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Topic: What Chopin/Liszt/rachmaninoff piece should I learn?  (Read 765 times)

Offline lucasejp

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In terms of playing I am grade 8 ABRSM level (if not higher). I am looking to learn a really flashy Chopin/Liszt piece, that at the same time is not exceptionally difficult - for example, not one of his ballades nor one of Liszt's etudes. What should I learn, and how long should it take to 'perfect' given say >40 minutes of practice per day. I am currently also learning Chopin's waltz in E minor Op.Posth.
Frédéric Chopin:
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Franz Liszt:
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Offline lelle

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Re: What Chopin/Liszt/rachmaninoff piece should I learn?
Reply #1 on: May 15, 2023, 08:18:01 PM
Maybe try the famous Liebestraum, it should be around the requested level.

Offline lucasejp

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Re: What Chopin/Liszt/rachmaninoff piece should I learn?
Reply #2 on: May 15, 2023, 08:31:04 PM
Maybe try the famous Liebestraum, it should be around the requested level.
Already learned! probably should've mentioned!

Offline transitional

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Re: What Chopin/Liszt/rachmaninoff piece should I learn?
Reply #3 on: May 16, 2023, 04:04:29 AM
Chopin Etude in E Major op. 10 no. 3 "Tristesse" maybe? In terms of ABRSM it's past lvl 8, but I think it should be doable for you. I'm not sure how fast you learn but I'd say it's a 3 month piece - 5 pages long but you need time to perfect it (not sure to what degree though). Or you could try Fantaisie Impromptu if you haven't done that yet. Not that experienced so don't depend on these suggestions, just ideas.
Advanced pianist and beginner composer. The Schubert sonatas are amazing and I want to learn all of them eventually!

Offline danesi

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Re: What Chopin/Liszt/rachmaninoff piece should I learn?
Reply #4 on: May 16, 2023, 06:09:00 PM
Wow, lucasejp, good question. Something flashy, but easier than Ballade or TE… I’m thinking Rachmaninoff Prelude in G Minor, Chopin’s Grande Valse Brillante, or Liszt Transcendental Etude 1 (It’s definitely the easiest out of the set, and it’s definitely flashy).
        Good luck,
               Danesi
Play piano. It is groovy!
Bach-Busoni > Bach-Brahms ;)

Offline mjames

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Re: What Chopin/Liszt/rachmaninoff piece should I learn?
Reply #5 on: May 16, 2023, 06:56:36 PM
I will never get the point of these threads. You know the level you want to tackle and you know the composers you want to play; why not just go on youtube/wikipedia, listen to their ouvre, and pick out a piece you like? If you are beyond the grade 8 then a good portion of their pieces are already accesible to you anyways.

Offline lelle

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Re: What Chopin/Liszt/rachmaninoff piece should I learn?
Reply #6 on: May 17, 2023, 12:50:12 PM
I will never get the point of these threads. You know the level you want to tackle and you know the composers you want to play; why not just go on youtube/wikipedia, listen to their ouvre, and pick out a piece you like? If you are beyond the grade 8 then a good portion of their pieces are already accesible to you anyways.

I get your feeling. But I think it's easy to forget what it's like when you are relatively new and (presumably) young and a lot of the repertoire is unexplored, and you have not yet gotten a good handle on how much time different things take to learn, because you are used to relying on a teacher picking suitable pieces and just going along with it, trusting that they know how long it will take for you to learn it.

Offline pianistavt

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Re: What Chopin/Liszt/rachmaninoff piece should I learn?
Reply #7 on: January 23, 2024, 07:39:28 PM
In terms of playing I am grade 8 ABRSM level (if not higher). I am looking to learn a really flashy Chopin/Liszt piece, that at the same time is not exceptionally difficult - for example, not one of his ballades nor one of Liszt's etudes. What should I learn, and how long should it take to 'perfect' given say >40 minutes of practice per day. I am currently also learning Chopin's waltz in E minor Op.Posth.
It's been 8 months - what did you pick?

I would have recommended some the earlier Chopin Waltzes, "grande valse brilliante".
The Rachminoff prelude in g minor Op. 23 is a good recommendation.
Perhaps Brahms Rhapsody Op 79 #1 ... you didn't mention why it had to be Chopin/Liszt/Rachmaninoff... a flashy romantic concert piece is probably what you're aiming at.

Offline klavikord

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Re: What Chopin/Liszt/rachmaninoff piece should I learn?
Reply #8 on: February 10, 2024, 06:28:27 PM
I've been told that the Rachmaninoff G sharp minor prelude from op 32 is actually not that technically challenging, and it certainly sounds both flashy and formidable.  The op 23 no 5 in G minor, while a beautiful piece and famous for a reason, is maybe a tad overplayed.
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