— Considerably more evil on the technical plan than anything in Helps’ output (with the possible exception of the Concerti, op. 13 and op. 19); 1st crunches and grinds to cataclysm, 2nd is a voluptuously extravagant marriage of Bartók and Szymanowski, 3rd offers a perpetuum mobile of seconds against "melodic" left-hand. Helps himself said, “I'd like to play them, but I don't want to practice them.”
Total duration: 10 minutes
The incipit offered by C.F. Peters
The Three Etudes are dedicated to Bernhard Abramowitsch, Helps' four-hand partner for many concerts.
