Some Pieces on Pianostreet Have Levels That Are Completely Wrong.

[piano1mn]

 For Albeniz: None of Espana Op.165 should be 8+. Prelude should be something like 4. Tango- 5
Dance from Malaga- 4; Serenata- 6; Capricho Catalan- 3;;;///    Winter should be 4 or 5, not 8+!

For Bach, too many things are given 8+. Fugues and Gigues can be very complex, but should they seriously be 8+? Even French Suite no.2 and 6 are graded 8+! They should be 6 or 7.

For Brahms, The Rhapsodies Op.79 should not be I- 8+, II- 8. They should both be 7. Also, the Hungarian Rhapsodies aren't that hard. No.3 should only be 7. No.5 should be 8(it is hard for the jumps).  And the Scherzo in e minor, it should be 6 or 7!

For Beethoven, 9 Variations on a March by Dressler should be 6 instead of 8+!

Are Busoni Transcriptions all that hard?
Should Chopin Ballades really be 8+? Shoud Chopin Mazurkas be at least 6? No! They should be 3+!
Is his 1st Prelude really 8+? It should be 4! How is his g major prelude 8? It should be 7! How is his easy e minor prelude 5? For interpretation? It should sil be 3 or 4. Most of the Chopin Preludes are completely wrong.
Should Debussy's Ballade really be 8? It should be 7!

[perprocrastinate]

Are Busoni Transcriptions all that hard?

Lol.

[piano1mn]

That is right.

[piano1mn]

And How is Debussy's Small Site(petite suite) 8+? It is so easy! It should be at most 5!

[piano1mn]

and Reverie.... That should be 6 or7!

[piano1mn]

Also, for Debussy:
The Little Negro should be 4, not 7!
Valse Romantique should be 5-7! Not 8+!
Dr Gradus aud Parnassum should be 5 or 6, not 7!
Only Golliwog's Cakewalk is the ony piece from Childrens orner that deserves to be 7!
And Toccata from Suite Pour le Piano... That should be 7 or 8, not 8+!
Minstrels- 4, not 8+
girl with flaxen hair- 6 not 8
Arabesques should be 6, 8, not 7, 8!

[iansinclair]

Maybe so, maybe no.  Some pieces mentioned -- the French Suites, for example -- do appear to be easy -- technically.  That is it's not all that hard to get the notes right.  To produce a truly musical result though is sometimes a wee bit harder.  Even more true of some of the later pieces mentioned.

There are few things in music which can send me from the room muttering and screaming faster than a technically perfect, utterly soul-less bit of romantic music.  And I hear it all too often these days...

[piano1mn]

Yes, I agree. But I didn't know that he difficulty for piano street had to do with interpretation!

 
Anyways, john Field's 12th Nocturne doesn't deserve 8+.

[virtuoso80]

It's all about 'playing' vs. 'finishing'. I'm of the opinion that you never really 'finish' a piece, and as such it's hard to say something is an 8+ only because it's hard to play in a really refined manner. I agree with much of what you're written to that extent.

[worov]

Should Chopin Ballades really be 8+?

You're absolutely right. Gaspard de la nuit should be grade 5 too.

[piano1mn]

WHt? Gaspard de la Nuit should be 8+! I mean the f major Ballade and the a flat major ballade. And why are the Etude in 12 Pieces y Liszt Op.1 8+? It is about the level of a Haydn Sonata! And Valse Oubilee... And Mendessohn on WIngs of an SOng

[unholeee]

and moonlight sonata should be a 2 i reckon...ize

[virtuoso80]

WHt? Gaspard de la Nuit should be 8+! I mean the f major Ballade and the a flat major ballade. And why are the Etude in 12 Pieces y Liszt Op.1 8+? It is about the level of a Haydn Sonata! And Valse Oubilee... And Mendessohn on WIngs of an SOng

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

[piano1mn]

Oh. It was sarcasm....
Sarcatically

[j_menz]

Are Busoni Transcriptions all that hard?

Even harder than putting up with your lunatic ravings and spelling atrocities. 

[pianist1976]

I'd really love to listen this piano1mn person play the piano. According to his/her words s/he must be a terrific player who can play Bach with one finger and the other hand tied to his/her back while giving the most moving rendition ever. For sure it's spectacular to watch it!

 

[kriatina]

Hello, piano1mn,

perhaps we have been reading similar piano books from around 1850 - 1920 ??

I have also been reading in some of these books that "in the old days" the level of playing was very high and children were already taught by their parents how to play the piano "as fun and not as a future career" and that is perhaps why, what we now consider as difficult pieces, were "in the old days" pieces which were played by children in the first or second year...

[worov]

What about Prokofiev's Toccata ? Come on, it's not that hard ! I'd say grade 6 !

[piano1mn]

piano1976, I never said I could play Bach with one finger and the other hand tied behind my back. What can you do?

[h_chopin148]

Should Chopin Ballades really be 8+? Shoud Chopin Mazurkas be at least 6? No! They should be 3+!

I'd like to see you play all the Chopin Ballades well. 

[piano1mn]

Not Ballades. I meant the Mazurkas.   Most of the Ballades are difficult, but not all of them should be 8+. 

[piano1mn]

 Pianist1976, I only wrote that I could play Fantasie-Impromptu, Un Sospiro, Jeux d'eau, and La Campanella. Are you exaggerating, making up, or assuming? I never wrote that I could play a Bach piece with one finger. I wish I could play an original Bach piece with 1 finger. But sorry, I can't.

[h_chopin148]

Not Ballades. I meant the Mazurkas.   Most of the Ballades are difficult, but not all of them should be 8+. 

Oh, that explains.  Because if someone said the Ballades should be a 3, then they should be able to play the Liszt Transcendental Etudes with one finger.

[piano1mn]

agreed. But I don't think any piece with harmony can be played with one finger. Probably divine people can do that.

[h_chopin148]

Well I never said you couldn't use your noes or toes...

[piano1mn]

Oh. Well, I cannot play Liszt with nose or toes... I can probably play a random note with my toe.

[virtuoso80]

piano1976, I never said I could play Bach with one finger and the other hand tied behind my back. What can you do? Because I'm not an adult

I'm also very curious to hear you. Any chance of you posting a vid playing some of the pieces you know?

[piano1mn]

I will, soon... When I start earning about recording with a mixer

[teran]

All the Beethoven Sonatas should be N/A (because nobody wants to hear them) except Moonlight which should be a 50billion

[nanabush]

People need to stop treating pieces of music like levels from a video game haha!  There are no clear cut levels, but simply guidelines... There is a Haydn Sonata from the Grade 9 RCM book that I played in my 2nd year at university along with Estampes by Debussy and the Mephisto Waltz... the level of those change DRASTICALLY, but you would typically see the Debussy as underrated, the Liszt overrated, and the Haydn considered 'early intermediate' which is complete bullshit.

Use them just as guidelines; imagine having to put a level on all of the Shakespeare literature from 'easiest' to 'most difficult' in terms of educational material... how the hell do you do that?  I find it about as difficult putting a level stamp on most of the pieces by Debussy because they generally aren't explosive virtuoso, but they can still really crush your fingers, in a MUCH different way than Liszt or Rachmaninoff.

[albumblatter]

Chopin's Mazurkas have tremendous dept; it is unfair to grade them according to technicality in meager scale that ranges from zero to eight+.

[burnttoast]

Fur Elise should be 8+++++ because it is sosososososo hard to even get yourself to play it because neither you nor anybody else wants to hear it because it is so overplayed and insignificant. 

[gyzzzmo]

Chopin's Mazurkas have tremendous dept; it is unfair to grade them according to technicality in meager scale that ranges from zero to eight+.

Good luck grading 'musicality level of depth'.

[danthecomposer]

...Because I'm not an adult

The most amusing of all your words in this thread.

Instead of wasting time complaining about them, go and learn them.

You said you can play Un Sospiro... I already know you cannot because I can already see how uptight you are.  To play most of Chopin's music, and Liszt's Un Sospiro, you cannot be an uptight personality worrying about levels on some random website.

[j_menz]

To play most of Chopin's music ... you cannot be an uptight personality

Why not? Chopin himself sure was.

[cluey]

Chopin was a person who liked keeping to himself. That doesn't make him uptight lol. Just saying.

[j_menz]

Chopin was a person who liked keeping to himself. That doesn't make him uptight lol. Just saying.

Clearly your talking about a different Chopin. I mean Freddy.

Just sayin' 

[rua1jr]

This particular thread continues to be extremely boring.  Can we not find a more intellectual dialogue?

[j_menz]

This particular thread continues to be extremely boring.  Can we not find a more intellectual dialogue?

Given that that represent your third post on the forum in the two and a half years you have been a member, you're hardly in a position to criticise. 

[danthecomposer]

By uptight, I meant worrying about nonsense and being quite firm and insistant about said nonsense.

Chopin was not uptight; sure, he kept himself to himself, but I wouldn't say uptight about such things as this.

I agree about maintaining maturity on here, that's what I suggested the OP stop wasting time writing about nonsense, and go and learn the pieces about which he complains!

[piano1mn]

thecomposer, see our compositions, you see, child

[danthecomposer]

I'm afraid I don't understand your sentence.

Nevertheless, good luck with your studies and intepretations.  We look forward to hearing them soon.

[j_menz]

I'm afraid I don't understand your sentence.

That's because it is nonsense.

We look forward to hearing them soon.

Speak for yourself. I personally regard the prospect with less than enthusiasm.

[piano1mn]

You see. I am a 3 year old on the internet, arguing with "pianists". I can play nothing but




MY MUSIC BOOKS!

[outin]

You see. I am a 3 year old on the internet, arguing with "pianists".

No doubt you're a very talented 3 year old

[qpalqpal]

Skrjabin's op. 11 preludes are all wrong. Number four is easy, maybe 5/6 not 8+

[ajspiano]

Skrjabin's op. 11 preludes are all wrong. Number four is easy, maybe 5/6 not 8+

..it's in 6/4, has chords that are 10ths wide and is predominately full of large chords that will need to be exquisitely voiced..

5/6 places it on par with the inventions (though obviously quite different). A good performance would require skills that would be developed by learning most if not all of the inventions and a few of the sinfonias..

The 8+ range is also very wide spread here..  maybe 7/8, but 5/6 is a bit low.

Passages in octaves, or wider chords that contain interior voices is a fairly big deal.

[qpalqpal]

Sure, you get my point though.

No, but I understand what you mean. In any case, a single repeated tenth chord shouldn't present too many difficulties. But voicing sure would.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I think all grading systems are stupid.

I think it takes out all the spontaneousness and thrill out of learning music.  Almost like a chore.  And they're freaking misleading! 

This isn't going through different levels of math in high school, this is freaking music!

Or like that freaking Beethoven sonata difficulty rankings.  What the freaking heck?!  They're freaking Beethoven sonatas!  Not a freaking math textbook! 



And then people are like, 'well how hard is this piece?  Can I play it?'

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HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!. I'm not your teacher!

And then they're like, 'well then how the heck am I supposed to know if I can play it?'

Hmmm well I don't know, how about you pick up the score and try playing it!!!!  Listen to a recording or something!


But if you're like, 'what's harder, this or this?' then that's fine.  I don't have a problem with that.  That's just a normal discussion.  But if you're like, alright...  Rank all 24 Chopin Etudes, then that's going way overboard. 



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[j_menz]

But if you're like, 'what's harder, this or this?' then that's fine.  I don't have a problem with that.  That's just a normal discussion.  But if you're like, alright...  Rank all 24 Chopin Etudes, then that's going way overboard. 

You do know you can arrive at the second by means of the first, don't you?