i feel frustrated!

[Sekoul]

ok well im 16 and piano is reallly a major part of my life. i just finished rach prelude op3 nb2, and right now im up to 2 min in the campanella. my girlfriend thinks im pretty good but suddenly this guy in her school plays fantaisie impromptue for her and now she thinks he's an absolute god or sumthin... is there sumthing im missing? i could play the intro when i was 12...

anywayz i dont want to start another show off piece thread... i just want the names of a piece that resembles chopin's fantaisie impromptue.. i thought of his prelude nb 8 or the black key study but do u have any other suggestions? im talking about a piece that has very fast and 'flowing' passages in the high range of the piano... sumthing that could sound harder than the impromptu

thanks for ur time!

[hodi]

lol.. win the love of a girl by playing her piano..my ex girlfriend didn't like the fact that i play the piano at all..


 well.. i think the fantasy in f# minor - first movement - con moto agitato by felix mendelssohn is a very impressing piece, great melodies and in the middle it gets faster and virtuosic...

[musicsdarkangel]

Rach's c minor prelude op 27 no 3 i believe.

La Campanella, when you get to the 2:30 minute area, should impress the hell out of her.
Liszt - Mephisto Waltz


oooooooooo how about Chopin's etude Op 10 no 1?

I believe the piece that I've played that has impressed the most has either been that, Winterwind etude, or la Campanella.  These are all beasts and impressive.

I usually don't play piano to compete, but hey, if it's a girl, go for it!

[musicsdarkangel]

ooo sorry to type again, but if you can play this nearly as fast as Horowitz, THIS will DEFINITELY win you a girl or two.....

Op 72 Etude in A flat major, Op.72 No.11
Composed by Moritz Moszkowski

[Etude]

How about the coda of Ballade #4 

Thats a bit like FI but not like the intro 

[donjuan]

haha doin it for the ladies, huh?  well play pieces from Liszt - women were so smitten with him they swooned when he entered the room and fainted when he removed his white gloves.  Im gonna be honest with you - women will not be too impressed with stuff like Chopin Etude op 10 no 1 or La Campanella, but will go nuts for Rachmaninoff Prelude op 23 no 4 (hey, is that right? yeh I think so) or maybe Schumann-Liszt "Widmung". 

really now, what do you think is it about that guy playing Fantasy Impromptu that makes her all hot and bothered?  Im willing to bet its not the beginning or end, but more the lyrical middle section.

donjuan (cmon, look at my name man that proves I know what Im talking about)

[pianiststrongbad]

Fantasie Impromptu I must admit is a wonderful peice and is very difficult to beat as far as impressing a girl who doesn't play piano.  I would suggest a Chopin Etude, perhaps op. 25 no. 1, not difficult and very beautiful.  Or if you want something that just sounds awesome and not too difficult play op. 25 no. 12.  Also, if you have the time and the technique I would also suggest the Mephisto Waltz by Liszt, this is one of my favourites- though I have yet to buy the sheet music and learn it.

[Stolzing]

I would suggest a Chopin Etude, perhaps op. 25 no. 1, not difficult and very beautiful.

That's what I was thinking of.

[alkanite]

I would suggest a Chopin Etude, perhaps op. 25 no. 1, not difficult and very beautiful.

I third that emotion.

[Sekoul]

yeah i love the op25 nb1 too and i thought about it... but doesnt it all seem to washed up with the pedal to sound impressive? i mean u basically hear the melody and the rest is a harmonious blurr... not in a bad way but maybe if i played it higher on the piano or without a pedal id get a more clear sound? dont get me wrong i dont wanna massacre the piece

[pianiststrongbad]

I would also suggest Rachmaninoff Prelude Op. 23 no. 5 in g minor.  This peice is awesome- it has perhaps the most beautiful melodies in the middle section that I have ever heard in any work.  And, it would be impressive- if you played most of the right notes in time.

[alkanite]

im talking about a piece that has very fast and 'flowing' passages in the high range of the piano... sumthing that could sound harder than the impromptu

Alkan's Op. 76 #3 - visually stunning to watch - and near the end, the main motif is repeated in a high register in A-.  Spine-chilling blistering scale passages that would impress anyone.  Not terribly romantic though.

[Sekoul]

i dont like that one very much... if i went with alkan i would either do scherzo diabolico or op35 no7 L'incendie au village voisin...  i mean if i could get the part from 2:22 to 3:40 on the incendie i could blow anyone away... but ive seen the score and mmh.... lol yea.. i might stick with the chopin op25 no1

[calidris]

Play "All of Me" by Jon Schmidt for her :
https://www.jonschmidt.com/freestuff/all_of_me.pdf

The part where you have to use your elbows will blow her away

I'll second the Rachmaninov Op. 23 No. 5 prelude.  Great piece!

Good luck!

[e60m5]

Guys, guys, guys. You're playing to floor a girl. No Rachmaninov G Minor Prelude here, you're not trying to rouse an army. You want something that's going to make her swoon, and something that will be visibly more technically impressive than the ominous FI (which I am a great fan of). Given that the girl isn't a musician in question, you will want something that looks much more flashy to the eye of an untrained plebeian, which is at the same time much more lyrical, beautiful, sensuous and stunning.

With this in mind, I cast my vote for Liszt's Un Sospiro. Very pianistic and beautiful; the hand-crossing and arpeggios flying up and down the keyboard will make the FI's fingerwork look like child's play to the untrained eye (although the FI's fingerwork is much more difficult in reality); and it simply is a beautiful piece!

[Sekoul]

i love that piece.. but i was looking for something on the side while doing la campanella.... is it as hard as it sounds or i could categorize it as a "minor" project?

[musicsdarkangel]

Rachmaninoff op 27 no 3!!! trust me!!! I impressed many a girl with that one, it is an incredible piece.

There is a constant flow of up tempo 16th notes, as well as hand crossing, many melodies coming out of no where. 

It is incredible.

[Sekoul]

Rachmaninoff op 27 no 3!!! trust me!!! I impressed many a girl with that one, it is an incredible piece.

do you mean op23 no7??

[eugene_oneg]

hmm... You need a piece that leaves more than just a evanescent impression of dazzling technique to match that piece. The FI has that powerfull effect because it has character, authority and beauty. I think Rachmaninov Prelude op 23 n-4 is beautifull but I don't think it is the right piece. Prelude op. 23 n5 is not right unless you want to intimidate her. Incidentely have you seen Gilels on video playing it on a open air airway to russian army pilot officers ? One piece I would suggest is Chopin Op. 25 n-10. But If it was me I would choose Ravel Miroir - Reflet dans l'eau.

[abe]

Try Schumman's "Soaring" (Auschwung). It's really not hard, but sounds impressive and has a beautiful lyrical section, and is pretty fast at times.

[Tash]

pheh as a female myself i can't say i'd get swooned by the FI, possibly because i hate the piece after playing it for way too long. however i really like classical music, so if you were going to swoon me anything flowing and lyrical would do me fine rather than super speedy omg i really feel like being swooned by some pianist right now- right who wants to come play for me?!!!

must say i do like the schumann auschwung a lot, and was quite impressed by it when a girl played it at school last year, and right now i'm being serenaded by the brahms waltz in Ab major i think, but that's on my ipod. hmm depends on whether she just likes being impressed by really fast pieces- i played the 3rd movement from khachaturian's sonatina in front of a mass of people at school, it's pretty easy but i played it incredibly fast, maybe too fast, but impressed the hell out of all my friends, especially with the last banging chords. but that's not really ver swooning. i liked the black keys etude when i first heard it

[Rach3]

Maybe something truly sophisticated and profound, such as a Chopin nocturne or late Beethoven?

[SteinwayTony]

ok well im 16 and piano is reallly a major part of my life. i just finished rach prelude op3 nb2, and right now im up to 2 min in the campanella. my girlfriend thinks im pretty good but suddenly this guy in her school plays fantaisie impromptue for her and now she thinks he's an absolute god or sumthin... is there sumthing im missing? i could play the intro when i was 12...

anywayz i dont want to start another show off piece thread... i just want the names of a piece that resembles chopin's fantaisie impromptue.. i thought of his prelude nb 8 or the black key study but do u have any other suggestions? im talking about a piece that has very fast and 'flowing' passages in the high range of the piano... sumthing that could sound harder than the impromptu

thanks for ur time!

If you play pieces only to impress others, you will get nowhere.  Not only will your performances suffer, but your title of an artist will be placed in check.   Instead of trying to impress others, why not just focus on the pieces you are playing in your lessons and do your best to make them as musical as possible.  THAT is harder than any technical obstacle and that is what I find truly impressive.

[Sekoul]

well actually ive found ur only half right... its true that impressing others CANNOT be ur sole goal, but if from time to time u push yourself to learn something hard for that purpose, it does advance you tremendously. either way, i already know pretty impressive pieces... and the reason im looking for a piece with flowing passages is mainly because that's what i like.. if all i wanted to do was impress people i would just learn FI in the first place... but i wont because i dont like it.

[Sekoul]

ok i got it.. im learning chopin etude op10 no4
i know it sounds easier than it actually is.. which is kinda opposing to what i wanted but i like it so wtvr lol

[donjuan]

ok i got it.. im learning chopin etude op10 no4
i know it sounds easier than it actually is.. which is kinda opposing to what i wanted but i like it so wtvr lol

bloody hell!  you think it sounds easy??

[eugene_oneg]

Sorry I gave you the wrong opus number.. I meant the op 25 n-11 the winterwind not n-10.
It is pretty hard to do justice to op. 10 n-4 in c# min. It is hard and even once you can play it, it usually needs more polishing to make it effective. I have heard several excellent pianists sounding just OK playing it.
But I have a final proposition that should be the right size project for you:

Carnival Jest From Vienna, Op. 26: IV - Intermezzo. Mit grosster Energie

Listen to track n-5 on this perahia recording. I don't recommend that recording particularly but it is the only one I found. I personnaly think it should be played less romantically. Less is more in that piece.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000279L/qid=1104089186/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl15/102-7812130-8524910?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846

Good luck

[e60m5]

...You want to impress a girl with 10/4?

*weeps for humanity*

It's not as easy as you think it is, let me forewarn you about that, at least.

[Jeremy C.]

ok, first off, don't get lead away from your music just because someone can play fantasie impromptu. i was playing that when i was 11. you sound talented and you should put a lot of time into your music if you want to be better than this person. what i suggest is Chopin's prelude No. 1. It is fairly easy, but it sounds amaziongly difficult. good luck, and i hope your problem gets resolved! 

[Sekoul]

lol after much torture today i got off the idea of the op10no4... i guess im back in confusion althought the mendelsohn fantasy that was suggested earlier is still ringing in my head... i cant find the sheet music, and i think it might be a pretty hefty project

[amanfang]

If you go with the Mendelssohn, go ahead and learn the whole thing.  The 3rd mvmt is quite fast and fiery.  Sounds impressive.

[Jeremy C.]

go to sheetmusicarchives.com
they will give you everthing you the sheet music for free

[Jeremy C.]

oh crap, wrong site. just go to 8notes.com

[Sekoul]

i still cant find it:S... if anybody has it could they send it to me on sekoul@hotmail.com... im talkin abt the MENDELSSOHN Fantasy in F-sharp minor
thx:)

[Jeremy C.]

i can only send part today, but i will send you the rest tomorow

[Jeremy C.]

i'm really sorry. i can't find it. is there any other piece you want to learn?

[Sekoul]

lol its ok thanks for trying

right now im learnin op28 no8 prelude from chopin... i didnt wanna go into that because the rhythm is incredibly screwed up... any advice?

[Jeremy C.]

that one is pretty hard. why dont you try either no.1, no.14, no.16, or no.22
i can play them all, and let me tell you, they are very impressive, intermediate to learn, and fun to play. no.14 is really screwed up though

[Jeremy C.]

if you have aim, we could just chat over that

[piano88]

hmmmm.....something to show off with. Well, heres ones that worked for ME in the past.......
Liszt, the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody (though they're all good), the Sonata, Mephisto Waltz, Dante Sonata and Rigoletto paraphrase
Chopin, any of the Scherzos, Ballades nos. 1 and 2, the Fantaisie in F min, the big waltzes, the fast etudes (op. 25 no. 12 proved very effective for me...)
Alkan, Festin d'Aesop (but thats one HELL of a pregnant dog of a piece)
Or anything I've missed that Kissin plays for an encore.
AD

[pianiststrongbad]

You could also keep in mind the third sonata by Chopin.  If you choose not to do the whole thing, i recommend the last movement- it is awesome.

[TheRach]

Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso should do the trick. It starts off very beautifull, but leads to a techinically stunning piece.
You could also try the Heroic Polonaise.
Un Sospiro would also be nice, if you have the time and technique to learn it.

[Sketchee]

Just take the Fantasie-Impromptu and do it in thirds or octaves in both hands!  (but seriously, don't do this.)

I'll agree with "Un Sospiro".  It's beautiful, gives lots of musical opportunities, and you can pretend you're playing it for more than to impress.  Also agree with Chopin's Op 28 No 12.  It has a lot of dynamic changes, a nice melody, the major middle interlude is pretty ... musical and technical all throughout.  People seem to like fast arpeggios.

[quasimodo]

Hum, well, If I were a girl and being impressed by Fantaisie Impromptu, Chopin's prelude Op.28 N°16 would impress me as well.

Now I'm not quite sure this is really a good piece of advice. If you have the pressure of impressing that girl, this piece might be the best solution to get screwed !!!

[Sekoul]

if you have aim, we could just chat over that

sorry i only have msn ...

[piano88]

hmmmm.....something to show off with. Well, heres ones that worked for ME in the
Alkan, Festin d'Aesop (but thats one HELL of a pregnant dog of a piece)
AD

Irrelevant I know, but you have to love the way the administrator of the piano forum has changed my use of the word b**ch to "pregnant dog".......somehow doesn't have the same effect does it, but i'll leave it for the sheer humour!
AD

[quixoticcafe]

Instead of playing the piano maybe you should be trying to play her organ...

[Tony Bennett]

Your'e all going the wrong direction!  Learn something like Misty or A Nighten Gale Sang...but improvise to make it your own.  There we're better players in than me in high school, but I was everyone’s favorite.  It really ticked the other players off too because they knew it.  Good lord the looks some of the mothers would give me when I played at friends homes.  It was like that Dustin Hoffman movie, Mrs. Robinson. 

[jazzyprof]

Instead of playing the piano maybe you should be trying to play her organ...

lol!...That works unless she has pianist envy.

But seriously, either the Chopin Etude Op. 25 #1 (Aeolian Harp) or Op. 10. #11 would work wonders.  Those rippling arpeggios will tug on her heart strings and she will swoon.  There's a reason why harps are the instrument of choice in heaven.   Just be sure the melody rings true.  Pedal expertly and you'll be in the driver's seat.

[pies]

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