What is Chopin's hardest piece?

[beethovensonata]

I know i know, everyone hates these questions, and claim "there is no answer" But just try.  What is chopin's hardest piece? I'm thinking scherzo no 4 or ballade no 4? Maybe one of his sonatas.  thanks!

[visitor]

[mjames]

The ballades and scherzos are difficult, but they still sound managable. There's a glimpse of hope in those pieces.
His La Ci Darem La Mano Variations Op. 2, Rondo in e flat Op. 16, and allegro de concert op. 46 are ridiculously, stupidly, difficult because I don't see myself playing them even if I played the piano for 300 years. But strangely enough; I'm still hoping to play these in the near future. Damn you impossible dreams!

Anyways, a lot of them are ridiculously hard and it'd be pretty stupid to put a rank them.

[philb]

In my dumb opinion,

Sonata No. 2/3, Etudes, Scherzo 1, Ballade 4 and 1, and the 2 concerti.

And despite it's reputation for being "easier than it sounds", the grand polonaise is a pregnant dog.

[joplinfreak]

Chopin's Op. 10 No. 1 in my humble opinion is one of the hardest. He makes it sound like the stroke of a violin---as smooth as water. Numbers 2-12 are just as hard except this one seems to be better known.

[swagmaster420x]

omfg fcking sexy earrings

[joplinfreak]

Really-----the only thing you notice out of that piece is EARINGS!!!

[nanabush]

The Allegro de Concert is pretty nasty.

A lot of high school students can get through the Scherzi and the Ballades (and most of the etudes).  The Allegro is just a mess throughout haha.  It's not often played, the difficulties are obscure, and.. just.. just look at a score of it, see for yourself 

[mjames]

The Allegro de Concert is pretty nasty.

A lot of high school students can get through the Scherzi and the Ballades (and most of the etudes).  The Allegro is just a mess throughout haha.  It's not often played, the difficulties are obscure, and.. just.. just look at a score of it, see for yourself 

Agreed, I looked over the score again just for fun and I just got even more discouraged. Seems to me that the only logical thing i can do to tackle this piece is to attack in parts over the course of a decade LOL. What a monster...it's like every single technical difficulty that Chopin could think of put into one piece.

[g_s_223]

The 3rd Sonata is very challenging indeed, particularly to communicate the whole extended structure while not getting lost in the technicalities.

[jlskiles]

Ive always said the hardest chopin pieces were the first concerto, 3rd sonata, and fourth ballade.