Chopin 3rd sonate

[3kitty333]

Hi! I want to learn Chopin 3rd sonate, but I donīt know if I am ready for this. I can play some of his etudes - op. 10 -no. 3,5,9,12 op. 25 - 2,9,12.... I had biggest problems playing 25-9 maybe because of my small hands.. 
I love Finale of 3rd sonate, but it sounds too hard..
Do you have experience with playing it, is it technically as difficult as it sounds?
thanks and sorry for my english

[pianisten1989]

What else do you play, any other major chopin pieces? Any other composer?

[mistermoe]

I haven't played it but i think it's a really big step from those etudes (which aren't his most difficult ones) to this sonata, which is an incredibly difficult piece. It could also be depressing to fail playing it in an appropriate manner.

It's full of chords and octaves. The last movement is even full of passages which ressemble the op.25 no.9 a lot, which you had so much difficulties with. And then there are all the non-chord passages which are at least as difficult.

As always, ask your teacher. He knows best.

And why don't you see this sonata as a long term goal?

[gyzzzmo]

I think you're ready for at least trying the sonate, assuming you can play those etudes well.
I didnt find the finale of opus 58 much 'harder' than the average chopin etude, although i must say i have rather big hands and have seen some students with smaller hands having trouble with the rolling motion of the left hand in the last part.
So try it and see where it takes you, its a beautiful piece. You can always use it to find your technical weaknesses and learn new etudes that help you with that.

Gyzzzmo

[3kitty333]

I played Beethovens Apassionata, Bachs Inventions, Rachmaninov - Elegie, Moment Musicaux op. 16-1 and prelude g sharp minor.

My teacher said this is very hard piece, and he thinks Im not ready, but I played a lot of pieces I didnīt like and have to work on them, working on this piece would be funny, when I love it!
I will try it I donīt have problems with scales, but chords are my weakness I can reach just octave..

[3kitty333]

One more question, do you think I should play Chopins 1st Ballade? Iīm crazy to all his Ballades, Scherzos and Sonatas, what piece would you recommend?

[mistermoe]

Why not play the second ballade or the second scherzo? Those are easier than the sonatas and the first ballade but still really challenging and you can learn a lot in those pieces.
From my expirience, the first ballade is the most difficult to perform, although the fourth is probably technically more difficult and an extremly complex piece (especially all those polyphonic passages). There's a chance i will never perform the first although i have worked on it. I have heard it played bad too often (often becoming pitiful to watch) because of the coda. It's not particularly difficult, but everybody is going into the panic-mode there (and i'm sure i would too). If you know you can handle this kind of pressure, work on it.
But i'm absolutely serious about what i wrote above and i'm sure many pianists here can approve this. I love this piece and i would love to play it in public, but i just won't, because of that fact.

If you like the pieces i mentioned at the beginning, i would really consider playing one of them.

Looking at your repertoire, i would also suggest playing some other composers. You are thinking about playing some of the most difficult pieces in the common repertoire, but only have really worked on four different composers. Play some Haydn, a prelude and fugue by bach and something modern. Talk to your teacher about a well-balanced repertoire.

[birba]

I think Mistermoe (where on earth did that nickname come from!?) put it quite succinctly.  I think some music on a smaller scale would be more beneficial to you at this moment.  I, personally, don't care for the 3rd sonata.  I played it once in my lifetime.  For my graduate programme.  It just rambles on and on.  The scherzo is lovely, though.  Anyway, that said, go for the first ballade if you want.  and the first scherzo, as well.  ONe of the bigger nocturnes.  You have lots of time to learn that 3rd sonata.  And definitely, as Mr. Moe said, wander into the classical repertoire as well as the contemporary field.

[gene2701]

go learn them no one can actually tell u IF UR ready or not...just try it first...and see how much of the music u can absorb.

and if u still hv problems. u can come back in here and qns us.

[3kitty333]

Thank you very much!!! So do you think second Ballade is easiest? I really love all four! I want to learn something on holiday, because I donīt have lessons now. Next year I will go to university to study music so I will have new piano teacher.
Iīm learning Scriabin etude op. 8. no. 12., I like dramatic pieces and Chopins ballades were always my dream

[mistermoe]

I think the second one is the easiest of the four. But still not easy. (and technically perhaps more demanding than the third one)
I think that this could be the best choice. And it's dramatic too, of course. And you can show off a little bit 
I'm sure you will have fun with this piece!

But that scriabin must be hell with small hands! 

[3kitty333]

Thanks Iīll try it, hope it will be not as hard as it sounds :-D
I love to play romantic music and classicism, sometimes impressionism, but playing Bach or Haydn is not fun for me, not my style
And yes, Scriabin etude is hard to play with small hands, I have to roll some distances, but I do this commonly
Did you play the second Ballade? How long did it take to you?

[birba]

good luck on the coda!

[mistermoe]

The second one is the only one i didn't really work on (just for about 3 weeks some years ago - but that doesn't count )
Birba is right, the coda is the toughest part. But it's still manageable. You can learn a lot on standard romantic technique in this piece and it will serve you well as a preparation for the first ballade. Once you have mastered it technically, i think the choral parts will be the real difficulty.

[gyzzzmo]

I think Mistermoe (where on earth did that nickname come from!?) put it quite succinctly.  I think some music on a smaller scale would be more beneficial to you at this moment.  I, personally, don't care for the 3rd sonata.  I played it once in my lifetime.  For my graduate programme.  It just rambles on and on.  The scherzo is lovely, though.  Anyway, that said, go for the first ballade if you want.  and the first scherzo, as well.  ONe of the bigger nocturnes.  You have lots of time to learn that 3rd sonata.  And definitely, as Mr. Moe said, wander into the classical repertoire as well as the contemporary field.

I have to agree that most of the 3rd sonata are far from Chopin's best work, but that finale is SO much fun to play  . Its as finale as a finale can get.

[mistermoe]

I have to agree that most of the 3rd sonata are far from Chopin's best work, but that finale is SO much fun to play  . Its as finale as a finale can get.

I do exactly remember the first time i listened to this finale, allthough it's long ago. I was like: "OMG! This is freaking awesome! I love it! Tchaikovsky go &%/§ yourself! That's what i call maestoso! I hope this goes on forev..... Oh! That's it?  "


(and yes i do realize what i just wrote, but that's what happened  )