Can anyone recommend a good book on how to play the Chopin Etudes? I am looking for advice on how to approach the various technical (physical) difficulties, rather than advice on artistic interpretation - I already know how I want them to sound - with the clarity and accuracy of Maurizio Pollini, but fractionally slower and softer.

I have read the famous stuff by Abby Whiteside (Her essay: Mastering the Chopin Etudes). It was interesting, but has not helped much! I have learned more from watching various renditions on YouTube.

There is a new book by Regina Smendzianka, published earlier this year by the Chopin Foundation of the United States: How to Play Chopin? Part 3: Chopin's Etudes. Has anyone seen it? Is it any good.

Any and all recommendations and advice appreciated.

I think there's a limit to how much any book could help you with this - the best answer is a good teacher. We're all different & have different strengths & weaknesses. A good teacher can help with your individual needs.

I have seen some very old copies of exercises by Alfred Cortot. I have no idea if they are still in print. I have a feeling they might be a rarity but worth investigating. Someone else might know more.

I'm learning 6 of them, basically just playing them quite slowly, til im happy with the phrasing , some of them are nearly up to tempo, but i think it will be ages until i'm content with how they sound, still its worth the wait. And if i get them reasonably well, I'll have a go at some more, but absolutely not until i've got the ones i'm working on under my belt.

The Cortot edition of Chopin Etudes are still available and not a rarity (although they are expensive). They are published by Salabert. But if you order them, be warned that all the editorial notes and exercise instructions are in French, so unless you are fluent, be sure to ask for the English translations. And look for them seperately as there are two volumes.

Thanks to all for your advice and comments. I had forgotten about the Cortot editions - even though Alex Abercrombie had recommended them when I was studying with him. Well I have an excuse ... it was 20 years ago.

With your prompting I now remember the exact words of the conversation: "... but they are biassed to the right hand, so when you have finished those there are the Godowsky variations to sort the left hand out!"

Such touching faith!

The Cortot editions appear to be out of print in Europe and outrageous prices are being asked for second hand copies, but they are still available (in both French and English language versions) at a very reasonable $22.95 (each volume - 2 volumes) from the USA at this website:

http://www.sheetmusic1.com/sch.chopin1.piano.html

I also came across "The pianists repertoire. Chopin. A graded practical guide" by Eleanor Bailie. This has lots of useful guidance on everything Chopin wrote, and a useful graded list of all Chopin's pieces - suggesting the grade at which they might first be studied. Most of the pieces that - when I have heard them - have made me think "Wow, that is fantastic, I must learn to play it" are in her "Very Advanced" category. That might explain why, out of the 30+ Chopin pieces I have worked on, you'd only want to hear me play two or three of them.