Chopin waltz project

[mussorgsky]

Hello! I have an idea of learning all the waltzes Chopin wrote. I've already learned op.64 no.1, the Minute waltz. Please help me with putting the waltzes in order from easiest to most difficult. 

[pytheamateur]

Learn Op 64, No 2.  I think it works to perform the two as a set.

[wiggityp]

I'm currently trying to put the polish (pardon the pun) on No. 1 Op.18, and while it's certainly not that difficult it's definitely not the easiest of the waltzes. So I wouldn't start with that. I'm trying to learn all of them as well but am going consecutively. I've previously worked on Op.64 Nos. 1 and 2. And read through most of the others. I'm banking on them all being of uniformly modest technical demand. Not that they all won't require their fair portions of dedication!

I've been into the idea of learning a composer's pieces this way (I'm also on the 1st Beethoven Sonata, again having worked on others in the past). I think, particularly with the Beethoven Sonatas and hopefully with the Chopin, that learning the pieces this way will provide some sort of valuable insight of the composers. Given that such pieces were given the name waltz or sonata or what have you for a specific reason, I think it's reasonable to assume that learning them in order as the composer wrote them, will say something very specific about the composer. Sort of like reading a list of New Year's resolutions from an entire person's life might grant a glimpse into their overall persona. Perhaps it will just say how they felt about the Sonata or the Waltz; but I think it could be significantly deeper and more valuable than that, for the performer of their music.

I think that pytheamateur is quite right to recommend Op.64, No.2 it's definitely one of the easier ones. Also, Op.34 No. 2 (No. 3 consecutively), is on the easier side, as is Op.69 no.1 (No. 9); both of which, incidentally, are particularly lovely.

The posthumous E minor (No. 14) is a bit harder I think. Also Op.34 no.1 (No.2). These along with the first are the hardest I think. Although interpretationally I'd say the Op.70 set is less accessible at first and thus more challenging to discover what there all about than any of the others. This is where I think consecutive playing of all the waltzes will be beneficial--sort of a slow sinking (or perhaps ascendance) in to the waltz as seen by Chopin gradually throughout his life.

You should update as you go along, let me know if anything strikes you about them individually or as a sequence.

And if you're not already aware there is an excellent album that has all 14 of the waltzes by Dinu Lipatti. I've been listening to them as I write, and they are off the chizzain yo! I'll hook you up if you don't have them.

[pytheamateur]

Wrong post.

[mussorgsky]

Wrong post.

Why?

[pytheamateur]

Why?

I posted something that should belong to another thread.

[49410enrique]

I posted something that should belong to another thread.

why?

[49410enrique]

why?

[pytheamateur]

why?

For those interested, I posted two Youtube videos of a 16 year-old girl performing Fantasie Impromptu and Hungarian Rhapsody No 2.  If you want to watch them, they
 are under the thread discussing which piece is harder.

[chopianologue]

Every Chopin waltz have its own story, you have to go with its order, in my opinion.

But first waltz, op.18 Grande Valse Brillante is one of the most challengeing ones.
Op.42 is the hardest, you have to practice slowly. However op.42 is my personal favourite... called ''valse 2/4''
Also famous E minor waltz is one of the hardest...
But noone is impossible.
Good Luck...