Am I ready for Heroic Polonaise Opus.53?

[horowitz_admirer]

Before I start I just want to say I'm incredibly sorry for asking this but please don't get angry at me please.
I'm a beginner advanced pianists (16M) my repertoire consists of Beethoven Sonata No.9, Clair de Lune and Ballade No.1 in G minor. I threw myself into the ballade 10 months ago with no etudes and Clair de Lune being my most advanced piece and now my skills have increased exponentially in the past 10 months. Obviously I plan to learn a selection of about 10-12 Chopin Etudes from both Opus 10 and Opus 25 etudes before learning any more advanced Chopin pieces, But do any of you think with my current repertoire plus a few etudes to hammer out technique that I would be ready for the Heroic Polonaise?
(bear in mind I do play other pieces I just don't consider waltzes and Preludes as high level pieces standing up to something like Ballade no.1)

Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this

[lelle]

Difficult to answer without hearing you play. Unfortunately you saying that you play the Ballade doesn't say much about how well you play it.

The heroic polonaise has a middle section that puts high demands on your technique, or you'll find the left hand very tiring (it should not feel tiring at all with proper technique).

I would advise you to play some easier Etudes before tackling the Chopin Etudes. The Chopin Etudes are better for refining an already advanced technique than learning technique proper in my experience.

[visitor]

If you can successfully navigate the pieces you list with a solid relaxed technique (ie that doesn't predispose you to  tension or repetitive movement injury), I dont see why old Fred's Op. 53 warhorse would be any more difficult to learn with appropriate work /goal timelines.

1 etude can be plenty if you pick the right one and really stick with it to squeeze everything you can out of it. No harm in adding another or two along the way.

I'll take you to task on the preludes waltzes (and I'll add mazurkas).

Pick a cycle and learn them all,  my money says you'd probably improve more and develop a better music toolkit for determining expression and playing with details and nuance more so that living with a big old Chipotle Burrito 🌯 size of a piece for months /a year + on end.

But yes play away here's the thing w these big pieces that seem to be goals for many , just flipping try it if you stick it out for 6 months and you're not progressing or to decide to come back later , it's not like it's time wasted .
Ive yet to be less of a pianist or not be a better musician due to time with a difficult work regardless of if I "finished it " or not .

Also what's a  beginner advanced pianist ? Is that like with job listings for experienced entry level work ? Or is it like saying , that's a beginner surgeon? I kinda thought either to have the skill box or you don't ? 

[hmoll53]

As the others have side, if you can Ballade 1 well then you can play the Polonaise. It's different in technique and Polonaise is more technically exhausting then the Ballade's more emotional side of exhaustion. If you are not yet comfortable with playing the Ballade well, then I suggest doing the Etudes (Which I suggest only a few is fine, doing 10-12 is too much of a work unless it's a large goal). The only challenges mainly for most in the Polonaise is the 4ths, octaves and the rhythm of a Polonaise (which along with the Mazurkas to an even higher degree, people butcher horribly).