Mozart vs Beethoven

[jpgm9919]

Can someone rank Beethoven Tempest Sonata, Moonlight, Pathetique, Mozart A minor 310,k 333 b flat major, and 576 in D major from easier to harder?

[awesom_o]

No. They are all difficult, and to be a great pianist you need to play each and every one equally well!

[albumblatter]

>>Can someone rank Beethoven Tempest Sonata, Moonlight, Pathetique, Mozart A minor 310,k 333 b flat major, and 576 in D major from easier to harder?

They are very difficult pieces, but if I had to rank them,

Beethoven Pathetique = Mozart 310 <<< Moonlight < 333 < Tempest =< 576

[outin]

And here I was thinking this thread was a battle between two of my least favorite composers 

[thesixthsensemusic]

For me:
KV333 < KV310 < Beethoven op. 27/2 < Beethoven op. 13

My rationale: I've played them all except the KV333, but I did read through the score of that one, and have heard it many times, it doesn't seem to be that demanding actually.

What I find so cumbersome about the Pathétique is the combination of rapid tremolos together with having to cover large sections of the keyboard while having to reposition your hands all the time in the first movement. Also, the cadenza in the exposition (which is recapitulated in a different key later on) with rapid double grips in both hands, is very hard to coordinate to get it rhythmically perfect.

The Moonlight Sonata is hard because the last movement is basically a moto perpetuo that has some nasty double grips in the development section and recapitulation (especially measures 84, 92/3 and 158). But, this are just a few bars, apart from that, it will hardly pose a problem for someone who has learned to play arpeggios properly, while the tremolos, while as rapid as in the Pathétique, are not too hard because they seldomly stretch an octave so are not very uncomfortable to play.

I found the Mozart KV310 contain various hard parts. But, often, only one hand at a time contains hard to play material, while many times it is both hands in the Beethoven sonatas. This makes learning it significantly easier IMO, though it is still a challenging piece to tackle.