music justice is what matters. Whatever best enables each individual player to do that, they should absolutely do it.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Also cheat by playing his "etudes for the lefthand" (Op.92) by playing with both feet.












^btw, this one is obviously inspired by Liszt (Harmonie du soir)


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

When Andres Segovia was alive, he often criticized advanced guitar students for using easier neck positions. He much preferred they use the positions he noted on the score, because they sound best.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Btw, other cases of cheap cheat:
playing the thirds in Liszt Mazeppa with fingers 1,3, not just 2,4


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## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

I believe Nelson Freire cheats on his famous recording of Op. 72-6.


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## MasterRaro (11 mo ago)

Livly_Station said:


> I believe Nelson Freire cheats on his famous recording of Op. 72-6.


I cheat a little in that one in the middle section by playing the part of scale that comes down the keyboard in the right hand instead of the left, as it is written.


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## MasterRaro (11 mo ago)

progmatist said:


> When Andres Segovia was alive, he often criticized advanced guitar students for using easier neck positions. He much preferred they use the positions he noted on the score, because they sound best.


With this piece I'd say there is a trade-off between advantages and disadvantages with each approach, so it's really hard to say which is "best."


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

MasterRaro said:


> With this piece I'd say there is a trade-off between advantages and disadvantages with each approach, so it's really hard to say which is "best."


But then one note appears in one place, and one place only on the keyboard. On a guitar with 24 frets, one note can appear in as many as 6 places on the neck. All with their own timbre. Thus it's easier to get away with cheating on the keyboard.


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