Easiest - Hardest?

[jorley]

Hi! Can any of you give me an accurate difficulty ranking of the following pieces, from easiest to hardest:

Beethoven Pathetique Sonata
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata
Chopin Nocturne Op 37 No 2
Chopin Nocturne Op 48 No 1
Chopin Nocturne Op 55 No 2
Chopin Scherzo No 2 Op 31
Chopin Scherzo No 3 Op 39
Chopin Etude Op 10 No 5
Chopin Etude Op 10 No 12
Chopin Etude Op 25 No 12

[nanabush]

I'm omitting a few, because I really am not familiar with them.

Easiest:
Op 10 #5
Nocturne Op 48
Pathetique
Op 10 #12
Moonlight
Scherzo 2
Op 25 #12
Scherzo 3
Hardest:


My reasoning for not saying "omgzor moonlight is so easy", is because it still adds up to about 15 minutes... it's pretty substantial regardless of how 'easy' the first movement is.  The third is a monster, the trills in the octave part are actually really awkard to execute, and it can't sound like a peddled mess!

I'm pretty comfortable with octaves, but the 3rd scherzo is pretty intense, which is why I put it just above the Op 25 #12 (which I think overall would be harder to pull off WELL than the 2nd scherzo)

I left out the other nocturnes because I really don't know them... Op 48 #1 isn't that tough; the octave part is doable if you've practiced some octave scales in the past.  It's more a difficulty getting good voicing in the doppio movemente, which (like any other piece), takes practice.  It's nothing that should still be like "holy sh*t" if you work at it for a few months.

[j_menz]

Hi! Can any of you give me an accurate difficulty ranking of the following pieces, from easiest to hardest:

No. It depends entirely on your individual strengths and weaknesses.

[danhuyle]

Easiest to hardest

Chopin Etudes Op10/12 and 25/12 (technique is a given)
Scherzo #3
Scherzo #2


The rest of it is based on which one you like the most and go from that.

[pianist1976]

Hi! Can any of you give me an accurate difficulty ranking of the following pieces, from easiest to hardest:

Beethoven Pathetique Sonata
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata
Chopin Nocturne Op 37 No 2
Chopin Nocturne Op 48 No 1
Chopin Nocturne Op 55 No 2
Chopin Scherzo No 2 Op 31
Chopin Scherzo No 3 Op 39
Chopin Etude Op 10 No 5
Chopin Etude Op 10 No 12
Chopin Etude Op 25 No 12

Something that is absolutely subjective and relative can never been accurate 

j_menz is right. I'd also add that there are many factors that make master pieces impossible to compare. Some of these factors can be, among many others:

- Lenght of the work. We just simply cannot compare a 2 minutes etude with a 8 minutes scherzo or a 20 minutes sonata. Here comes also factors as endurance/stamina and technical and artistic background of the player. There is not magic formula that works for everyone.
- Form/shape/size of the hand, natural or acquired strengths about finger independence, reflexes, sight speed, musicality, understanding or affinity with the composer or the style, poliphony... Gaps in technical and musical understanding (I think both are intimately connected) takes to oversize the difficulty of some kind of works.
- Technique of the player. For example, a pianist wit a lousy/neglected/autodidact bad technique (with a stiff wrist and arms, for example) may find easier to play and read a Mozart sonata than Liszt Mephisto Waltz, although s/he may play both bad. But for a good pianist, playing both pieces well is a great effort, led to success thanks to his/her good technique and clear musical ideas.
- Historical period of the composition. We just cannot compare a Bach fugue with a Chopin etude. Which one is more difficult? I think both.

Just a few thoughts and opinions 

[beebert]

Based on pure technical difficulty level:

Easiest
Nocturne Op 55 2
Nocturne Op 37 2
Etude 10 5
Pathetique
Etude Op 10 12
Nocturne 48 1
Moonlight
Scherzo 3 Op 39
Scherzo 2 Op 31
Etude Op 25 12
Hardest

Based on musical difficulty:

Easiest
Etude Op 10 5
Etude Op 10 12
Nocturne Op 37 2
Moonlight
Pathetique
Etude Op 25 12
Nocturne Op 55 2
Scherzo 2 Op 31
Nocturne Op 48 1
Scherzo 3 Op 39
Hardest

Total:
Etude Op 10 5
Nocturne Op 37 2
Nocturne Op 55 2
Etude Op 10 12
Pathetique
Moonlight
Nocturne Op 48 1
Etude Op 25 12
Scherzo 2 Op 31
Scherzo 3 Op 39