Objective of playing Ballade no 1

[fredchopin]

Hello all piano lovers,

I am a 14 year old who has without exaggeration mastered Fantaisie impromptu, Revolutionary Etude and the Black Key etude. My question to all of you is what pieces I should play for the next two years, so I can approach the Ballade no 1 in Secondary 5 (16-17 years old in Canada). I am willing to hold back from learning it for the next 2 years, so I'll be able to play is quite well.

Ps. I have gotten by collegial II certificate from McGill conservatory of music so my teacher doesn't mind if I play something as simple as Waltz op 64 no 2 or something as complex as La Campanella.

My current plan is to play op 25 no 12 then op 25 no 5 then op 25 no 9 and op 10 no 10. After theses etudes then I'll think of attempting the Ballade, but I'm open to suggestions.

[dogperson]

Don’t you think you should ask your teacher what repertoire would be best?  No one here knows your strengths and weaknesses

[justapianoplayer123]

I agree with dogperson.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Start with the coda (Presto con fuoco). If you can handle it, you'll be fine. It presents more advanced and physical challenges than the rest of the piece.

[quantum]

If you are thinking about entering a university music program, I would suggest thinking about the music you would want to use for audition.  You can save yourself a lot of time by choosing pieces that are of interest to you this moment, and as well can serve as audition pieces down the road.  Working on your audition rep now will give more time for the pieces to settle in.

Agree with ronde, try it.  It's the only way you know if you are ready. 

[fredchopin]

I do not plan to engage into a university music program

[quantum]

If you are just playing for personal enjoyment, you have a lot more freedom to choose your repertoire. 

Just prepare yourself for some new challenges in the Ballade, not all of them are technical challenges.  The etudes can build technique, but there are many things you won't encounter until you actually study a large scale work. 

[chopins_piano]

Hey would you look at that! I'm also 14! 
At first, learning this Ballade was way over my head and I thought I could not get this piece down in a thousand million years. But despite that, I took the repertoire to my teacher, and made myself to persist through the piece, never allowing myself to give up.
Well, because of that, I have come close to mastering it in just 7 months! So moral of the story is, if you believe in yourself and have the passion, you can play anything anytime. I actually recommend you start now so that you can continue to polish the piece throughout your career.
btw, I didn't play an etude or anything before to polish up technical skills, so it is just a matter of how much you are willing to put into this piece.

I wish you the best of luck! 

[fredchopin]

Hey would you look at that! I'm also 14! 
At first, learning this Ballade was way over my head and I thought I could not get this piece down in a thousand million years. But despite that, I took the repertoire to my teacher, and made myself to persist through the piece, never allowing myself to give up.
Well, because of that, I have come close to mastering it in just 7 months! So moral of the story is, if you believe in yourself and have the passion, you can play anything anytime. I actually recommend you start now so that you can continue to polish the piece throughout your career.
btw, I didn't play an etude or anything before to polish up technical skills, so it is just a matter of how much you are willing to put into this piece.

I wish you the best of luck! 

A few questions, before playing the ballade what pieces did you play and how did you manage the Coda.

[dogperson]

I highly recommend reading this book—- as the author took lessons from many renowned pianists to learn it and there  are detailed notes included

https://www.amazon.com/Play-Again-Amateur-Against-Impossible/dp/0374232911/ref=nodl_

[chopins_piano]

A few questions, before playing the ballade what pieces did you play and how did you manage the Coda.

I didn't play pieces that were too technically demanding before the ballade, just some Chopin waltzes and Mozart concertos. For the coda and any part of the ballade, it is REALLY important to practice slowly. Once you get the notes really deep into muscle memory, you can start speeding it up. And believe it or not, it comes quite easily.