Chopin impromptus

[pover]

I just love them! Unfortunately, I rarely see them mentioned here, if ever.

Just recently I downloaded the sheet music for the first one, Op.29, and I have to say it's delightful! Everything from the beautiful writing to the nice counter-melodies, to the flowing nature of the piece, and of course, the lyrical middle section make it such a joy to listen to and play. In fact, I'm considering working on it soon.

I suspect some of the beauties of these impromptus are only seen/felt when one works on them for some time, or when one explores deeper than what can be seen on the surface (which I find to be true for a lot of Bach, as well). To me, some of the LH melodies in op.29 and the figuration in general are just so beautiful.

Are the impromptus in general considered difficult? (I know difficulty is subjective, but I hope you can follow) I mean, where do they lie in terms of difficulty? Definitely easier than the scherzi and ballades, easier than most of the etudes as well, I would say. The first might be the easiest of the lot, I think.

I really like the 3rd one (Gb) as well, but I'm pretty sure I'm not up to it due to all the difficult (but lovely) polyphonic writing. I'm kind of just rambling about them since recently I've been really enjoying them. Even the FI which everyone hates due to it being overplayed is also a great piece when you discard the overplayed factor. The 2nd just doesn't speak to me like the others (yet!).

So, what about you? Have you played any, and what are your favorites? Where would you place them in the difficulty scale (among genres in general), and which do you think is most accessible?

Share your experiences if you love them!  smile  smile

[mjames]

my playing is too crappy to play the impromptus


but I would kill to play the gb one. It's a beauty.

[pover]

james don't you play the op 42 waltz? I'm pretty sure if you do a good job with that, then you can tackle at least the 1st impromptu. maybe the 3rd as well.

[amytsuda]

I've played/Skimmed No 1, No 2 and No 4 in the past, and actually No 2 is my favorite! It's F-Sharp Major, so a bit annoying to skim it at first. For me, No 1 is a bit too pink, and No 4 is a bit too purple, but No 2 is like a yellow cat in the backyard sleeping under the sun, if anyone can make sense out of this. 

[dima_76557]

No 2 is like a yellow cat in the backyard sleeping under the sun, if anyone can make sense out of this.  

Depending on what culture one is from, the color "yellow" can have both positive and negative meanings: The Many Meanings of Yellow, so I think it would be useful to replace "yellow" with something else to help us (or at least me) understand what you mean.

[amytsuda]

@Dima, I didn't realize that!!! By a yellow cat, I meant a happy cat who is so well-taken care of, with nothing to worry about, sleeping in this Japanese zen backyard garden with shaped bushes and trees stones and rocks, on a sunny spring day, day-dreaming about catching butterflies and being so innocently proud of his ability (to catch butterflies), which he can't when he is awake in reality. All positive. Probably I confused you more. Why this has anything to do with Chopin Impromptu No 2, I have no idea, but that's what happens in my head when I play this.

Disclaimer: I have not been diagnosed with any mental illness and am highly functional in my life.

[pover]

hahahahahah amy it's okay to have a vivid imagination Usually I don't picture a cat when I play anything  I think I'm gonna start work on the first one. I've kind of dabbled with the first page and i find it very fun and rich with beautiful content!

[amytsuda]

No 1!  Go for it! You really like repertoires I live for. Post it when you are ready