The light drumming 4- and 8-note figures played at great speed, moving diatonically up and down the keyboard, and the fairly static harmony in long-notes give this study a blandly motoric character unless you find a way to project it very lightly, very “fantastically.” I discovered that, with practice, using Czerny’s fingering I can reach that speed, and it’s a good exercise piece for both hands, especially the last 12 measures.
For my personal exercise I have a collection of pieces that are meant for warm-up when I’m preparing for class, pieces which I’m in no hurry to master but which I like to practice and which I may never play for class, either because they’re too difficult or not very interesting. I like the feel of practicing the different patterns of #8 at increasing tempos, and I arranged a simple study from Czerny’s material that serves as warm-up and technical training, as well as a possible ballet class piece.
Op 335 #8, 1st Version: presto “motor” study, 8 sets of 8-count phrases
This is a performance of my study based on a simplification of #8, for which I supply a score. The performance is at top speed, but of course I practice it in a wide range of much slower tempos. The main simplification, aside from using only about half of Czerny’s material, is the reduction to two single voices--no chords, no held notes in the 16th-note figures. I’ve introduced some simple melodic material, a descant to anchor the rhythm through the 16ths.
#8, 2nd Version, descant tune wreathed in running 16ths, 8 sets of 8-count phrases
This is an elaboration of my 1st Version created with DAW software. The main feature is the introduction of an alberti accompaniment figure in the bass and the realization of the descant in two and three voices. I’ve doubled the length of my 1st Version with repeats. I especially wanted to do something with Czerny’s wonderful coda (mm 36 to end), and I offer this version as homage to the exciting character of Czerny’s study, with its perpetuum mobile breathlessness and very quiet ending.