Which Concerto is less difficult from those?

[franz_]

Could you rank them from easy to hard?

Rachmaninoff Paganini, Rachmaninoff 4, Tchaikovsky 1

[philb]

Could you rank them from easy to hard?

Rachmaninoff Paganini, Rachmaninoff 4, Tchaikovsky 1

Difficulty is subjective, what may be hard to some people is very easy to others. If I had to order them I'd probably do: Tchai, Paganini, Rach 4. Or a better idea is to look through them yourself and find out how difficult for you they are.

[franz_]

That's what I did, and why I asked advice here

[redbaron]

General opinion has it that the Tchaikovsky concerto is notoriously awkward and does not lie comfortably under the fingers at all. The Rachmaninov concertos are probably more technically and musically challenging but the piano writing is much more idiomatically suited to the keyboard.

[franz_]

More opinions please?
May be good to say that small technique is not my strongest point

Also, which variation is the hardest you think in Rach Paganini?

thanks!

[franz_]

195 views, 2 answers? 

[jmanpno]

I think the question was already well answered:

Tchaik is a little weird but not truly hard, Pag simply needs a virtuoso to give it that swashbuckling quality, and Rach 4 is rather difficult. 

[teccomin]

The Paganni should be the easiest. It does require some "small techniques" like most of Liszt's works but its not awkward on the fingers. The Tchaik requires more stamina and is more emotionally taxing, requires alot of concentration to be able to make the music flow cohesively.

[jmanpno]

What is small technique?  There are only so many places from which one can move his body... Learn the right way to do that and all "tehcnique" is the same...

[franz_]

You know what I mean with small technique... Feux follets is small technique. Liszt Orage is mostly big technique.

And the more and more I look and observe those 3 pieces, I have the impression Rach Paganini is the most comfortable to play... ?

[pytheamateur]

Just notice one thing.  In the upcoming Leeds International Piano Competition, you can't play Tchaikovsky's 1st concerto in the finals, but you can play Rachmaninov's concertos' and Rhapsody on a Theme by Pagannini.

It seems Tchaikovsky's 1st concerto is rarely performed in competitions except in the Tchaikovsky Competition, where one of his concertos is compulsory.

Perhaps this implies the piece is less difficult technically and musically?  Nevertheless it is doubtless a test of stamina.

[jmanpno]

Well, the Tchaik is undoubtedly one of the, if not THE most frequently played/over-played/popular piano concertos of all times...  The rules and regulations could be to eliminate such an iconic piece so easily made effective without much effort, or to rule out a hackneyed one.

I still maintain that the order of difficulty is Tchaik, Pag, Rach 4.  The awkwardness in Tchaikovsky is nominal any only applies to a few passages.... Yes, Pag is probably the most comfortable but is still not as tricky as Rach 4 IMHO but demands "small technique" outpacing Tchaikovsky...

[retrouvailles]

Why not play one of the other Tchaikovsky concertos? The second one is light years ahead of the first one.