Help with choosing next piece

[zaba19]

I need some help with choosing my next piece. My last pieces - 2 Chopin's Nocturnes (Op. 9 No. 1 and 2), Liszt's Liebestraume III and Consolation III - were rather sad and contemplative. Now I'd like to play something completely different: happy, loud (after the Consolation I'd really like something louder ) the best with lots of chords, etc. Chopin's Polonaise Op. 40 No. 1 was my choice but my teacher said it was too difficult for me and suggested Op. 40 No. 2 but it's once again in minor, calm and so on.
Please give me some suggestions what I could play now, I'm completely out of ideas...

[pies]

L'escalier du diable.
Not that difficult.

[zaba19]

Well, it is loud and with lots of chords but... it's not something I would like to play  It makes me angry when I just listen to it
I like Brahms' Op. 118 No.3 (Ballade) but don't know if it's not too difficult again...

[bernhard]

Baroque: (These may be a bit challenging, but I believe they are feasible)

J. S. Bach – Giga from Partita no. 1 - lots of crossinghands, fast and furious and exhilarating to play.

Couperin – Le Tic toc Choc – Again a fast and exhilarating piece.

Handel – Suite in E – “Harmonious Blaksmith” – the last movement “Air and variations” is very happy).

Scarlatti – Sonatas k427 and  K46, both amongst the most exuberant and ferocious amongst the sonatas.

Have a look here for more Scarlatti sonatas:
https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2339.msg20064.html#msg20064

Classical.

Haydn – Several of the sonatas (most of them actually) are “happy”. Here are my favourites amongst the easier ones:
Hob. XVI/8 in G
XVI/9 in F
XVI/10 in C
XVI/4 in D
XVI/12 in A
XVI/27 in G


Beethoven – “Six Ecossaises” is very easy, but sounds difficult – exuberant and dance like. Also several of the “Bagatelles”.

Romantic:

Mendelssohn – Several of the Songs Without Words would serve your purposes (Spinning song, Spring song and Tarantella all come to mind)

Grieg – Holberg suite – Exuberant and exhilarating, perahpas too difficult for you right now, but doable.
Lyric pieces – There are over 60, many of which are happy, none is too difficult (Try Wedding Day at Trodhalgen)

Modern:

Prokofiev:

Juvenilia – These are pieces that Prokofiev wrote in his teenage years. They have no opus number and may be difficult to find. My copy was published by a Japanese company called Zen – On under the title: “First piano compositions”. There are 13 pieces in this collection. Here are my favourites:

 Vivo (G minor) – Exhilarating piece with a nervous, fast and percussive introduction followed (as Prokofiev often does) by a lyrical middle section of great melodic beauty. (Grade 6/7).

Scherzo in C major – Brilliant and dazzling piece. Starts with a fast section with thirds on the right hand, lush and romantic, followed by a slow section and a return to the first section. Difficult but definitely worthwhile working on it. (Grade 7/8 ).

Study Scherzo in C major – Wonderfully uplifiting piece, bouncy and joyful. Much easier than it sounds. Handspan may be a limiting factor (lots of octaves and some ninths) (grade 6/7).

Just the tip of the iceberg!

Best wishes,
Bernhard

[thierry13]

Rachmaninoff's prelude op.23 no.2 is really loud and a lot of fun  Islamey too. Has is Mazeppa. Liszt Sonata in some parts. Dante sonata in some parts. But seeing the level of difficulty of all your pieces, I doubt you can tackle any of those. Indeed, of your level, a chopin polonaise would be the best option.

[zaba19]

Thank you very much Bernhard, now I have to spend some time at the library to look for and listen to these pieces 

thierry13 - if I don't find anything else I'll just stick to the polonaise but until then...

[quantum]

Bartok - Roumanian Folk dances

It's a suite of 6 short pieces of varing character.  The last two are quite lively and exuberant. 

[rafant]

For an exultant, not so difficult to play piece, I'd think in Schubert's Military March.
A shorter piece, but so intense as to wake up anyone, is Brahms' Op. 118-1.

[zaba19]

Rafant, you're the man I guess I found my "little" piece, by Schubert At first I listened to Horowitz's version and was a little scared how can this be  "not so difficult" but then I found out it was his arrangement and the original score doesn't look so bad 
But, if someone else has any other ideas, I'll gladly hear them

[rafant]

I understand that originally the Militaire March is a 4-hands piece. But there are transcriptions for piano solo. I never heard Horowitz's, but I guess it must be virtuosistic. After hearing Joseph Hofmann's fast recording, I thought that at moderate speed the piece would sound still better and more available for intermediate level. I'm sure you and your listeners will enjoy the piece very much.

[la_leggierezza]

Bartok - Roumanian Folk dances

It's a suite of 6 short pieces of varing character. The last two are quite lively and exuberant.

i could not agree more!!  if u really want to play something with happiness and live u should chose that one! it´s wonderfull!