Just play it slowly, correctly, and passionately. You'll do fine.Anyone can learn to play the presto with accuracy and speed, but only a few can play it with umph! If you know what I am saying. Good Luck!
Enjoy yourself. You don't have to be a virtuoso to study virtuosic pieces.
I don't really think you are ready, if pathetique took that long time the Ballade will tae around a year. And you might get hurt while playing it...
I agree! Not all of us are studying to be concert pianists. Some of us just play because we love to, solely for ourselves. If you play it to your own satisfaction, then you've accomplished something.I say go for it.
the presto con fuoco bit might be a bit challenging i would think. apart from that i have no idea, im just the same as you i suppose, started piano at 17, now 18, only have a few chopin pieces done, and i do plan to play the 1st ballade also. fantastic piece. if i were in your position i would play alot of his easier works before going onto the ballade
frank_48, Are you sure you're ready to work on ballade no. 1? I really don't mean to sound negative...but ballade no. 1 takes a lot of musical maturity. Again, I am not saying you're musically immature...but are you sure you're ready? considering that you played the piano for ONE year. (You said you started at 17 now you're 18.) And I am not even talking about technique. Even if you have flawless technique, there's great musical depth in this piece. Are you sure you're ready? Maybe you're not planning to play it right now, you just said "I do plan to play..."
Hurt yourself? Gimme a break. If you practice it slowly and without tension, you won't "hurt yourself."
I don't know about that. I can play the first 3 pages just fine, by the 4th page it starts to get harder and by the 5th I'm pretty much stumped. So I don't think you can really tell after the first 2 pages.