I want to play Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2

[emmdoubleew]

That peice is like, the biggest inspiration in my piano and non-piano life. Right now though, I'm 16yrs old (high-school Junior), a level 5 going 7 (skipping a level) and I wondering when I'd be ready to start working on it efficiently. As in i'm not struggling and spending a week on each line to get it.

Right now I'm playing: Viennese Sonatina 1st Mov. (Mozart), Mazurka in F Major (Chopin), Nocturne in C# minor Posthumous (Chopin), Bagpipes (Bartok, this is the hardest piece I'm playing). All except the nocturne are in preperation for the CM test.

 

[henrah]

You, and only you, will know when you are ready. Efficiency in learning is not completely necessary. I say wait until your body feels ready, or you just can't wait any longer Once you do start it, take it as slowly or as fast as you feel at that moment in time; although the slower the better as this is not a piece to rush. It is highly likely that there will be some phrases in the work that will require a week or more to learn, especially if you are striving for getting it perfect and not all mushy and wrong notes splayed here and there. All I can truly say is that this piece will not come easy: work hard on it and the results will show your effort.
Henrah

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings.

I understand that you want to play this piece. I would have to agree with henrah about you feeling when you are ready. Sometimes you may feel that you are ready, but in reality you won't be, sometimes you may feel that you aren't ready, but you will be. My guess is that you can start working on it. It is tempting to play the harder pieces, but if one isn't ready then it might be frustrating. I think that you should ask your teacher(I am assuming that you study with one) about the piece, that way you will know if you can play it. If not, then you can start on it, but devote time to your current pieces of course. Hope this helps.

[emmdoubleew]

Thanks Henrah and "Debussy Symbolism".

I just don't want it to be so frustrating that I give up on it. I know that the "practicing" part of a piece isn't always fun  , but the outcome is always inspiring. I think i might get a start on it after the Certificate of Merite piano exams, or once I'm finished with the nocturne (which is my current 'teach-myself' piece), and take my time with it. I'll confer with my teacher on friday, but I still plan on this being a self-study (simply because it's outside my curriculum and don't want it to take up her lesson time).

[shasta]

Learn Ernesto Lecuona's Malaguena first - - - it is a fantastic prepper piece to Liszt's HR2.  <-- You have a lot of the same technique (i.e. left hand leaps, right hand runs and intricacies, octaves, dramatic melodic lines...), just in a simpler format.  It's also in the same key, so your hands can get a primer on C# minor prior to attempting the HR2.

You can purchase Lecuona's Malaguena here:
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_detail.html?cart=33482028093703037&item=2878432

[donjuan]

Hi emmdoubleew,

I recorded this piece for the forum(https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,15481.0.html)

The first time I learned it at age 13, I learned it and then stopped playing it because I couldnt actually play it through without difficulties.  I then took another look at it this year at age 18, and found most of it reasonable.  as you can hear from my recording, I cant really play it too consistently and I still dont feel like I "own" the piece.  However, I have a hell of a lot of fun playing it, and learning it wasnt too traumatic either.

Definitely, give it a try.  Whether you succeed or not, you will enjoy the process of learning it.  It's just a really fun piece!

However, you might enjoy learning it even more if you learn some other Liszt first; I actually did have a look at Lecuona's malaguena, and I find it much more awkward than Hungarian Rhapsody, because Liszt was such an amazing pianist and could make really comfortable music for the hands -something lecuona isnt especially well known for-.  Therefore, I do not suggest Malaguena as a good "primer," as shasta calls it, for HR2.

I think Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" will be a better (and easier) choice to prepare for the 2nd half of Rhapsody, and those Chopin pieces you are already playing are appropriate and comparable to the 1st half, in terms of requirements in legato and appreciation of all the little turn-arounds in the melody.

Also have a listen to Liszt's "Valse Oubliee No. 1"

Hope I helped,
donjuan

[gorbee natcase]

You could always pick a page at random and spend a week on it and then come to your own conclusions on weather to wait or go ahead.

[emmdoubleew]

Thanks to all of you I have taken your comments into consideration. I have just sent an email to my piano teacher asking her what she thinks. 

[emmdoubleew]

Okay, I got a reply. Unfortuneatly she is not familiar with this piece but knows much about Lizst in general. This is what she said:

"The sound pathway to playing this level of music involves practicing at least 2-3 hours a day, one+ hour devoted to technical stuff (scales/arpeggios/chords are important basics, but they are just the tip of the technical iceberg!).  If you want to try going down that road, I would be happy to take you there and see how it goes for you.

...

Some things to consider:  Bach 2- and 3-part inventions; Bach French Suites (harder); Haydn & Mozart Sonatas (quite difficult); Beethoven Sonatas (really difficult, some more so than others -- but considered essential repertoire); Chopin Waltzes and Nocturnes (more difficult:  Ballades, Scherzos, Etudes); Brahms' piano pieces (his sonatas are fiendishly hard); tons of excellent pieces by Bartok.  We can start a new level of music any time you are ready. "


Should I go for it?

Note: She started attending julliard at age 15 and graduated with a double major in Music Theory and Music Analysis and is an extremely knowledgeable pianist.

[shasta]

Okay, I got a reply. Unfortuneatly she is not familiar with this piece but knows much about Lizst in general....

...Note: She started attending julliard at age 15 and graduated with a double major in Music Theory and Music Analysis and is an extremely knowledgeable pianist.

She's not familiar with the Lizst HR2???   

[emmdoubleew]

Well, she knows all the rhapsodies and what they sound like but she doesn't have the music and maybe just didn't remember (she's getting a little old). She's a fan of lizst and knows/has played a lot of his other stuff, so yeah, I thought that was wierd too.

[donjuan]

Okay, I got a reply. Unfortuneatly she is not familiar with this piece but knows much about Lizst in general. This is what she said:

"The sound pathway to playing this level of music involves practicing at least 2-3 hours a day, one+ hour devoted to technical stuff (scales/arpeggios/chords are important basics, but they are just the tip of the technical iceberg!). 

Oh, one of those teachers.   I hate when they 'prescribe' practice time like one would describe putting in volunteer hours at an old folks home.  I practice as much as I need to, to make progress on whatever we worked on at the lesson, so I can come back next week and show that I have done something.
Oh well, I suppose she knows you best in terms of where you're at and what you need..    The best part of her response is how she doesnt close that door for you. When she lets you decide whether or not you want to try it out, that shows that she is in tune to what YOU want, rather than what can make the lesson easier for her.  Sounds like you have a good teacher. -elementary ingredient for success in these difficult works.

should I go for it?

cmon, what's the worst that could happen?  I say go for it!
-------------------
I cant believe she doesnt remember Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2!  Even a redneck buddy of mine knows it because he heard it on some candy commercial once.

[emmdoubleew]

We have begun preparatory work for Liszt with :Czerny etudes, some technical book of which I can't remember the name, and Brahms studies book (although the latter we will not be starting for some time due to its difficulty). 

I'm guessing I still won't be completely ready to play it for some time (My piano teacher is very fearful of injuring her students as she has injured herself playing overcomplicated pieces and had to play Bach for 15 years as a result, and now she cannot play the Sonata in B-, one of her favorites, because it hurts her too much), but at least I know I will someday!