Piano Forum

Topic: Beethoven bagatelles  (Read 6054 times)

Offline chris2014

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 12
Beethoven bagatelles
on: August 03, 2017, 11:14:38 AM
Hi guys

I was wondering if anybody had a list of the difficulty of the bagatelles that Beethoven has written, in particular which ones would be the best to start on!

- Chris

Offline j_tour

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4162
Re: Beethoven bagatelles
Reply #1 on: August 06, 2017, 07:15:12 PM
No, I don't know that there's a complete list -- Henle, maybe, graded them, but I don't know how their system works.  I think the ABRSM graded Op. 126 no. 4 (B minor, presto) at grade 6 or maybe 5.

I think all of Op. 126 is very approachable for someone about that level, but I had a challenge memorizing them as a series that was helped by reading some guy with the last name of Leather who did an master's thesis on them -- analyzing the cadences helps me remember, anyway.

I have found more recently that the Op. 119 7-11 are kind of cute, pretty much little études for stuff used elsewhere in later Beethoven, like simplified internal trills and some other stuff.  The others from that same opus are cute and inoffensive also.

I also recommend the edition by Vienna Verlag, edited by none other than Alfred Brendel, with some fingerings that are interesting to look at, if only to see his perspective, in addition to some critical notes.  I don't remember if all the text is in German or not, but if it is, and you don't read German, you'll need to sooner or later if you want to study music.
My name is Nellie, and I take pride in helping protect the children of my community through active leadership roles in my local church and in the Boy Scouts of America.  Bad word make me sad.

Offline ianw

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 76
Re: Beethoven bagatelles
Reply #2 on: August 30, 2017, 09:26:31 PM
If you go to www.pianosyllabus.com and search for Composer = Beet and Title = Bag you'll find 59 entries covering the Bagatelles and grades for each of them.

Offline j_tour

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4162
Re: Beethoven bagatelles
Reply #3 on: September 01, 2017, 05:57:51 AM
If you go to www.pianosyllabus.com and search for Composer = Beet and Title = Bag you'll find 59 entries covering the Bagatelles and grades for each of them.

Pretty good little clearinghouse-type site.  Yeah, I guess they're claiming various sources rate Op. 126 between five and seven, although I personally think they're all pretty musically challenging, even if not virtuoso material.

Also, I think they should be played as a set from memory, but that's just my opinion, so that constraint might affect the ratings.

For perspective, Chopin's Op. 28 no. 3 (the G major LH "étude," basically) is somewhere between 9 and 11 there, which seems really high.

A person could spend a lot of time at that site, just looking up random pieces, so thanks.

My name is Nellie, and I take pride in helping protect the children of my community through active leadership roles in my local church and in the Boy Scouts of America.  Bad word make me sad.

Offline patrickbcox

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 38
Re: Beethoven bagatelles
Reply #4 on: September 02, 2017, 09:47:19 PM
Hi guys

I was wondering if anybody had a list of the difficulty of the bagatelles that Beethoven has written, in particular which ones would be the best to start on!

- Chris

See the level of difficulties here...

https://www.henleusa.com/us/detail/index.html?Title=Complete+Bagatelles_158
For more information about this topic, click search below!
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert