Heavy Piece, Grade 6-7

[sissco]

Hi...

I'm looking for a piece with much expression and feeling. Like Rachmaninov prelude in C# or Scriabin Etude Op. 8 No. 12....but round grade 6-7...any suggestions?

I played only romantic pieces so far....so....you know what i mean 

Thx!

[elevateme]

have a look at the chopin 24 preludes. some are really hard, but the slow ones are roughly grade 6-7 (i think..)

 

[sissco]

Hmm thanks.....no. 24 is nice. More suggestions are welcome! There are just so many pieces...

[steve jones]

You could try Prelude 20. I just did this one, and I think it might fit the bill nicely (may be a little easy for you though).

[sissco]

You could try Prelude 20. I just did this one, and I think it might fit the bill nicely (may be a little easy for you though).

Hmmm...it's not exactly what i am looking for....and yes; a little bit more difficult is ok for me  . The only "heavy" prelude from chopin, for me, is 24 but thats not grade 7 i guess 

[stevie]

do the rach C# prel, its not that hard

[steve jones]

What about Chopin Prelude 22? Might be a little challenging, but give it a try.

[sissco]

What about Chopin Prelude 22? Might be a little challenging, but give it a try.

Yeah that is a good one to start with....thanks

do the rach C# prel, its not that hard.

Thats nice to hear....maybe it isn't that hard indeed....i'll give it a try....thanks

[sissco]

Hmmm i'll not make a new topic for this  .

I was wondering;...i can play prelude 20 now in 2 days. Its pretty easy. But i really don't like that last chord. Why did chopin maked it like that? If someone can give me good reason i'll play that last chord to 

[bernhard]

Hi...

I'm looking for a piece with much expression and feeling. Like Rachmaninov prelude in C# or Scriabin Etude Op. 8 No. 12....but round grade 6-7...any suggestions?

I played only romantic pieces so far....so....you know what i mean 

Thx!

If you like Rach´s prelude in C# minor, then youshould definitely try Stephan Heller´s op. 45 no. 15 (Warrior´s Song). I am sure it was where Rach got the inspiration. Much easier and will prepare for the prelude, being quite effective.

Here are a few more (in roughly chronological order):

Couperin – Les barricades mysterieuses (around grade 7) have a look here:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4853.msg46080.html#msg46080
(Couperin – Barricades mysterieux)

Mozart – Fantasy in C K475 (arguably the heaviest stuff Mozart ever wrote for the piano)

Mendelssohn – several of the “Songs without Words” are heavy and none is above grade 8 (most are in the range 5 – 7). Have a look here:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4371.msg40871.html#msg40871
(Mendelssohn favourites)

If you want to stick with Chopin, have a look here:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2958.msg25879.html#msg25879
(Easiest Chopin pieces – grades 4-5-6)

Here are some easy (!) Liszt pieces:

Years of Pilgrimage: first year Switzerland – no. 2 Au Lac de Wallenstadt. (grade 7/8 )

Years of Pilgrimage: 2nd year Italy no. 2 - Il Pensieroso (grade 7/8 )

Years of Pilgrimage: 2nd year Italy no. 3 – Cazonetta del Salvador Rosa (grade 7/8 )

Sancta Dorothea S. 187 (grade 5/6)

Consolations, S. 172 no. 1 (grade 5/6), no. 2,  no. 3 and no. 4 (grade 6/7), no. 5 and no. 6 (grade 7/8 )

Wiegenlied  174 (earlier, easier version of 1854)  (grade 5/6)

Five piano pieces S. 192 (grade 5/6). This is the easiest Liszt you are going to come across (very high quality nevertheless). Main difficulty are the key signatures.

Nuages gris  S. 199 (grade 5/6)

Valses Oubliees S. 215 (grade 8/8+)


 Grieg has several Lyric pieces that would fit the bill. His “Notturno” (grade 7) is very beautiful. Have a look here:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5108.msg48681.html#msg48681
(Grieg’s Notturno)

Or if you want something really easy, yet impressive, try Lyric piece op. 47 no. 3 (Melody) around grade 4.


Victor Carbajo is a modern Spanish composer, but most of his pieces are in a neo-romantic style. Have a look here:

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,8368.0.html
(Victor Carbajo)


Other than that, these threads have nice suggestions as well:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1943.msg15389.html#msg15389
(Haunting Nocturnal pieces)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2287.msg19431.html#msg19431
(Melancholy and depressing pieces)

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,7008.msg80656.html#msg80656
(Beautiful music that is not hard to play)

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,8225.msg113552.html#msg113552
(minimalist pieces – description of Einaudi pieces.)

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,12061.msg126976.html#msg126976
(Rachmaninoff easier pieces)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Hmmm wil not make a new topic for this  .

I was wondering;...i can play prelude 20 now in 2 days. Its pretty easy. But i really don't like that last chord. Why did chopin maked it like that? If someone can give me good reason i'll play that last chord to 

Funny you mention this. What do you reckon is the alternative?

a.   Play a different chord (if so, which one?)
b.   Don´t play the last chord at all and finish the piece one bar earlier.

I learned this prelude when I was 14 – 15 years old. I had an aunt who was a very famous piano teacher at the conservatory in another town. I would go and stay with her and her family during summer holidays sometimes. Having just learned the prelude, I asked her to play it for me (she did not know I had just learned it). She played it from memory beautifully as usual, but left out the last chord. I was most surprised, and told her so. She was even more surprised than me, and at first she said that I was mistaken. On my insistence, we got the score, and this time she was really astonished. Apparently she had been playing it “wrong” for years, and either no one noticed, or no one had the nerve to tell her (she was quite a formidable pianist). So you may well be right, and that last chord should not be there.

On the other hand, there is a very good reason to play it: Chopin put it there.

Another interesting point in this prelude is the last chord (RH) on bar 3. Old editions have the chord as C major, while the more modern editions have corrected it to C minor, on the basis of copies belonging to Jane Stirling, where Chopin allegedly corrected it in pencil (by adding a flat sign to the top E). I myself learned the wrong version (and most pianists who recorded it before the 1960s did likewise), and actually prefer it, since the unexpected major chord – in my opinion – adds more pathos to it, while the minor chord sounds – to my ears – definitely pedestrian. Then again, I may just be used to it. I also wonder if it was actually Chopin who corrected it, or Jane Stirling who may have been far more orthodox harmonically than her famous teacher. Any thoughts?

PS. I just checked my copy of the Ganche edition (Oxford University Press), for two reasons: it was one of the first editions to take into account Jane Stirling´s copies, and also because I bought this book second hand – it had clearly belonged to a piano teacher on account of the many pencil marks on it. Anyway, I looked at bar 3, and there it was, Ganche had added the flat to the E as most modern editions do nowadays, but the previous owner of the book had crossed it out! So s/he too thought C major sounds better!

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[rimv2]

Deep

[sissco]

Thanks very much bernhard! I like the piece K475 you suggested...it is not that "heavy" (some measures are)...so its a good start.

If you like Rach´s prelude in C# minor, then youshould definitely try Stephan Heller´s op. 45 no. 15 (Warrior´s Song). I am sure it was where Rach got the inspiration. Much easier and will prepare for the prelude, being quite effective.

I will remember that one  Thx

Jordy

[bernhard]

You are welcome.