Difficulty of these pieces..

[mmro]

Could someone tell me  the order of these pieces from the easiest to the hardest?

Chopin Poloanaise Op 26 No 1
Beethoven Sonata Op 10 No 1
Mozart Sonata K332
Schubert Impromptu Op 90 No 2
Chopin Fantasie Impromptu

THanks

[kelly_kelly]

Not familar w/the Polonaise, but my guesses for the others would be (and I may be totally off):

!.(easiest) Schubert
2.Mozart
3.Beethoven
4.Chopin

[Waldo]

does anyone know from when you can start playing the fantasie impromptu from chopin??
as in how many years

it's my ultimate goal piece if i'm able to play that i'll be satisfied

or is it one of those pieces that are only playable by professionals???

Greetz
Bart

[mmro]

Fantasie Impromptu was my goal too! I never thought I would be able to play it for a long time... I was wrong. I turned out easier than I thought....
If you can play the pieces of the list above I think you can do it

[pianistimo]

sometimes we have a tendency to go by lists (repertoire grades).  according to pianostreets grades it would be:

mozart
beethoven
schubert
chopin -both polonaise and fi

but, each student is so different - and each piece is so different (and works a different technique).  so noone is really wrong to have a few composers out of 'order.'  personally, i worked the F major sonata of mozart for a good six months when i was in college, no less.  i don't know if these means i'm really stupid - or if i was sincerely needing that much time.  the clean pedalling, etc. - really taught me a lot.  my notes above it are : 'the charm of this sonata-beginning lies in the fact that it is not like a beginning but like a second theme, lyrical and songful.'

i have the tempo as final at 144= quarter note.  also, i have tons of good fingering for this sonata (if you want it).  my teacher liked to mark with red marker the rests (with a sort of v) and also connected the first note of the three note turn in rh at m 45 directly on the beat with the lh quarter held two-note chord.  all these little details about mozart make it far more difficult than it seems - and very easy once you learn it.  i was told to attack the trills on the beat. 

the fingering in the second movement is somewhat essential, too.  and, i have 66=eighth note as the tempo.  the third runs are tricky.  this movement is very hard at first to learn - but also very easy once learned.  learning to take your time.  enjoy the scenery.  exhult at the runs.  flow off the appogiaturas in a sort of equal way - making them almost (but not quite) equal to the main notes.

the last movement i have 92=dotted quarter as final tempo.  my teacher wrote 'control the tempo' at the top.  tendency for most students is to get faster and faster - showing off their newfound skills.  this is a good endurance ending.

[cloches_de_geneve]

Technically (from hardest to easiest)

1. Chopin
2. Mozart
3. Schubert & Beethoven (similar)

Musically:

1. Mozart
2. Schubert
3. Chopin
4. Beethoven

Total:

1. Mozart
2. Chopin
3. Schubert
4. Beethoven

[dnephi]

"Fantasie Impromptu was my goal too! I never thought I would be able to play it for a long time... I was wrong. I turned out easier than I thought....
If you can play the pieces of the list above I think you can do it"

There's no way on earth that someone just learning a Schubert impromptu should attempt such a musical challenge as FI, even if you somehow stumbled through the notes.

[cloches_de_geneve]

There's no way on earth that someone just learning a Schubert impromptu should attempt such a musical challenge as FI

I think you are underestimating the musical difficulties of the Schubert impromptus

[mmro]

Why not?? A Schubert Impropmtu is easier of course, but FI isn't that hard....

[lau]

does anyone know from when you can start playing the fantasie impromptu from chopin??

it's my ultimate goal piece if i'm able to play that i'll be satisfied

Fantasie Impromptu was my goal too!

"Fantasie Impromptu was my goal too!

holy crap it was my goal to! (now accomplished)

[arbisley]

I think you are underestimating the musical difficulties of the Schubert impromptus

I'm currently learning the Impromptu no.3, and although I have played technically more demanding pieces before, the schubert is just so extremely difficult to get right musically. Especially if the piano lesson is on a piano which has awfully sticky keys and you can't play all the flowing middle notes without making them stand out so horribly!

[steve jones]

FI has a few technical hurdles that would prevent the student from playing it. But assuming you've delt with these in other Chopin pieces, you shouldnt have a problem I dont think.

Id imagine that working on (if not fully mastering) Etudes Op25 No1 and No2 would help immensely. Maybe just hands seperately.

Then you have to sort out the cross rhythms. Thats probably the real tricky bit!

SJ

[ekirth]

sometimes we have a tendency to go by lists (repertoire grades).  according to pianostreets grades it would be:

mozart
beethoven
schubert
chopin -both polonaise and fi

but, each student is so different - and each piece is so different (and works a different technique).  so noone is really wrong to have a few composers out of 'order.'

Agreed. For example, from what I've heard, Rachmaninoff's Polichinelle is "easier" than his Prelude in g minor, yet I played the prelude first and then Polichinelle, and I don't think the order really affected my playing of either piece.

I think that the pieces listed are all within a fair range of each other, and where to start would depend on the pianist and his/her preferences.

On the side--even if it sounds like the world has ended--I actually never had heard the FI until I played it. 

[thaicheow]

May be I can tell you the standard grading on those pieces you have posted, and you may judge yourself? These are what I generally see on ABRSM, LCM, and Trinity.

Chopin Polanaise no 1, Associated Dip or ATCL

Chopin Fantasie impromptu, Associated Dip or ATCL

Mozart K332, Licentiated or Associated Dip; its 1st movement appear in current grade 8 syllabus of ABRSM

Schubert's impromptus is a popular choice in Associated Dip and Liceintiated Dip

Beethovan's op 10 no.1 appear in ATCL or Associated Dip



Fantasie actually is not as difficult as one thought, but as I observe from my experience, very few student can play it well. Delligent student can even play it when they come to Grade 5 and above.

Well, go and figure out yourself.

[ihatepop]

or is it one of those pieces that are only playable by professionals???

Greetz
Bart

Nope, anyone can play it if you set your mind to it.

ihatepop