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Piano Board => Miscellaneous => Polls etc. => Topic started by: chopianist123 on July 21, 2007, 11:24:23 PM

Title: Hardest Chopin
Post by: chopianist123 on July 21, 2007, 11:24:23 PM
What is Chopin's most difficult work for solo piano technically?
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: mikey6 on July 22, 2007, 12:11:29 AM
oh dear....do a SEARCH
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: amanfang on July 22, 2007, 12:22:37 AM
The Prelude in A.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: mcgillcomposer on July 22, 2007, 12:46:30 AM
The third piano sonata.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: amelialw on July 22, 2007, 12:54:07 AM
Andante Spinato and Grade Polonaise Brilliante are among one of the harder ones.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: pianowolfi on August 10, 2007, 05:35:47 AM
The third piano sonata.

That's interesting. I planned to learn that one but then I had other projects coming up that were prior to me. Do you play it? It is still something very special to me and I love it.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: mcgillcomposer on August 10, 2007, 05:39:37 AM
That's interesting. I planned to learn that one but then I had other projects coming up that were prior to me. Do you play it? It is still something very special to me and I love it.
I do play it, but admittedly not very well yet. I have the finale and the largo under my fingers quite well, the allegro maestoso isn't solid yet, and the scherzo is still a disaster lol...

You know, even if you don't feel ready to learn the piece in full, there is no harm in reading through and working on sections you feel comfortable. It's always good to make friends with the notes ;).
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: soliloquy on August 15, 2007, 06:28:47 PM
Allegro de Concert Op. 42, Etudes Op. 25, Barcarolle Op. 60
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: imbetter on August 15, 2007, 08:46:59 PM
lol
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: mike_lang on August 15, 2007, 10:03:09 PM
Prelude in C Minor - MUSICALLY SPEAKING.

Incidentally, Barry Manilow has solved the enigma.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: leuthold on August 16, 2007, 09:44:20 PM
prelude agitatof c sharp minor.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: thalbergmad on August 16, 2007, 10:45:11 PM
I have always found the La ci darem le mano variations Op2 to be extremely difficult.

The Rondo Op16 is completely beyond me as well.

Thal
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: ahinton on August 17, 2007, 07:00:20 AM
Op. 10?

Best,

Alistair
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: pianistimo on August 19, 2007, 08:00:49 PM
polonaise-fantasy opus 61
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: ganymed on August 19, 2007, 08:25:06 PM
arent the scherzi very difficault?  even rubinstein said that they are one of the most demanding pieces
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: imbetter on August 20, 2007, 04:17:37 PM
polonaise-fantasy opus 61

i wouldnt say the polonaise fantasy isnt the most difficult although its a massive piece. I love it, i wana learn it as soon as possible.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: rallestar on August 22, 2007, 09:21:04 AM
I thought the harder etudes kicked pretty much all other pieces ass, except for the 4th ballade perhaps?
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: quantum on August 24, 2007, 05:35:55 PM
A small excerpt...
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Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: sissco on August 25, 2007, 10:12:18 PM
Yes, I would say the variations Op. 2. Especially if your name is demidenko and you play it that fast  :o
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: quantum on August 27, 2007, 10:52:44 PM
Yes, I would say the variations Op. 2. Especially if your name is demidenko and you play it that fast  :o

Demidenko pwns this piece.  Also one of my fav recordings. 
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: teccomin on February 15, 2010, 06:35:50 AM
Ballades and Barcarolle
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: liordavid on February 28, 2010, 09:57:38 PM
Concerto number 2
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: fifthelegy on April 07, 2010, 02:32:14 AM
The ballades are hard. Once you've got all the technicality right, there comes the musicality. (They're absolutely beautiful pieces though!)
The scherzi are also quite difficult, but not too bad. Not sure about the Barcarolle but quite a few people are saying it's difficult? And his etudes demand quite alot technical skill, but I guess that's what etudes do :P
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: ngo_dustin on December 12, 2012, 05:52:51 AM
For me, it definitely has to be the Heroic Polonaise.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: gn622 on December 12, 2012, 02:03:42 PM
Yes, I would say the variations Op. 2. Especially if your name is demidenko and you play it that fast  :o

Agreed, i felt naive for thinking that i could tackle that piece.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: rachmaninoff_forever on December 13, 2012, 03:55:53 AM
I know difficulties are subjective, but his sonatas ad piano concerti easily wash away his etudes and preludes.

I mean come on, a half an hour sonata versus a tiny two minute prelude/etude?
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: the89thkey on December 15, 2012, 02:19:32 AM
If interpretation is taken into account, 4th Ballade is the hardest Chopin piece. The technique in the later Scherzos is also fairly challenging.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: freakishly_large_hands on May 25, 2013, 05:41:23 PM
I would think it would depend on the performer's strengths. None of us are quite the same, and what I find impossible might be easy to the next person, and what you can breeze through someone else might struggle with. Music is very much an individual thing.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: chopin2015 on August 05, 2013, 04:42:33 AM
I know difficulties are subjective, but his sonatas ad piano concerti easily wash away his etudes and preludes.

I mean come on, a half an hour sonata versus a tiny two minute prelude/etude?

Definitely agreed. Unless, one is to play all, every single etude by Chopin...that could be more difficult than a concerto. Most fabulous concertos are much too difficult to pull through, even for some pianists who play many etudes. Concertos and ensemble works take music beyond solo piano...you then have to keep up with many instruments and pay attention to more cues than just your own rhythm...oh boy, I am always too lazy (really, it just would take too long to get through unless I was better prepared or ready for such a task) to even practice to an orchestra track. BLEH!!
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: blazekenny on August 05, 2013, 06:56:44 PM
Polonaise-Fantasie op.61 is extremely difficult to make interesting. In hands of many pianists it sounds boring. Barcarolle also has more philosophy than any of the ballades. The B major nocturne op 62 also. Simply, the later are the pieces, the more do they have the mature musical depth
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: kevonthegreatpianist on June 01, 2015, 03:37:49 AM
.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: kevonthegreatpianist on June 01, 2015, 03:47:04 AM
-Most of Etudes Op.10,25; Tris Novellus Etude 3
-All Ballades (4th is crazy)
-All Scherzi (especially the 1st and 2nd)
-Nocturnes Op.48 No.1; Op. 9 No.3; Op.15 No.2 (my sharps are terrible); Both Op.62 Nocturnes
-Polonaises Op.44;52;61 (Polonaise-Fantasie)
-Varations Op.2
-Hades Prelude; Dat Prelude in d minor (Forgot)
-Rondo Op.16
-Rondo Op.1
-Grande Polonaise
-Fantasie-Impromptu (It's overrated for a reason)
-Berceuse Op.47 (or 48 IDK)
-Barcarolle Op.60
-Fantasy Op.49 (My favorite)

I think the hardest of all of them listed above is the 4th Ballade. Heck, I played it for three months and I still mess up on the first page. :P
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: michael_sayers on June 01, 2015, 06:27:39 AM
Prelude in C Minor - MUSICALLY SPEAKING.

Incidentally, Barry Manilow has solved the enigma.

Hi Michael_langlois,

I did a compelling recording of the Prelude in C Minor:




Mvh,
Michael
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: stevensk on June 03, 2015, 06:07:35 AM

What is the twelfth most difficult work by chopin?
What comes on the 24:th place?
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: kevonthegreatpianist on June 05, 2015, 03:26:23 AM
stevensk

12th and 24th most difficult is subjective. IMO for 12th is probably the Fantasy Op.49 or one of the scherzos or the 1th or 3rd ballade. 24th could probably be a slow Etude, or a hard Prelude, or one of the harder Nocturnes or hardest Waltzes. Heck, these Waltzes are actually harder than they sound like
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: stevensk on June 07, 2015, 09:03:13 AM
stevensk

12th and 24th most difficult is subjective. IMO for 12th is probably the Fantasy Op.49 or one of the scherzos or the 1th or 3rd ballade. 24th could probably be a slow Etude, or a hard Prelude, or one of the harder Nocturnes or hardest Waltzes. Heck, these Waltzes are actually harder than they sound like

-Are you really sure about this? I have heard that the Fantasy Op.49 comes on the 16:th place.
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: kevonthegreatpianist on June 08, 2015, 04:16:43 AM
stevensk

It's your opinion of which is the hardest of all Chopin. It's pretty subjective of which is the hardest of all Chopin.

IMO:

1. Rondo Op.16
2. Varations Op.2
3. Ballade Op.52
4. Etude Op.25 No.11
5. Sonata Op.58
6. Polonaise Op.44
7. Etude Op.25 No.6
8. Etude Op.10 No.2
9. Sonata Op.35
10. Ballade Op.38
11. Polonaise Op.53
12. Polonaise-Fantasie Op.61
13. Etude Op.25 No.12
14. Etude Op.25 No.10
15. Ballade Op.47
16. Ballade Op.23
17. Fantasy Op.49
18. Etude Op.10 No.4
19. Barcarolle Op.60
20. Nocturne Op. 48 No.1
21. Polonaise Op.22
21. Prelude Op.28 No.16
22. Nocturne Op.62 No.2
23. Nocturne Op.62 No.1 
24. Sonata Op.4

And so on....

The reason I rate some Nocturnes higher than some Etudes and Preludes is because they're pretty long (5-7 minutes) and they're much harder than you think. All of the Etudes are generally harder, but it'll take longer to fully master the Nocturnes.

The list is pretty flawed; I made it up a few seconds ago :P. I'll really like it if you guys edited it, because, like I said, it's a few seconds old. I think I made some things clear, like:

1. The 4th ballade isn't Chopin's hardest work
2. Nocturnes could be that hard

Looking back on the list, I realized that I put a Nocturnes before a Polonaise, and I put the 3rd Ballade before the 1st. Eh

Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: stevensk on June 08, 2015, 08:20:38 AM
stevensk

It's your opinion of which is the hardest of all Chopin. It's pretty subjective of which is the hardest of all Chopin.


-No no no!  This cant be just subjective! -Why do you think people in this forum constantly asks "which is the hardest..",  Who is the best.." ?
This must obviously be something absolute and objektive! We all need a scientific, definitive and universial list over this.   ;D ;D   :o :o
Title: Re: Hardest Chopin
Post by: mjames on June 08, 2015, 09:18:02 AM
stevensk

It's your opinion of which is the hardest of all Chopin. It's pretty subjective of which is the hardest of all Chopin.

IMO:

1. Rondo Op.16
2. Varations Op.2
3. Ballade Op.52
4. Etude Op.25 No.11
5. Sonata Op.58
6. Polonaise Op.44
7. Etude Op.25 No.6
8. Etude Op.10 No.2
9. Sonata Op.35
10. Ballade Op.38
11. Polonaise Op.53
12. Polonaise-Fantasie Op.61
13. Etude Op.25 No.12
14. Etude Op.25 No.10
15. Ballade Op.47
16. Ballade Op.23
17. Fantasy Op.49
18. Etude Op.10 No.4
19. Barcarolle Op.60
20. Nocturne Op. 48 No.1
21. Polonaise Op.22
21. Prelude Op.28 No.16
22. Nocturne Op.62 No.2
23. Nocturne Op.62 No.1 
24. Sonata Op.4

And so on....

The reason I rate some Nocturnes higher than some Etudes and Preludes is because they're pretty long (5-7 minutes) and they're much harder than you think. All of the Etudes are generally harder, but it'll take longer to fully master the Nocturnes.

The list is pretty flawed; I made it up a few seconds ago :P. I'll really like it if you guys edited it, because, like I said, it's a few seconds old. I think I made some things clear, like:

1. The 4th ballade isn't Chopin's hardest work
2. Nocturnes could be that hard

Looking back on the list, I realized that I put a Nocturnes before a Polonaise, and I put the 3rd Ballade before the 1st. Eh



Which one out of the 24 are you able to play?