preliminary pieces for chopin's barcarolle op. 60

[glerzhus]

was hoping some people could suggest some good pieces to prepare me for this. preferably only chopin pieces and with a little reason why  .  as for chopin goes i have learned already so far : nocturnes op 9 no 2, op 27 no 1 & 2, op 37 no 1 & 2 , etude op 10 no 3, 10 no 6, 10 no 8, 10 no 12, op 25 no 1, 25 no 7, 25 no 12, nouvelle etude 1 & 2, waltz op 64 no 1, 69 no 1 & 2, mazurka op 17 no 1 & 2 & 4, prelude op 45 no 1, and ballade op 47 no 3.  thanks for any suggestions and if you need any other info lemme know 

[anacrusis]

If you have played all that repertoire well the Barcarolle should be fine. It's not harder than those pieces taken together. In what ways do you not feel prepared for the Barcarolle?

[glerzhus]

i just like to be extra prepared is all. it's a piece that i love a lot and i don't want to butcher it if i can help it. so if any pieces i can practice beforehand will prevent that then i will do that.

[jamienc]

Considering the Barcarolle is one of Chopin’s more mature and larger works, it is difficult to say whether the repertoire you have already learned is sufficient preparation for it. Many of the works completed are what I would consider miniatures that focus mostly on a specific mood or technical aspect, whereas the Barcarolle is a rather varied display of mood and technical application. Not to say you can’t achieve success with it, but perhaps it might be helpful to reflect on the works you have learned and ponder what kinds of difficulties or struggles you encountered with them and if you truly achieved a solid level of mastery with them, especially with the etudes.

If I were to suggest two pieces to help prepare the Barcarolle, I would say the Op. 25 No. 8 since there are lots of moving sixths in the Op. 60 and also the Scherzo No. 2 for its technical aspects, varied character from section to section, and for its size. Hope this helps!

[mjames]

I don't understand why so many people here treat music as some sort of video game boss battle. It's just music. If you want to play it, try it out. If you're doing well keep learning, if you feel like you're not doing well leave it be and move on to something that you can learn. What's the point of asking strangers on what you need to be able to play the Barcarolle properly? We don't know. Even if you list the pieces you've played before. Even teachers can't accurately judge their students' ability to immediately jump into harder and mature works. There are users here who learned (and played it well) Chopin's op. 23 ballade after 2 years of piano playing, and there are users who can't even play it after spending 10 years playing the piano. Everyone's different. The only way to see if you can do it or not is if you try it yourself.

The world won't end if you learn a piece badly. You can always leave it alone and learn it again in the future.

[glerzhus]

thanks for the suggestions, jamienc. i enjoy both of those pieces so i'll probably work on both. and mjames, not sure if you're projecting or something but just because i want to be prepared for a piece doesn't mean i'm "treating it like a boss battle". if you're happy with performing poorly than you do you.

[mjames]

If you can play the pieces you've listed you should be able to judge whether you're prepared for it or not. Don't worry I'm not projecting. I just find it fascinating that a sufficiently advanced player can't properly analyze what he/she needs for a piece, and the sort of difficulties said piece requires. Or at least have the agency to at least read the score and see if you can do it. If you're that poor in analysis and self-reflection, why not ask your teacher? Probably lying about your repertoire list, like most users that seek validation online tend to do. 

Like look at the range of pieces you've selected: from the op. 69 waltzes to op. 47 and op. 10 etudes. Who on earth lists the op. 69 waltzes when discussing whether or not he's ready for the Barcarolle? And only Chopin pieces as well. A player of your level should have a much more diverse repertoire by now.

You're either an amateur and already learning the pieces you've listed terribly, so you shouldn't have any qualms about learning the Barcarolle badly; or you're lying about your repertoire. I don't know why people (including me) give these sort of posts the time of day, it's clearly bogus.

Also getting the manuscript, sitting down, and trying it out on the piano to see if you can do it or not isn't performing it badly...it's just trying it out. This is how actual piano players (at least the ones with agency) function in real life. Try doing it sometime, and maybe you'll stop having to ask strangers online about your ability to tackle a piece.

[glerzhus]

Probably lying about your repertoire list, like most users that seek validation online tend to do. 

  not sure what validation someone like you could provide

Like look at the range of pieces you've selected: from the op. 69 waltzes to op. 47 and op. 10 etudes. Who on earth lists the op. 69 waltzes when discussing whether or not he's ready for the Barcarolle? And only Chopin pieces as well. A player of your level should have a much more diverse repertoire by now.

as for chopin goes i have learned already so far :

not very good at reading i guess. as for why i listed the op. 69 is just because if someone were to suggest it as preliminary they would know i already have learned that piece.

Try doing it sometime, and maybe you'll stop having to ask strangers online about your ability to tackle a piece.

if you don't like people asking for advice then maybe you shouldn't be on these forums haha and to reiterate... i'm not asking whether or not i'm capable of tackling this piece. i just want some pieces that will provide any help with it. if you refuse to offer any advice or dislike my way of thinking then no need to respond. I appreciate any of those that do offer any help very much tho.

[hmoll53]

Try something later by Chopin that is more complex than the Op.64 Waltzes, such as the Berceuse, Nocturnes Op.62, or Fantasia Op.49 (if you don't mind learning another big piece in and out of itself). Otherwise, just go for the Barcarolle, it's more difficult than the 3rd Ballade but it is very doable.

[anacrusis]

The Berceuse and the Nocturnes op. 62 are very good suggestions that complement learning this piece well.

[glerzhus]

thank you very much for the suggestions. i'll give these a look at  the op 49 is a little intimidating but i've also not really given it a look at either 

[goethefan69420]

thank you very much for the suggestions. i'll give these a look at  the op 49 is a little intimidating but i've also not really given it a look at either 

Practice the LH a lot in the piece and you will be fine, read through it LH alone  a lot..

Check out great recordigns by: Sofronitsky, and Heinrich N on YT.