Polonaise-Fantaisie

[jorley]

Hi!

I am wondering if this piece is as difficult as people say it is? I have heard many call this piece the hardest of all Chopin's pieces, but when looking at the score, it surely does not look that difficult.. How hard is it compared with his Ballades, Scherzos and Barcarolle for example? Is it easier or harder? Why?

[perprocrastinate]

but when looking at the score, it surely does not look that difficult

I'm sorry that I'm not able to answer your question, but many times the score is deceiving.

*cough*Chopin 10/1*cough*

[j_menz]

I am wondering if this piece is as difficult as people say it is?

Why? Either you can play it or you can't. That is the only question that you need to ask, and only you can answer it.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Why? Either you can play it or you can't. That is the only question that you need to ask, and only you can answer it.

Oh my god I freaking hate your answers to these questions!!!

[49410enrique]

why does no one compare solos to the chopin piano sonatas or the concertos when asking how 'hard something is' or when discussing 'major piano works' in a relative sense. that is, are the sonatas or concerti not considred difficult musically, technically, or major works etc? i don't get it, i think they are probably his greatest and most musical works....and certainly i would classify them on a technical scale as  way hard.  

as for the OP, as was stated, you said you looked at the score, does that mean you sat down at the piano and read an played out of it? usually the challenges should present themselves pretty readily if you explore the score, then you can decide if you have it in you to work on it or not.

sort of like a lot of these 'difficulty' questions, i think at the end of the day it's probably one of those , 'if you have to ask, you probably can't...." sort of deals.

and if you haven't played it, why not? i don't understand the 'analysis paralysis' so many seem to fall prey to, i'm not picking on you, im just saying that what harm is there in taking the score and reading and practicing it for a month or two. then deciding if you are progressing in a satisfactory manner that would allow a finished performance to a respectiable standard (what ever standard you decide that to be)?

i've never been less of  pianist or a 'worse musician' or taken a backslide technically as a result of spending time with new difficult music, especially the ones i end up deciding , "not now". you can always pick up a year or so or more later then see if you're 'ready or not'

PS I know you're not aksing if you're ready to learn the work or not, but it is a simialr question those types of posts, that is , these difficulty questions are and probably should be pretty  specific to each pianists, we have strengths and weaknesses we want to address, but at the end of the day we're all "lovers" of music and I encourage you to read and discover as much of it as you can. good luck and again please continue to post questions, we all learn from each other

[j_menz]

Oh my god I freaking hate your answers to these questions!!!

The allow me to elaborate.  This is pretty much in line with what enrique says, btw.

1) You have the score (or can download it for nothing) and a number of recordings (also free on YT).

2) Listen and read along.

3) Sit down and try and play it.  That will (instantaneously, or after several attempts) tell you that the piece is:

(a) not currently achievable in any reasonable time

(b) somthing you could probably do with a lot of work which is:

      (i)  time better spent on something more manageable and so save this for later

      (ii)  not worth it since I don't like the piece enough

      (iii)  time well spent since I love this piece; or

(c) quite managable in a reasonable time.

Whate else is there to know???

[the_technicalman]

If you are talking technical difficulty, with this work, you should NEVER talk technical difficulty. It represents an apex of Chopin's output.

The Polonaise-Fantasie is so 'hard' because it represents a contradiction in form and structure, and to bind together and reach the emotional depths of this work, is a struggle. Look at Yuja Wang's performance online for a good example of a lacklustre performance.

This work also represents a difficulty that is solely identified with Chopin - because it is one of the closest compositions to Chopin's style you have to work extra hard to find that mix of aristocratic, aloof, reserved exterior and whet, emotional interior.

[celegorma]

You should not judge a piece's difficulty by breaking it down into pages and analyze technical elements in each page. A piece should be looked at as a whole, and being able to hold a coherent 14 minutes piece together itself is not easy on its own, not to say that this piece is so complex in structure.