What to learn next?

[beebert]

Hi everyone!

My teacher has told me to choose a new piece to work on for the next months(this fall and the upcoming winter), and the two pieces that he lets me choose between are Chopin's Ballade No 2 or his Scherzo No 2. For me, this is a hard choice. I know that the Scherzo is quite overplayed, while the Ballade isn't, but I feel that my technique might benefit more from the Scherzo, as arpeggios are something I feel that I need to work on.

My question to you guys is; which piece do you think I should choose? Which piece would YOU have chosen and why?

[cometear]

I would choose the Ballad. They are such beautiful pieces, especially No. 2. I think they are a great way to improve your musicality and technique.

[j_menz]

I would choose the Ballad.

Would you drop all the "E"s when you played it? 

[classicalnhiphop]

Just saying, the ballade is much trickier technically and musically than the scherzo.  Also, the scherzo is overplayed.

[j_menz]

Also, the scherzo is overplayed.

Why would that be a reason not to learn it?  The C major scale is also "overplayed".

[thorn]

I feel that my technique might benefit more from the Scherzo, as arpeggios are something I feel that I need to work on.

I'm sure that if your teacher has suggested Ballade 2 as an option, then there are technical benefits he feels you could gain from that piece too. However if in yourself you feel Scherzo 2 would teach you more, then to me that is your answer.

[cometear]

Would you drop all the "E"s when you played it? 

Well sorry for the typo sire.

[h_chopin148]

Well sorry for the typo sire.

And now we're adding extra E's lol

[thesixthsensemusic]

I'd go for the Ballade. IMHO it's one of the very best pieces Chopin ever wrote and also a very educative piece to learn. It has some significant technical challenges, being IMO just a tad bit harder than the Scherzo's ones, but it is also more compact in structure than the Scherzo, much more contrasting between its 2 different main parts, and, to me at least, a very rewarding piece to learn. While playing the presto con fuoco parts one cannot help but think 'oh F*** yeah!'

[neilmix]

Learn the one that you'd rather be playing 10 years from now. All other considerations won't matter much over the long-term.

[winstonian3]

The Scherzo is beautiful; however Chopin's second Ballade is a unique and IMHO a superior piece. The fact that it is not as overplayed as the Scherzo is another added benefit. Both are not easy pieces by any means, but the Ballade is actually easier than it sounds, and is not much harder than the Scherzo. If you choose the Scherzo, I won't blame you, but if it were me, I'd go with the Ballade.

[cometear]

And now we're adding extra E's lol

sire

noun
1.
the male parent of an animal, esp. a stallion or bull kept for breeding.
2.
archaic
a respectful form of address for someone of high social status, esp. a king.
verb
1.
be the male parent of (an animal).

Noun, definition 2.

[nanabush]

The Ballade is awesome.  I played the Scherzo though hehe...so I am a bit biased towards that piece.  I don't really care that a lot of people gravitate towards it, it has some extremely beautiful moments, and the climactic stuff before the recap is breathtaking.

The second Ballade is special though... I showed my sister (who has a very limited musical background) the piece, and explained how it begins in F major, goes through so much conflict, and ends so quietly... in a minor key.  I kind of explained in simple terms that the ending isn't 'gift-wrapped', and that there's still some tensions up until the last few bars.  She was like "whoaa.... that's spooky".

I don't know, the Ballade is beautiful... the Scherzo is more of a crowd pleaser.  I like both about the same, for different reasons.