This piece way too difficult? (I'm serious!)

[elisianna]

My teacher and I were going through what my next pieces that I am going to play are.  He's doing recital's often, so I always have to have 3 or more pieces ready for that.

Most of the ones he picked out were fairly easy:
Beethoven Sonata op. 79.  He wants me to play the whole sonata at our next recital.
Invention no. 4 (I was able to get a lot of it after just practicing for half an hour... it's very simple.)
Brahms waltzes 6,7, and 8.  Not to worried about those.
Chopin Nocturne in C minor.  Since it's pretty much the easiest Nocturne, I have no issues with this either.

But!  Then he picks out.
Bach - English Suite no. 2 "Prelude"
When I downloaded it and printed it out it said it was grade 8+!!  I've been doing piano for 2.5 years now, and I'm working on grades 6+7 simultaneously.  I know some of you people would be able to play that after 2.5 years, but I'm worried.  Is it too much for me?  I mean, it's not like he wants it to be learned right away, but if I keep plugging away at it will I be able to do it or will I just run away crying? (Haha)

[BoliverAllmon]

have you sight read through it yet? at least tried it out? it may be easier than you think and right up your alley. don't let numbers scare you.

[elisianna]

I haven't sight read it through yet.  I guess I'm chicken =P  I also have a lot of other pieces to learn so I've been concentrating on them. (He just gave me all those new ones yesterday afternoon.)

My teacher was sightreading it.  He said "If I can sightread this, you can play it no problem"  Of course he sightread it very well. >.>

Thanks for the advice, I know I shouldn't let the numbers scare me.  I'll try sightreading it through now. =)

[letters]

oooo i think thats the same one im playing at the moment!! ive done my grade 8 some of its quite difficult and its pretty long but its alright, just get all the fingering sorted i reckon, ul be fine!

[danyal]

I played that 2 years ago... its really not all that bad, just keep it neat, get all the fingerings and dynamics in order, and practise it slowly. If you are not patient with it, it will bite back. Make sure you know where the themes return and what every single voice does where. You have to take it apart and analyse it very well.

Put it this way, with this piece (or just Bach generally), if you cant play each hand seperately, from memory, in the dark, at 1/4 of the speed, while having your house bombed by assasins sent by the mothers of rival pianists... you're going to have problems on stage.

Okay not as bad as I'm making it out to be, just learn and take it apart very very thoroughly, and you will be fine. Keep it neat.

[pianowelsh]

most of the pieces you list are around the grade 8 level so i think your teacher has a lot of confidence in your abilities.  If you have plenty of practice time i wouldnt worry about it. if he said your doing the exam next week i would but he is probably trying to see how far he can stretch you and what your learning capacity is.  If you find you are stuggling then tell him dont let it fester and certainly dont panic.  But I know the temptation to look at the exam syllabuses and say oh im doing this of that list etcetc and its good that you are conscientious enough to care but really its true the numbers dont mean a whole lot you often find pieces over a period of time are set for more than one grade - some just dtay their for decades others will be gd8 for one session and slide up to adv cert for another and down again sometimes to 7 fro another one  so dont panic.