No. 10 in F minor

The most important thing in this piece is to constantly be aware of the opening tempo marking, "Allegro agitato molto." This means exhausting the limits of agitato. A sweet melody must not be played.

It must always be agitato. The quality of the performance can be judged by listening to just the first two measures. The Allegro must also be molto. Look at the four eighth notes in the left hand in measures 14-15 and 16-17. Even just observing this rhythm and dynamic reveals the rough character of this piece. It is a very intense mood; it is not a beautiful piece.

Look at the right-hand theme beginning in measure 22. A sixteenth rest precedes the melody on each beat. This is a depiction of agitation. Many pieces where the melody begins on an upbeat depict agitation in this way (e.g., Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 9).  Every measure in this piece should be played at a fast tempo and with intensity. There must not be a moment of relaxation. A common misconception among performers is the cadenza at measure 78. There is no instruction here to slow down the tempo. It only states "cresce molto," yet some performers begin measure 79 slowly and gradually increase the tempo. This gives the impression of a steam locomotive slowly starting to move. Instead, this passage is in tempo from the beginning.

The same applies to the cadenza at measure 159. This is a technically very challenging section, and there is a continuous stream of performers who play it safe, starting slowly and then increasing the tempo, but there is not a single instruction to do so. It is in tempo from the very beginning. This passage should be played as if someone slightly deranged is laughing.

Regarding tempo, particular attention must be paid to measures 169 and 170; the tempo for these two measures must be the same. However, some performers accelerate as soon as they enter measure 170. Count carefully and ensure the tempo of measures 169 and 170 matches. Similarly, some performers double the tempo of measures 181-182 compared to what precedes them. Count the rests accurately and play at the same tempo.

This piece is undoubtedly technically very difficult, and for this reason—whether it's an attempt to play it safe, a fundamental misunderstanding, or some other reason—it is a piece that is very often musically misinterpreted. Not all music is about prettiness. There are also expressions of the ugly, intense, or rebellious aspects of human nature. Sometimes, a piece expresses intensity by having the piano played percussively. For this piece, one should not aim for a refined, beautiful performance. It is fundamentally different from playing beautifully; it is an expression of much more intense emotion.