Hardcore difficulty Ranking (with reason)

[musicsdarkangel]

I've found that I often improve by tackling something that is more difficult than my abilities, so I am going to attempt something tough as heck.

I just wanted to know if you could rate the following pieces in order of difficulty, and leave out whatever you don't know about.

Please relate them all to eachother, because I want to find this work that is the least ridiculous for me to learn.

I have listed two pieces which I have finished or am almost finishing just so that I can know where they stand in comparison.

Ravel - Gaspard de la Nuit
Ravel - Sonatine
Ravel - La Tambeau de Couperin
Brahms - Pagannini Variations
Alkan - Grande Sonate 'Les Quatre Ages" op 33
Alkan - Etude op 39/12 (Le Festin d'Esope)
Scriabin - Sonata no 5
Schumann - Carnival
Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody On A Theme by Pagannini
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 1
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 2
Liszt - Dante Sonata
Liszt - Don Juan
Liszt - Mephisto Waltz
Liszt - Feux Follet
Liszt - Mazeppa
Liszt - Rhapsody Espagnole
Chopin - Sonata no 2
Chopin - Sonata no 3
Beethoven - Opus 106 (Hammerklavier)
Beethoven - Opus 111
Beethoven Appassionata
Bach - Goldberg Variations
Balakiriev - Islamey

Of course, these all have different times, and that IS a factor.

[thierry13]

Ravel - Gaspard de la Nuit
Brahms - Pagannini Variations
Alkan - Grande Sonate 'Les Quatre Ages" op 33
Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody On A Theme by Pagannini
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 1
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 2
Liszt - Dante Sonata
Liszt - Don Juan
Liszt - Mephisto Waltz
Liszt - Feux Follet
Beethoven - Opus 106 (Hammerklavier)
Balakiriev - Islamey

All the ones that stay on the list are the hardest, but I wouldn't be able to place them in order really...

[Skeptopotamus]

Rachmaninov Sonata No. 2
Ravel Gespard de la Nuit
Alkan Grande Sonate "Les Quatre Ages" Op. 33
Brahms Variations on a Theme by Paganini Books I and II
Liszt Riminiscences de Don Juan
Schumann Carnaval Op. 9
Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini
Rachmaninov Sonata No. 1
Chopin Sonata No. 3
Chopin Sonata No. 2
Beethoven Sonata No. 29 Op. 106 "Hammerklavier"
Balakirev Islamei
Liszt Apres un Lecture du Dante
Ravel La Tombeau de Couperin
Beethoven Sonata No. 32 Op. 111
Alkan Etudes dans les Tons Mineurs Op. 39 No. 12 "Le Festin d'Esope"
Beethoven Sonata No. 23 Op. 57 "Appassionata"
Scriabin Sonata No. 5
Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Liszt Rhapsodie Espagnole
Liszt Transcendental Etude No. 4 "Mazeppa"
Ravel Sonatine
Liszt Transcendental Etude No. 5 "Feux Follet"
Bach Goldberg Variations


i think that's right.

[musicsdarkangel]

this is exciting.

[musicsdarkangel]

bump

[al]

It's really hard to put these in order (some of these I haven't even attempted to play) but I'll try to roughly group them:

Hardest:
Ravel - Gaspard de la Nuit
Brahms - Pagannini Variations
Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody On A Theme by Pagannini
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 1
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 2
Beethoven - Opus 106 (Hammerklavier)
Alkan - Grande Sonate 'Les Quatre Ages" op 33
Liszt - Dante Sonata
Liszt - Don Juan
Bach - Goldberg Variations
Schumann - Carnival

Middle:
Balakiriev - Islamey
Liszt - Feux Follet
Liszt - Mazeppa
Chopin - Sonata no 2
Chopin - Sonata no 3
Beethoven - Opus 111
Beethoven Appassionata
Alkan - Etude op 39/12 (Le Festin d'Esope)
Liszt - Mephisto Waltz

Easiest:
Ravel - Sonatine
Ravel - La Tambeau de Couperin
Liszt - Rhapsody Espagnole
Scriabin - Sonata no 5

Groups are based on exam board syllabi, listening to these pieces, and my poor attempts at playing some of them.  Looking at the groups, they kind of correspond to the three ABRSM diplomas.

Edit: don't know why I had the Goldberg variations in the middle section

[Kassaa]

Why is the Schumann Carnaval rated so difficult? It doesn't look as technically extremely demanding as the other pieces do.

[etudes]

Hardest:
Ravel - Gaspard de la Nuit
Brahms - Pagannini Variations
Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody On A Theme by Pagannini
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 1
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 2
Beethoven - Opus 106 (Hammerklavier)
Alkan - Grande Sonate 'Les Quatre Ages" op 33
Liszt - Dante Sonata
Liszt - Don Juan
Liszt - B minor sonata
Bach - Goldberg Variations
Chopin - Sonata no 3
Middle:
Balakiriev - Islamey
Liszt - Rhapsody Espagnole
Liszt - Feux Follet
Liszt - Mazeppa
Chopin - Sonata no 2
Beethoven - Opus 111
Beethoven Appassionata
Alkan - Etude op 39/12 (Le Festin d'Esope)
Liszt - Mephisto Waltz
Schumann - Carnival

Easiest:
Ravel - Sonatine
Ravel - La Tambeau de Couperin
Scriabin - Sonata no 5

edit from al

[musicsdarkangel]

thanks for the replies guys.


One more bump.

[stevie]

Why is the Schumann Carnaval rated so difficult? It doesn't look as technically extremely demanding as the other pieces do.

thats what i was thinking...just like the goldbergs, yes they are difficult...and long, but comeon..

[musicsdarkangel]

thats what i was thinking...just like the goldbergs, yes they are difficult...and long, but comeon..

have you seen the DVD of Arrau playing it?  They show the music sometimes.


Then, you would see why it's so difficult.


Of course, I'm not sure how they rank with the rest of those.

[stevie]

have you seen the DVD of Arrau playing it?  They show the music sometimes.


Then, you would see why it's so difficult.


Of course, I'm not sure how they rank with the rest of those.

arrau playing the carnival?

yes i have that DVD, with the beethoven op111 and schumann concerto

and no, it doesnt look that hard, educate me(i also have the sheet music)...

[chromatickler]

arrau playing the carnival?

yes i have that DVD, with the beethoven op111 and schumann concerto

and no, it doesnt look that hard, educate me(i also have the sheet music)...

try playing it 

[musicsdarkangel]

i like applesauce.

[musicsdarkangel]

It's really hard to put these in order (some of these I haven't even attempted to play) but I'll try to roughly group them:

Hardest:
Ravel - Gaspard de la Nuit
Brahms - Pagannini Variations
Rachmaninoff - Rhapsody On A Theme by Pagannini
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 1
Rachmaninoff - Sonata no 2
Beethoven - Opus 106 (Hammerklavier)
Alkan - Grande Sonate 'Les Quatre Ages" op 33
Liszt - Dante Sonata
Liszt - Don Juan
Bach - Goldberg Variations
Schumann - Carnival

Middle:
Balakiriev - Islamey
Liszt - Feux Follet
Liszt - Mazeppa
Chopin - Sonata no 2
Chopin - Sonata no 3
Beethoven - Opus 111
Beethoven Appassionata
Alkan - Etude op 39/12 (Le Festin d'Esope)
Liszt - Mephisto Waltz

Easiest:
Ravel - Sonatine
Ravel - La Tambeau de Couperin
Liszt - Rhapsody Espagnole
Scriabin - Sonata no 5

Groups are based on exam board syllabi, listening to these pieces, and my poor attempts at playing some of them.  Looking at the groups, they kind of correspond to the three ABRSM diplomas.

Edit: don't know why I had the Goldberg variations in the middle section

I think that this is a very good list.