Toccata from Tombeau de Couperin vs. Movements I & VII of Valses Nobles et Senti

[kategilpin]

I know, I know, this is very subjective. Still--I'm pretty intimidated by the T de C toccata, but I am in fact playing the whole Valses Nobles et Sentimentales well enough for audiences. So . . . whaddayathink? How much harder is the toccata? (I'm really thinking of it because, years back, I learned most of the Tombeau, and it would be nice to fill it out for performance . . . TIA . . . (and, full disclosure, it's taken me close to two years to get the Valses &c. in really decent shape)

[klavieronin]

Only one way to find out. Just go for it.

[kategilpin]

Heh . . . I've just watched 4-5 live performances on YouTube and nobody's getting all the notes right. I guess that's encouraging . . .

[pencilart3]

I've never done the Valses NeS before. I have done the Toccata (in fact the whole TdC excepting #3) and can testify that it is a monster. I've read several peoples' claims that the difficulty is overrated, but I did not find this to be so.

That being said, I think it depends on what you are playing it for. If you are playing it for personal enjoyment, I say get off your computer and give it a try. If you are preparing for college auditions, a competition, or something of the like it might be a thorn in your side due to the near impossibility of hitting every note in a live performance. However, it can be done.

This has not been very helpful.
I think you should give it a go.

[kategilpin]

Oh, that IS helpful, thanks! No, I'm not working on a college audition. As got me into trouble elsewhere here a few days back when I explained my situation, I'm an 80-year-old who's been playing since age 3, but only really studied till about 20, and then once went 20 years without touching a keyboard. I got well and truly back into it 13 years ago, and am working at it harder than I ever have before. I've given a handful of recitals (a collection of Chopin nocturnes, an hour of Debussy and Ravel, including the VN&S), and have gotten highly encouraging feedback. Obviously there's not a major career in front of me. <snort> But I do want to do what I can with the piano at this point. The TdeC is very tempting because I already play some of them--though I would have to work hard to get them back--the Prelude, Fugue, Forlane, and Menuet--and then add the Rigaudon and Toccata. Eee! And I DON'T want, at this age, to spend a couple of years finding out it's beyond me. On the other hand, I generally have seen myself do creditably with quite a few pieces I at first thought I shouldn't be considering. So--it's a gamble . . .

[pencilart3]

The Rigaudon is actually very manageable indeed. Maybe have a go at at that first?

[kategilpin]

Yah, I'm not worried about the Rigaudon. What I'm currently thinking is that I should start with the MOST difficult parts of the toccata and see how that goes. If I can get that, then . . . and if not, well, then, not.

And thanks again for your thoughts!