Waldstein...bad idea?

[iancollett6]

Hello,
   Ive been playing for about 5 years now. I play a few Chopin Nocturnes, Bach French Suites, Im learning a Schubert Sonata. I also do daily practice with Hanon and Scales.
 I was considering picking small sections out of The Waldstein and practising them. Partly because I love this piece and hope someday to be able to play it, and partly as a technical exercise for building agility, speed etc.
 Now I appreciate how difficult this piece is, and Im expecting some responses informing me that Im showing disrespect to a masterpiece but surely becoming familiar to it isnt such a bad idea.
 I am planing to tackle this with supervision from my teacher.
 Just wanted to get some opinions.  Thankyou.

[iansinclair]

Thank goodness there is no law that says that one cannot play what they want to play!  You may find yourself frustrated by not being able to handle parts of it (though you may also surprise yourself) but that is not disrespect to the composer.

Now if you were to put a piece on a recital program that you really couldn't play, that might be disrespect for the audience (not to mention silly), but that's a different matter.

Go for it!

[asiantraveller101]

Thank goodness there is no law that says that one cannot play what they want to play!  You may find yourself frustrated by not being able to handle parts of it (though you may also surprise yourself) but that is not disrespect to the composer.

Now if you were to put a piece on a recital program that you really couldn't play, that might be disrespect for the audience (not to mention silly), but that's a different matter.

Go for it!

Exactly. Disrespectful only if you present "half-baked" goods to the audience. Otherwise, go for it. Your enthusiasm to learn it will carry you far. Have fun.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Dude just do it.

Who cares what other people think.

[j_menz]

There is a world of difference between dipping into pieces on your own time and performing them. On your own, there is no such thing as disrespect for a composer. You can do them no greater honour than rip their works apart to understand them better, or play what you are able out of sheer love for the piece.

In performance it's a different matter, and you should present a considered version of the work (the fruits of your private work). Otherwise you look like a fool and disrespect not only the composer but your audience as well.

There is a risk in dipping into repertoire that is well above your current level, firstly of injury by attempting to play things that require special technique without knowing what you are doing, and secondly of learning bad habits in a piece that will prove difficult to eradicate at a later date. The fact that you are doing this in consultation with your teacher should mean that you can avoid both pitfalls.

So.. go for it, and have fun!