What level is Satie?

[london_street]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me what level Satie's Trois Gymnopedies are considered to be? They are about where I am (or just above me) so far as reading and fingering difficulty is concerned and I just wanted a status check.

Thanks.

[gyzzzmo]

Easy.

[london_street]

Easy.

Of course, 'easy' is relative to ability. Level 5 is 'easy' to a level 10 and 'hard' for a level 1 - so please can you be more specific?

[gyzzzmo]

in a scale from 1-10 i would rate it 3

[nsvppp]

https://www.pianostreet.com/Graded_Pieces_All.xls
(Torp’s graded pieces excel spreadsheet)

In the link mentioned above you can find the rating of many pianoworks. Satie is rated at level 6. Although Satie may be played slowly, the jumps make it more difficult. As far as I know I would think 6 is more realistic then 3.

 

[london_street]

https://www.pianostreet.com/Graded_Pieces_All.xls
(Torp’s graded pieces excel spreadsheet)

In the link mentioned above you can find the rating of many pianoworks. Satie is rated at level 6. Although Satie may be played slowly, the jumps make it more difficult. As far as I know I would think 6 is more realistic then 3.

 

Thank you for the link: I have downloaded and I will most certainly find that useful.

I am also relieved to find that Satie is graded higher than 3. Although I haven't been graded as a player I estimate myself somewhere around the level 3 to 5 mark and, yes, those 'jumps' did take some practice. If it was a level 3 piece I would have felt rather deflated since it wasn't easy for me - although now I have learnt them I feel I have learnt alot.

[alzado]

I like them too.

They are just the tip of the iceberg for Satie.  He has quite a bit of music out there that is attainable by players at late intermediate or early advanced.

It is too bad the only pieces ever mentioned by Satie are the Gymnopedies.

[gyzzzmo]

https://www.pianostreet.com/Graded_Pieces_All.xls
(Torp’s graded pieces excel spreadsheet)

In the link mentioned above you can find the rating of many pianoworks. Satie is rated at level 6. Although Satie may be played slowly, the jumps make it more difficult. As far as I know I would think 6 is more realistic then 3.

 

To my opinion, 'rating a composer' is a bit nonsense. Its like saying, Winter wind etude from Chopin is easy because he also wrote the Raindrops prelude.
There are jumps in the gymnopedies yes, but you can smoke a big Cuban while doing the leap.

[nicko124]

The fact that the LH for the entire first page is the same two bars repeated obviously makes it easy. Page 2 is a bit more difficult and that makes it a more difficult piece all round. It has some aspect of musical difficulty, getting the correct touch and all that.

[burstroman]

Easy? Catching just the right for much of Satie is the "real trick".

[gyzzzmo]

https://www.pianostreet.com/Graded_Pieces_All.xls
(Torp’s graded pieces excel spreadsheet)

In the link mentioned above you can find the rating of many pianoworks. Satie is rated at level 6. Although Satie may be played slowly, the jumps make it more difficult. As far as I know I would think 6 is more realistic then 3.

 

Btw, can you really take a grading system serious if it grades Chopin's Sonate no3 op58 only 1 more difficult than a gymnopedie from satie? 

[dorfmouse]

Satie is rated at level 6

To my opinion, 'rating a composer' is a bit nonsense. Its like saying, Winter wind etude from Chopin is easy because he also wrote the Raindrops prelude.

They (ABRSM) do not rate composers. This would be the grade they assign the Gymnopedies to.

Btw, can you really take a grading system serious if it grades Chopin's Sonate no3 op58 only 1 more difficult than a gymnopedie from satie?

I'm pretty sure  only one of the sonata movements would be played at grade 7. When I was doing grade exams it was only at grade 8 you would do a whole sonata as one of the three pieces.

[gyzzzmo]

If you rate a Sonata, you should take the hardest movement.

[princessdecadence]

I would say ABRSM Grade 4