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Topic: Which Piece Should I Learn? (Read 1776 times)

joshua1849

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Posts: 9

I'm looking for a fun, relatively short piece to learn. I'd prefer it to be romantic era/early 20th century. My composers of preference would be:

Chopin
Beethoven
Liszt
Rachmaninoff

Pieces I have played recently:
Liszt - Liebestraum no.3
Chopin - Waltz in e minor (op posth)
Beethoven - Moonlight sonata (3rd movement)
CPE Bach - Solfegietto

I'd love a very dramatic/dark/minor key piece - one that impresses people and is also very fun to learn In the difficulty level of the pieces mentioned above! Does anyone have any suggestions? I have teacher but onmly see her about once a month and will take whichever piece I decide to her once I've learnt all notes of the piece (the technical aspects). Thanks a lot!

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transitional

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Posts: 804

Re: Which Piece Should I Learn?

Reply #1 on: October 07, 2023, 10:11:43 PM

Lots of options here. Here's what comes to mind, pick whatever you want.

Beethoven - Sonata in F Minor, 4th Movement (Op. 2, No. 1)
Beethoven - Sonata in D Minor, 1st Movement (Op. 31, No. 2)
Beethoven - Bagatelle in B Minor (Op. 126, No. 4)
Chopin - Etude in F Minor (Op. 25, No. 2)
Chopin - Nocturne in C Minor (Op. 48, No. 1)
Chopin - Marche funebre (Op. 72, No. 2)
Liszt - Douze Etudes (Op. 1) - nos. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
Rachmaninoff - Elegie (Op. 3, No. 1)
Rachmaninoff - Prelude in C-sharp Minor (Op. 3, No. 2)
Rachmaninoff - Moments Musicaux No. 1 (Op. 16, No. 1)
Rachmaninoff - Preludes 3, 5 from Op. 23

For future reference, this stuff is pretty searchable. I like to go to https://www.pianolibrary.org/ - it doesn't have everything but you can find what you want if you are just looking for a piece. (Your level would be 3/3.5/4 based on the pieces listed)

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last 3 schubert sonatas and piano trios are something else

joshua1849

PS Silver Member
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Posts: 9

Re: Which Piece Should I Learn?

Reply #2 on: October 07, 2023, 10:23:37 PM

Quote from: transitional on October 07, 2023, 10:11:43 PM

Lots of options here. Here's what comes to mind, pick whatever you want.

Beethoven - Sonata in F Minor, 4th Movement (Op. 2, No. 1)
Beethoven - Sonata in D Minor, 1st Movement (Op. 31, No. 2)
Beethoven - Bagatelle in B Minor (Op. 126, No. 4)
Chopin - Etude in F Minor (Op. 25, No. 2)
Chopin - Nocturne in C Minor (Op. 48, No. 1)
Chopin - Marche funebre (Op. 72, No. 2)
Liszt - Douze Etudes (Op. 1) - nos. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
Rachmaninoff - Elegie (Op. 3, No. 1)
Rachmaninoff - Prelude in C-sharp Minor (Op. 3, No. 2)
Rachmaninoff - Moments Musicaux No. 1 (Op. 16, No. 1)
Rachmaninoff - Preludes 3, 5 from Op. 23

For future reference, this stuff is pretty searchable. I like to go to https://www.pianolibrary.org/ - it doesn't have everything but you can find what you want if you are just looking for a piece. (Your level would be 3/3.5/4 based on the pieces listed)

Those are highly interesting pieces! Would you say that Chopin’s Ballade No.1 in G minor would be too hard for me or do you think at my level it’s approachable?

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transitional

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Posts: 804

Re: Which Piece Should I Learn?

Reply #3 on: October 07, 2023, 11:53:06 PM

Based on what you're working on right now, i'd say it's doable but would require a lot of work. I jumped from Moonlight 3rd to Hungarian Rhapsody 2 and it worked ... sort of. It depends how well you want to get it up to - if you want to play it effectively to people that know nothing about piano, or to satisfy yourself, sure. To win a competition with it would be very, very, very difficult right now.

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last 3 schubert sonatas and piano trios are something else

piabanoch

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Posts: 63

Re: Which Piece Should I Learn?

Reply #4 on: November 08, 2023, 03:29:37 PM

i think you are even close to ballade n 1. Try this piece now would be rischious, to play this piece you have some experience with chopin so play op 25 n 2 etude or fantaisie impromptu(maybe too difficult)

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I can't control Music, but Music controls me

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Topic: Which Piece Should I Learn? (Read 1776 times)

Piano Street Magazine:Piano Competitions Flourish in 2025 – A Unique Clash

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