Heroique Polonaise

[liszt_ani_rach]

How do I approach this piece?
Any tips how to play each portion?
What sections are difficult and need practice?
Who's interpretation is the best?

[pianowolfi]

Well the standard pianostreet answer would be: If you are asking such questions you're not ready to play this piece.
However, this could be a bit more specified, in that at least the first question seems to some extent answerable to me.
How do I approach this piece?
    From your broad experience with other, "easier" Chopin pieces, for instance Polonaise op 26,1 and op 40 no. 1 and 2, some Preludes, some Nocturnes and Mazurkas. You need Chopin experience, preferrably also quite a bit of performance experience before you tackle op 53.
I mean, I think nobody can climb the Nanga Parbat without a lot of experience in other, "lower" regions.

[liszt_ani_rach]

Well the standard pianostreet answer would be: If you are asking such questions you're not ready to play this piece.
However, this could be a bit more specified, in that at least the first question seems to some extent answerable to me.
How do I approach this piece?
    From your broad experience with other, "easier" Chopin pieces, for instance Polonaise op 26,1 and op 40 no. 1 and 2, some Preludes, some Nocturnes and Mazurkas. You need Chopin experience, preferrably also quite a bit of performance experience before you tackle op 53.
I mean, I think nobody can climb the Nanga Parbat without a lot of experience in other, "lower" regions.

Thanks for the advice! I can play La Campanella perfectly, so I thought I was ready for op 53.. Suggest a good chopin piece!

[pianowolfi]

Thanks for the advice! I can play La Campanella perfectly, so I thought I was ready for op 53.. Suggest a good chopin piece!

Well I did suggest some. Especially the "easier" Polonaises. And there are more Polonaises that are "easier". Just browse the Polonaises. Actually I'm just recommending the way I'd go myself, if my goal was to play this piece. I'd play op 40 (I have actually played op. 40 No. 1 already) and a few other Polonaises first.
Btw I haven't yet heard any pianist who can play La Campanella "perfectly".

[liszt_ani_rach]

I meant "I can play everything perfectly except the animato lol"

anyway thanks for the suggestions .. i'll do op 26 no 1..
btw i've heard about polonaise fantasie..is it good?

[the_duck]

I meant "I can play everything perfectly except the animato lol"

anyway thanks for the suggestions .. i'll do op 26 no 1..
btw i've heard about polonaise fantasie..is it good?

I don't mean to be rude, but I really cannot understand how someone with the motivation and technical know how to post this question on a forum cannot use their initiative and type "polonaise fantaisie" into youtube and find out for themselves whether or not it's "good".

[liszt_ani_rach]

Do you have a problem with what I post? If you do, you don't have to get involved in this topic.

[scott13]

Would love to hear this "perfect" playing of La Camp.

I have played Polonaises Op 26 #1, Op 40 1&2 and Op 44 and i was not ready to tackle the Heroic. It is a monster piece. I did not have difficulty so much with learning notes, although that it quite a mission, i left the piece because frankly i couldn't do any sense of musical justice to the piece.

The heroic covers nearly ever foundation of technique at a graduate level.

It has the following:

1) Rapid Scale runs in SM (Similar Motion)
2) Rapid Arpeggios in both hands
3) Huge Chords all through the piece
4) Difficult Rhythms and timing between the hands
5) Sustained and prolonged LH Octaves with need to be perfectly crisp
6) Chromatic ascending 4ths
7) Trills on the weaker fingers of the RH

And bringing all these aspects together into a polished performance is by no means an easy task. This piece takes a serious amount of work to get right, and judging by your opinion that you can play La Camp 'perfectly' (which i find hand to believe) you don't have the correct mindset to tackle a work like this.

[liszt_ani_rach]

I know people who can play the transcendental etudes but can't play the easier Chopin etudes. It is hard to believe but is true. In the same way, I can play pieces like La Campanella, but not Heroique Polonaise. I've been playing La Campanella for the past 6 months and I still need to get the animato perfect.