Hardest Chopin

[chopianist123]

What is Chopin's most difficult work for solo piano technically?

[mikey6]

oh dear....do a SEARCH

[amanfang]

The Prelude in A.

[mcgillcomposer]

The third piano sonata.

[amelialw]

Andante Spinato and Grade Polonaise Brilliante are among one of the harder ones.

[pianowolfi]

The third piano sonata.

That's interesting. I planned to learn that one but then I had other projects coming up that were prior to me. Do you play it? It is still something very special to me and I love it.

[mcgillcomposer]

That's interesting. I planned to learn that one but then I had other projects coming up that were prior to me. Do you play it? It is still something very special to me and I love it.

I do play it, but admittedly not very well yet. I have the finale and the largo under my fingers quite well, the allegro maestoso isn't solid yet, and the scherzo is still a disaster lol...

You know, even if you don't feel ready to learn the piece in full, there is no harm in reading through and working on sections you feel comfortable. It's always good to make friends with the notes .

[soliloquy]

Allegro de Concert Op. 42, Etudes Op. 25, Barcarolle Op. 60

[imbetter]

lol

[mike_lang]

Prelude in C Minor - MUSICALLY SPEAKING.

Incidentally, Barry Manilow has solved the enigma.

[leuthold]

prelude agitatof c sharp minor.

[thalbergmad]

I have always found the La ci darem le mano variations Op2 to be extremely difficult.

The Rondo Op16 is completely beyond me as well.

Thal

[ahinton]

Op. 10?

Best,

Alistair

[pianistimo]

polonaise-fantasy opus 61

[ganymed]

arent the scherzi very difficault?  even rubinstein said that they are one of the most demanding pieces

[imbetter]

polonaise-fantasy opus 61

i wouldnt say the polonaise fantasy isnt the most difficult although its a massive piece. I love it, i wana learn it as soon as possible.

[rallestar]

I thought the harder etudes kicked pretty much all other pieces ass, except for the 4th ballade perhaps?

[quantum]

A small excerpt...

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[sissco]

Yes, I would say the variations Op. 2. Especially if your name is demidenko and you play it that fast 

[quantum]

Yes, I would say the variations Op. 2. Especially if your name is demidenko and you play it that fast 

Demidenko pwns this piece.  Also one of my fav recordings. 

[teccomin]

Ballades and Barcarolle

[liordavid]

Concerto number 2

[fifthelegy]

The ballades are hard. Once you've got all the technicality right, there comes the musicality. (They're absolutely beautiful pieces though!)
The scherzi are also quite difficult, but not too bad. Not sure about the Barcarolle but quite a few people are saying it's difficult? And his etudes demand quite alot technical skill, but I guess that's what etudes do

[ngo_dustin]

For me, it definitely has to be the Heroic Polonaise.

[gn622]

Yes, I would say the variations Op. 2. Especially if your name is demidenko and you play it that fast 

Agreed, i felt naive for thinking that i could tackle that piece.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I know difficulties are subjective, but his sonatas ad piano concerti easily wash away his etudes and preludes.

I mean come on, a half an hour sonata versus a tiny two minute prelude/etude?

[the89thkey]

If interpretation is taken into account, 4th Ballade is the hardest Chopin piece. The technique in the later Scherzos is also fairly challenging.

[freakishly_large_hands]

I would think it would depend on the performer's strengths. None of us are quite the same, and what I find impossible might be easy to the next person, and what you can breeze through someone else might struggle with. Music is very much an individual thing.

[chopin2015]

I know difficulties are subjective, but his sonatas ad piano concerti easily wash away his etudes and preludes.

I mean come on, a half an hour sonata versus a tiny two minute prelude/etude?

Definitely agreed. Unless, one is to play all, every single etude by Chopin...that could be more difficult than a concerto. Most fabulous concertos are much too difficult to pull through, even for some pianists who play many etudes. Concertos and ensemble works take music beyond solo piano...you then have to keep up with many instruments and pay attention to more cues than just your own rhythm...oh boy, I am always too lazy (really, it just would take too long to get through unless I was better prepared or ready for such a task) to even practice to an orchestra track. BLEH!!

[blazekenny]

Polonaise-Fantasie op.61 is extremely difficult to make interesting. In hands of many pianists it sounds boring. Barcarolle also has more philosophy than any of the ballades. The B major nocturne op 62 also. Simply, the later are the pieces, the more do they have the mature musical depth

[kevonthegreatpianist]

.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

-Most of Etudes Op.10,25; Tris Novellus Etude 3
-All Ballades (4th is crazy)
-All Scherzi (especially the 1st and 2nd)
-Nocturnes Op.48 No.1; Op. 9 No.3; Op.15 No.2 (my sharps are terrible); Both Op.62 Nocturnes
-Polonaises Op.44;52;61 (Polonaise-Fantasie)
-Varations Op.2
-Hades Prelude; Dat Prelude in d minor (Forgot)
-Rondo Op.16
-Rondo Op.1
-Grande Polonaise
-Fantasie-Impromptu (It's overrated for a reason)
-Berceuse Op.47 (or 48 IDK)
-Barcarolle Op.60
-Fantasy Op.49 (My favorite)

I think the hardest of all of them listed above is the 4th Ballade. Heck, I played it for three months and I still mess up on the first page.

[michael_sayers]

Prelude in C Minor - MUSICALLY SPEAKING.

Incidentally, Barry Manilow has solved the enigma.

Hi Michael_langlois,

I did a compelling recording of the Prelude in C Minor:

Mvh,
Michael

[stevensk]

What is the twelfth most difficult work by chopin?
What comes on the 24:th place?

[kevonthegreatpianist]

stevensk

12th and 24th most difficult is subjective. IMO for 12th is probably the Fantasy Op.49 or one of the scherzos or the 1th or 3rd ballade. 24th could probably be a slow Etude, or a hard Prelude, or one of the harder Nocturnes or hardest Waltzes. Heck, these Waltzes are actually harder than they sound like

[stevensk]

stevensk

12th and 24th most difficult is subjective. IMO for 12th is probably the Fantasy Op.49 or one of the scherzos or the 1th or 3rd ballade. 24th could probably be a slow Etude, or a hard Prelude, or one of the harder Nocturnes or hardest Waltzes. Heck, these Waltzes are actually harder than they sound like

-Are you really sure about this? I have heard that the Fantasy Op.49 comes on the 16:th place.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

stevensk

It's your opinion of which is the hardest of all Chopin. It's pretty subjective of which is the hardest of all Chopin.

IMO:

1. Rondo Op.16
2. Varations Op.2
3. Ballade Op.52
4. Etude Op.25 No.11
5. Sonata Op.58
6. Polonaise Op.44
7. Etude Op.25 No.6
8. Etude Op.10 No.2
9. Sonata Op.35
10. Ballade Op.38
11. Polonaise Op.53
12. Polonaise-Fantasie Op.61
13. Etude Op.25 No.12
14. Etude Op.25 No.10
15. Ballade Op.47
16. Ballade Op.23
17. Fantasy Op.49
18. Etude Op.10 No.4
19. Barcarolle Op.60
20. Nocturne Op. 48 No.1
21. Polonaise Op.22
21. Prelude Op.28 No.16
22. Nocturne Op.62 No.2
23. Nocturne Op.62 No.1 
24. Sonata Op.4

And so on....

The reason I rate some Nocturnes higher than some Etudes and Preludes is because they're pretty long (5-7 minutes) and they're much harder than you think. All of the Etudes are generally harder, but it'll take longer to fully master the Nocturnes.

The list is pretty flawed; I made it up a few seconds ago . I'll really like it if you guys edited it, because, like I said, it's a few seconds old. I think I made some things clear, like:

1. The 4th ballade isn't Chopin's hardest work
2. Nocturnes could be that hard

Looking back on the list, I realized that I put a Nocturnes before a Polonaise, and I put the 3rd Ballade before the 1st. Eh

[stevensk]

stevensk

It's your opinion of which is the hardest of all Chopin. It's pretty subjective of which is the hardest of all Chopin.

-No no no!  This cant be just subjective! -Why do you think people in this forum constantly asks "which is the hardest..",  Who is the best.." ?
This must obviously be something absolute and objektive! We all need a scientific, definitive and universial list over this.    

[mjames]

stevensk

It's your opinion of which is the hardest of all Chopin. It's pretty subjective of which is the hardest of all Chopin.

IMO:

1. Rondo Op.16
2. Varations Op.2
3. Ballade Op.52
4. Etude Op.25 No.11
5. Sonata Op.58
6. Polonaise Op.44
7. Etude Op.25 No.6
8. Etude Op.10 No.2
9. Sonata Op.35
10. Ballade Op.38
11. Polonaise Op.53
12. Polonaise-Fantasie Op.61
13. Etude Op.25 No.12
14. Etude Op.25 No.10
15. Ballade Op.47
16. Ballade Op.23
17. Fantasy Op.49
18. Etude Op.10 No.4
19. Barcarolle Op.60
20. Nocturne Op. 48 No.1
21. Polonaise Op.22
21. Prelude Op.28 No.16
22. Nocturne Op.62 No.2
23. Nocturne Op.62 No.1 
24. Sonata Op.4

And so on....

The reason I rate some Nocturnes higher than some Etudes and Preludes is because they're pretty long (5-7 minutes) and they're much harder than you think. All of the Etudes are generally harder, but it'll take longer to fully master the Nocturnes.

The list is pretty flawed; I made it up a few seconds ago . I'll really like it if you guys edited it, because, like I said, it's a few seconds old. I think I made some things clear, like:

1. The 4th ballade isn't Chopin's hardest work
2. Nocturnes could be that hard

Looking back on the list, I realized that I put a Nocturnes before a Polonaise, and I put the 3rd Ballade before the 1st. Eh

Which one out of the 24 are you able to play?