Where do you rate yourself as a Pianist?

[cjp_piano]

lol...so the earlier in time period the piece is, the easier... 

ahh, this poll makes me laugh.

Yeah, I'm laughing with you.  This, unfortunately, is a very popular belief.  I speak with many people who think as you go later in time, the composers become better and the pieces become more difficult.  Does this have something to do with Darwin's theory?  Just as we are more highly evolved then monkeys, so is Barber more than Brahms who is more than Beethoven who is more than Bach?  lol 

[ahinton]

Yeah, I'm laughing with you.  This, unfortunately, is a very popular belief.  I speak with many people who think as you go later in time, the composers become better and the pieces become more difficult.  Does this have something to do with Darwin's theory?  Just as we are more highly evolved then monkeys, so is Barber more than Brahms who is more than Beethoven who is more than Bach?  lol 

Well, I'm not laughing. I agree entirely with what you write and identify the spirit in which you write it, but it's no laughing matter to me. Of course it cannot be denied that difficulties of mécanique (I use that term to signify aspects of technique that relate specifically to matters of physical and physical/mental co-ordination, rather than the term "technique" which, to me, embraces every aspect of playing and performance) have increased as composers have pushed the boundaries farther and farther - at least for the past 200 years or so, anyway. That said, it is wholly suspect to seek to extrapolate from this fact that the overall difficulties in performing the piano music of Beethoven's late period, the Chopin/Godowsky études and Finnissy's Fourth Concerto are easily identifiable on any such chronologically incremental basis. Whilst I realise that what I am about to write is mere speculation, had the 50-year-old Beethoven been shown a clutch of Chopin/Godowsky études and Finnissy's Fourth Concerto and asked which he thought was the more difficult to play, he would almost certainly have cited the Finnissy, yet certain aspects of Finnissy's piano writing would not have been possible without the legacy of Godowsky, just as Alkan's would not have been possible without the legacy of Beethoven.

The "poll" aspect of this thread seems to be the most absurd part of it - as is surely amply demonstrated by the rather extraordinary "results" that it has elicited.

Best,

Alistair

[ramseytheii]

Well, I'm not laughing. I agree entirely with what you write and identify the spirit in which you write it, but it's no laughing matter to me. Of course it cannot be denied that difficulties of mécanique (I use that term to signify aspects of technique that relate specifically to matters of physical and physical/mental co-ordination, rather than the term "technique" which, to me, embraces every aspect of playing and performance) have increased as composers have pushed the boundaries farther and farther - at least for the past 200 years or so, anyway. That said, it is wholly suspect to seek to extrapolate from this fact that the overall difficulties in performing the piano music of Beethoven's late period, the Chopin/Godowsky études and Finnissy's Fourth Concerto are easily identifiable on any such chronologically incremental basis. Whilst I realise that what I am about to write is mere speculation, had the 50-year-old Beethoven been shown a clutch of Chopin/Godowsky études and Finnissy's Fourth Concerto and asked which he thought was the more difficult to play, he would almost certainly have cited the Finnissy, yet certain aspects of Finnissy's piano writing would not have been possible without the legacy of Godowsky, just as Alkan's would not have been possible without the legacy of Beethoven.

The "poll" aspect of this thread seems to be the most absurd part of it - as is surely amply demonstrated by the rather extraordinary "results" that it has elicited.

Best,

Alistair

I am curious, who is this Finnissy and why is his piano music so notorious?  Where can I get a look/listen?

Walter Ramsey

[starpianist]

No fair! Some of these composers I haven't even heard of! The list goes from beginner to (extremely) advanced apparently. I'm not quite at Liszt yet. I chose Chopin. By the way, how did you rate these? I would rate myself early advanced.

[ilikepie]

"Obviously it goes from easiest to hardest.  Where do you stand as a technician of the 88?  For instance, if you can play things by Beethoven and easier, vote Beethoven"- Soliloquy

Personally, I don’t think any piano music is more difficult than the Beethoven Sonatas.

John

Seriously??? (sorry, the computer does not differentiate sarcasm from normal)