Ravel -- Prelude

[swim4ever_22]

On this website, it lists the difficulty of the following prelude as a Grade 7. I have the music, and I don't find it difficult at all. Is this truly the difficulty of this piece? What do you guys think? The only thing I can think of that would make it a level 7 piece would be the octaves and chord progressions, but that's about it.



https://www.pianostreet.com/piano_sheet_music/Ravel-238/Prelude.html

[dan101]

I never found this piece particularly difficult, either. However, my students have generally found that balancing the sound in this piece is difficult. Also, the pedaling, to the best of my recollection, has to be managed thoughtfully.

[swim4ever_22]

So the reason it might be graded that way is more along the lines of musical difficulty as opposed to technical difficulty... okay. Thanks!

[rachfan]

Hi swim,

Ravel wrote this piece, only 27 measures long, in 1913 for a sight-reading competition at the Paris Conservatory, won by Jeanne Leleu.  The piece is short and somewhat enigmatic, yet very atmospheric.  The challenge is formulating a thoughtful and convincing interpretation.  Here is my own recording of it:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,18436.0.html

[nightlordq]

Actually, this piece doesn't look hard at all, but is it really hard when u try to play it for the 1st time? I bet even grade 5 students can play this. Difficulty I think is level 5 instead of 7.

[arthur]

there is a difference between playing, and playing well

[chozartmaninoff]

there is a difference between playing, and playing well

I agree, I think this prelude is fairly simple in terms of just hitting notes, But actually making those notes sound good is where the difficutly lies.

Mike