Feux Follets 1st Theme Fingering

Hi just wondered if anyone played this with different fingering on the opening flutter (trills) beginning the demisemiquavers; I find the first quadruple demis a bit stretchy for the second finger on C with the 4th on the Gflat at any speed other than slow. RH Top - 3 4 3 5 F Gb RH Bot - A C 1 2 1 2 This would be so much better if I could paste in a musical image but on a mac this doesnt seem to work for me. So here is the reference URL : Breitkopf & Hertel edition page 29 7th bar. Anyway I wondered if anyone has been successful with changing the 3 to a 4 at speed on this bit. I wanted to practice this fluttering to get a feeling of lightness with the thumb and second finger with a top part of 3,4,5 fingers. Thanks

Hi I've tried others but nothing else works for me in speed. On the other hand lightness is the key here. Personally I play the second beat in this particular bar with my knuckles mashed down and with last joints (like a claw). This particular bar is the worst. For me the only way to get this piece clean was to really overlearn all the voices-and i mean all. The advice of Alan to be particulary observant with the "bottom" voice in the RH was of great value. It's nice to accelerate a little bit through this bar so a slight slowing down in the bar before might be allowed:-). Good Luck!

Hi Eric that sounds like a great idea - to mash - hence lengthening the reach. Are you able to play this comfortably and do you have a big hand? I have heard 3 of the great female artists play this on YouTube, one included moura lympany. I'm not sure how big their hands were but I can't imagine they were an equal size of Evgeny Kissin for example. Thanks

Hi I don't "mash" in general but only on specific beats. My hands are fairly big but that's not the reason. It's more to get a workable position.Mashing doesn't necessarily mean loosing the arch I see it as "moving" the arch so that the knuckles on the "new" arch becomes the last joints on the fingers.Hard to explain. Don't think small fingers is a handicap here, on the very contrary as you'll have much more flexibility. Could play it comfortably on a good action and with a calm speed. In public-no - as I tend to get carried away and this is not the peice for that. But I'm working on it. Ingolf Wunder plays this just remarkably fast and well (youtube video).Kemal Gekic's interpretation is much more mature and likable (to my taste). He doesn't speed it up I'm sure he could. Eveness does make it sound faster than if playing fast without it. In bar 25 for example Kemal slightly misses the second repetition of the c flat (2-3 note). This tiny detail has a huge impact.But his overall interpretation is so fantastic that probably he choose not to alter it. So eveness is crucial. Chloe Pak has put an interesting video on youtube she was not a fully trained pianist at that time but I think she plays the piece marvously intelligent within her capabilities. Sorry about my whining but I've spent a considerable time of my life on this piece....

My latest take on this would be different from earlier. Consider all the advice about legato technique as didactic, and try a quasi-staccato that has actually NO 'cat-scratch.' In other words, your fingers maintain their natural shape precisely and it's as if the key bounces the finger up into the air. Actually you do something muscularly to help that but the 'as if' is very important - it's gotta feel like you did nothing. Scatting every note with a precise "ta" sound, the tip of the tongue on the upper teeth or on the palate just above the upper teeth, can also help amazingly. Good luck, Mr. Phelps. AFF

Indeed! Actually I only glanced at this "mission" because apparently Ravel advised one of his students to practise this etude whilst learning Ondine. Personally I've found the Chopin Etude in thirds much more helpful in every way for keeping fingers 1&2 standing up in shape for revising Ondine which is working out!