Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 in 3 months...could I do it? my teacher's reactions?

[sv3nno]

basically, i'm a grade 9 student and i just finished learning Beethoven's 1st piano concerto, moonlight sonata(full) czerny etudes 4 and 10 from op. 740, rachmaninoff's prelude in c sharp minor and g minor and chopins' revolutionary etude. (the revolutionary etude, g minor prelude and moonlight sonata i learned outside my music school repertoire and away from my teacher... she always underestimates me and she would've probably slapped me if she knew i was learning those pieces. i then later performed them successfully at my school's anniversary.) now, i wanted to really surprise her when i go back to school in the autumn (yes, summer holidays last 3 months in Estonia :p) and play her the Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2(the one by Liszt ofc.) i'm fully aware of the huge technical difficulties in the piece and i'm ready to tackle it. i've been playing it for a few weeks and i'm almost done with the Lassan - i haven't perfected it yet, of course.
my only worries are that even if i practice ~5 hours (in addition to the pieces my teacher will give me) a day (not less, maybe more), that my technical skills won't develop quickly enough to get it ready in 3 months...also, even if i DO get it ready in 3 months, i don't think i will have the guts to even Slightly mention my teacher that i have been practicing it in the summer... Let alone make her believe that i really learned it well, so that she would even agree to listen me play it.(i will likely get expelled from the school for even considering practicing it.)
what do you think?
Many thanks in advance.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

We can't say whether or not you can do it because we don't know you.

[j_menz]

A few weeks for a half-assed Lassan would suggest 2-3 months for the whole thing is asking too much.

[danhuyle]

The 3 month time frame is a big ask. If you were to pull this off, you'd have to practice daily and practice nothing but HR2.

When I showed a teacher, all I had was the part after the friska into the F# major part (what the piece is known for). All my teacher said was to practice it slowly because it's a fun piece and yeah.....

[jeffkonkol]

spend some time with it starting to learn some of the more challenging pieces and come back to it later.  I don't know you, and I don't want to make unfair determinations, but maybe you are learning it for the wrong reasons ?

how was your teachers reactions to the other pieces you learned outside of lessons ?

also... is 10-12 the only etude you have performed?  Another etude might be a better choice.... a more focused study of a particular technique and a much smaller time commitment that wont detract as much from your assigned rep ?

just playing devil's advocate with you ..... good luck on whichever choices you make. :-)

[chopinrabbitthing]

Um well, this is a really difficult question.
You can do it, or you cannot do it. And if you can do it, can you do it well or not? If it's just learning the notes instead of the music, I'd rather you don't do it.
It all comes down to dedication, concentration, and I suppose confidence.

And of course, we don't know how well you play so um..yeah

Have you played Liszt before? Have you performed (in public) any long pieces before (9-10 mins, or a complete sonata)?

And if you have to ask this question on the Piano Street, I seriously recommend you to reconsider doing it.

But, anyways, I think that if you have the dedication and courage, you'll be able to do it will little hassle.

Good luck

[gyzzzmo]

Maybe yes, maybe no.
Who cares, just go for it and practise the hardest you can. Nobody here can objectively determine whether you can do it or not, its pointless.

[canada100]

No, you are not ready for Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody 2.

The Rhapsody is one of Liszt's masterpieces, and to play Liszt one must be proficient in all his basic technical idioms-scales, arpeggios, octaves, thirds, sixths, broken chords, etc. Based on your repertoire, I would advise against learning this piece.

Never play something too far beyond your technical ability-this can injure your hand which may take several months to heal.

When I was 11, I asked my teacher about the Hungarian Rhapsodies and she told me they were too difficult. I listened; for I knew she was wiser than I was. And this paid off; to this day I have never injured myself yet.

When I was 12   1/2, I began learning the Chopin Scherzo No.1, and it took me a few months to make it to a polished level, much to my teacher's amazement. Just wait! Be patient! It will pay off! After I performed the Chopin Scherzo, my teacher told me, "Now you can start learning a Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody!"

[illusionary]

It sounds like you have the technical skill. I don't know you though and I all I can say is that if you really really love the piece, you might be able to do it. I absolute fell in love with Un Sospiro about a month ago and finished it and performed it within 3 weeks, winning a local competition. Just work hard and work smart, listen to the piece a lot (whilst reading the score), analyse the piece to get to know it and try to find videos of performances and masterclasses on YT.

[cabbynum]

My advice, go for it. But still get the other pieces to a good level. If you dont have the HR2 by then, so what. Just dont show her. If you do have it learned, dont ask to play it.
I wanted to learn the appassionata but didnt have the guts to ask my teacher. So i "warmed up" my fingers by playing it (first mov) . That wasnt exactly a big enough hint, so i emailed her and explained why i want to learn it yada yada yada.

So just sack up and learn it and show her. Or if you dont have it learned then keep quiet about it until you have it learned.

[stevenarmstrong]

I think if you could do it you wouldnt be asking for people's opinions...

[j_menz]

I think given the date of the original post, the 2-3 months is very much past and the question is now answered by experiment rather than theory. 

[future_maestro]

Probably not, I mean Hungarian Rhapsody is one of the hardest classical works, it would take a concert pianist to get it down in three months. I mean you could probably hack through it, but not master it or get it anywhere near performance level.