What level is Chopin’s polonaise no, 6 (heroic)

[romanticperiod]

I have a quick question, can anyone tell what level Chopin’s polonaise no. 6 in A-Flat major “heroic” op. 53 is? I’ve searched for it online but I can’t find the answer. Thanks 😊

[dogperson]

RCM Grade 11

Source: pianosyllabus.com

[lelle]

I don't know the level system but it's a high level piece for sure. It requires a virtuoso technique to play really well. You can be below virtuoso level and manage most of it but you may face many difficulties in that case.

Henle lists it as difficulty 8 out of 9 levels. https://www.henle.de/us/detail/?Title=Polonaise+As-dur+op.+53_960

Here is their explanation of their difficulty system: https://www.henle.de/us/about-us/levels-of-difficulty-piano/

[harold d. shores iii]

That's a good question.  I've never thought about the levels of different pieces.  I'm curious though, would you not learn a piece if it is classified at a level that you think is too high for you??

[sy.copper]

It's in the Trinity LTCL Diploma list, which is decently advanced. I have been practicing it recently (it just took me about a bit less than a month to be able to play it decently well (recital level)), so let me just list out some of the difficult components of the Polonaise below.

Difficulties:
- Large intervals (octaves etc., especially the passage in the middle of the piece)
- High speed
- Length (and volume), endurance

To me, it's slightly harder compared to other songs in the same genre, but it's not the MOST difficult. I would consider Liszt's "La Campanella" etude harder, but Chopin's "Winter Wind" etude easier. The most difficult part of this piece, I would say, would be the middle, where the famous octave passage is. But if you have a decently supple, strong wrist and fingers that can reach a bit over an octave, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

Hope this helps to answer your question!

[nightwindsonata]

"To me, it's slightly harder compared to other songs in the same genre, but it's not the MOST difficult. I would consider Liszt's "La Campanella" etude harder, but Chopin's "Winter Wind" etude easier. The most difficult part of this piece, I would say, would be the middle, where the famous octave passage is. But if you have a decently supple, strong wrist and fingers that can reach a bit over an octave, it shouldn't be much of a problem."

Huh, I would think the Winter Wind would be much more taxing and dangerous to play (but what do I know, I haven't played either yet). 

I actually think the Heroic Polonaise is quite doable, the only really dangerous section is the octave passage in the middle, which as stated above requires a really supple wrist to pull off. Still, it's not as intense as some octave passages (cough cough liszt hungarian rhapsody 6), and the piece really just requires a lot of practice to nail the jumps in the opening and closing sections. Also, metronome practice is paramount ... I have seen this piece butchered by intermediate pianists who did not even realize how much they had distorted it ...

[lelle]

To me, La Campanella is way harder to pull off (i e I can't) than Winter Wind, which I have played in the past, though not to a standard where I would feel safe playing it to an audience. But I guess different people hae different challenges? To me, the leaps and repeated notes in La Campanella is way more difficult than fast fingery stuff.

[nightwindsonata]

Oh I'm not disagreeing with you! I am pretty reluctant to compare the difficulty of music by Chopin and music by Liszt, though, because their styles are very different and ask for very different things from the pianist--ie, my teacher always quotes Rubenstein along the lines that everyone thinks you have to be a great technician to play Liszt, but really the technique usually comes fairly naturally (with practice) and the real challenge lies in divining beautiful music from the sometimes repetitive or straightforward textures; while Chopin and Brahms are the opposite: the melodies are very beautiful and easy to access, but to really pull the piece off well in its entirety requires a technical mastery and attention to detail that makes it much more difficult in this respect. That said, La Campanella is horrifically difficult and I haven't had the courage to pick it up yet ... 

[sy.copper]

Huh, I would think the Winter Wind would be much more taxing and dangerous to play (but what do I know, I haven't played either yet). 

It only took me around 2-3 weeks to learn the entire "Winter Wind" Chopin etude. It mainly focuses on the agility of your fingers and how long you can play loud and fast at the same time.

[nightwindsonata]

This is true. Winter Wind IS on my list of Etudes to learn, right after I finish Op. 10 No. 4 ...

[mjames]

Out of all the difficult and large scale works by Chopin, it's definitely one of the doable ones.

[lelle]

Out of all the difficult and large scale works by Chopin, it's definitely one of the doable ones.

The octaves in the middle section can be a real problem though. They can be rather merciless if your technique is not there yet (speaking from experience).