Are the Chopin Etudes merely concert-worthy finger exercises?
Oh, no! Yes, they are studies, but they are not merely finger exercises. Will you gain technique from learning the etudes? Most certainly. However, these etudes are meant to be studied to get you to think about what you are playing and how you are playing – much different from the redundant Hanon exercises which contain no musicality. For example, Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 1 focuses on stretching your fingers (it explains why Chopin marked an unusual 1-2-4-5 fingering for certain arpeggios that could have easily and more naturally played using 1-2-3-5). It also challenges you to think musically (it’s nicknamed the “Waterfall” etude); you have to pay close attention to your tonal balance, rhythm, dynamic changes, and tempo. Due to its incredible musical difficulty, Rubinstein and Horowitz both refused to record this etude (Horowitz having famously remarked that it’s the most [musically] challenging etude). Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 2 focuses on strengthening the 3-4-5 fingers of the right
