Chopin Pieces

[zenyatt]

I want to learn a Chopin piece that is close to my technical level, I've played the whole Beethoven Piano Sonata no. 8 (Pathetique), Rachmaninoff Prelude C-sharp minor. I've only played a couple of Chopin waltzes and preludes and right now im working on the op 25 no 1, what other Chopin pieces that are NOT etudes would you recommend?

[hanonanonanon]

I would suggest Ballades no.1 and no.3 as techniques are interchangeable. Also Scherzo no.2. in conjunction with Op.10 no.1 and Ballades you should recognise similarities. Mix it up with Nocturnes op.55 no.2 and op.9 no.3 and you should take great pleasure in your program of practice and play for pleasure. Later, ballade 4 and scherzi 3 & 4, and Impromptus. The more Chopin you play and familiarise the more you will notice similarities and will work out your own approach to deciding which order to play them in. Mazurkas are widely misunderstood but I wholeheartedly recommend you include them in your weekly routine. I'm only an amateur pianist so can't provide specific advice but wish you luck in your endeavours. Throw a couple of the other etudes in the mix for added enjoyment. Op.10 no.8, op.25 no.9 and op.10 no.5 will delight. Good luck

[anacrusis]

Hi and welcome to the forums, both of you!

I would check out his Nocturnes! They are wonderful and some of them should be quite accessible for you if you have played the Pathetique sonata. Others are harder but nothing impossible. And others still are pretty freaking hard so maybe avoid those 

I recommend checking out
B flat minor Op. 9 no. 1
E flat major Op. 9. no 2 (it's that famous one)
D flat major Op. 27 no. 2 if you want a challenge!
F minor Op 55 no 1
C sharp minor op posth (another famous one)

Did you have any particular style or type of Chopin piece in mind? Which preludes have you played?

[zenyatt]

I would suggest Ballades no.1 and no.3 as techniques are interchangeable. Also Scherzo no.2. in conjunction with Op.10 no.1 and Ballades you should recognise similarities. Mix it up with Nocturnes op.55 no.2 and op.9 no.3 and you should take great pleasure in your program of practice and play for pleasure. Later, ballade 4 and scherzi 3 & 4, and Impromptus. The more Chopin you play and familiarise the more you will notice similarities and will work out your own approach to deciding which order to play them in. Mazurkas are widely misunderstood but I wholeheartedly recommend you include them in your weekly routine. I'm only an amateur pianist so can't provide specific advice but wish you luck in your endeavours. Throw a couple of the other etudes in the mix for added enjoyment. Op.10 no.8, op.25 no.9 and op.10 no.5 will delight. Good luck

I was thinking about tackling the 3rd ballade but its still way out of my technical level.

[lelle]

How about some Mazurkas?

[getsiegs]

Which waltzes have you played? If you haven't done them already I would suggest trying Op. 18 or Op. 34 No. 1 since they're fairly long and at higher tempos. They're difficult but definitely not quite like etudes/ballades, so they could be a great intro into Chopin's style/techniques at an advanced level.

[billym]

(New to Pianostreet!) I would definitely recommend the Fantaisie-Impromptu op. 66 and maybe some nocturnes, Op. 15 no. 1 or 2 or Op. 55 no. 1 or 2. If you really want a challenge, try some etudes like Op. 10 no 3 or 12 (both famous) or maybe the Scherzo in B-flat minor, op. 31, even though this one will take a while.

[billym]

Oops, forgot that you said no etudes haha

[lelle]

(New to Pianostreet!) I would definitely recommend the Fantaisie-Impromptu op. 66 and maybe some nocturnes, Op. 15 no. 1 or 2 or Op. 55 no. 1 or 2. If you really want a challenge, try some etudes like Op. 10 no 3 or 12 (both famous) or maybe the Scherzo in B-flat minor, op. 31, even though this one will take a while.

Welcome to piano street! It's pretty cozy here. I would say the middle section of Op 15 no 1 is very, very tricky with that double note pattern, so I wouldn't start with that if I were looking at easier Chopin pieces. Op 55 no 2 is also quite a difficult piece, it doesnt have huge, insurmountable obstacles, but I think you need to have a good grasp over the keyboard to pull it off. Op 55 no 1 is a good choice on the other hand, as is Op 15 no 2 if you are willing to put in some work.

[billym]

Hello lelle! Thanks for the warm welcome. With rereading my comment on those nocturnes I think yes those are definitely some of the most advanced ones . However I chose to recommend Opus 15 no 1 because I thought the double note pattern was sort of in the same technical vein as the tremolos in the Pathetique sonata. (I don't think it is? lol) However, I haven't ever played this one so I'll trust you and scratch that one.
Opus 9 number 1 is a great choice. Hardest part is getting the piece to flow and feel 'free'. It's in the sweet spot of popularity. Really popular, but not overplayed like opus 9 no 2.
Opus 37 number 1 is also a good one to play. It's one of the easiest nocturnes. This one isn't very popular but I'm actually an advocate of it, this one sticks with me for whatever reason.
Opus 55 number 1 is also manageable.
Opus 15 number 2 is a hard one, but it's not impossible.
I would also like to add, the Funeral March movement from sonata no. 2 is not very difficult, it's an essential repertoire piece, and is a great choice as it's got big chords like the Rachmaninoff prelude op 3 no 2. I love this piece and have performed it on multiple occasions.
Happy playing!