Piano Forum

Piano Street Magazine:
Watch the Chopin Competition 2025 with us!
Great news for anyone who loves Chopin’s music! Piano Street’s Chopin Competition tool now includes all 1,848 recorded performances from the Preliminary Round to Stage 3. Dive in and listen now! Read more
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Topic: Chopin - Ballades vs. Etudes vs. Polonaises vs. Scherzos vs. Impromptus vs...  (Read 5385 times)

Online liszt-and-the-galops

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2187
Chopin - Ballades vs. Etudes vs. Polonaises vs. Scherzos vs. Impromptus vs...
on: April 29, 2024, 01:52:44 PM
Between Chopin's Ballades, Etudes, Polonaises, Nocturnes, Impromptus, Mazurkas, Preludes, Waltzes, and Scherzi, which ones generally sound the best? Which ones are generally hardest?
I'm curious to hear what everyone thinks. :)
Logged
Amateur pianist, beginning composer, creator of the Musical Madness tournament (2024-25).
https://www.youtube.com/@Liszt-and-the-Galops
https://sites.google.com/view/musicalmadness-ps/home

Offline transitional

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 887
Re: Chopin - Ballades vs. Etudes vs. Polonaises vs. Scherzos
Reply #1 on: April 29, 2024, 02:10:39 PM
Add Impromptus, Mazurkas, Preludes, and Nocturnes to the list and I'm happy to answer. I've only played several of the easier preludes, the Op. 27 nocturnes, and a couple other easier nocturnes and waltzes, so I don't know if I'm qualified to answer, but I'll try.

Ballades - favorite: No. 3, easiest: No. 3, hardest: No. 4

Etudes - favorite: Op. 25 No. 5 "Wrong Note", easiest: Nouvelles Etudes No. 2, hardest: Op. 10 No. 2 "Chromatic"

Polonaises - favorite: No. 53 "Heroic", easiest: there's many easy posthumous ones, but my guess is B-flat major KK IVa/1 B.3, hardest: Op. 61 looks to be lots of repetition and interpretation, so probably Op. 22 Grande Polonaise Brillante

Scherzi - favorite: No. 4, easiest: No. 1, hardest: No. 4

Impromptus - favorite: No. 3, easiest: No. 2, hardest: people are going to hate me for saying this, but No. 4 Fantaisie Impromptu

Mazurkas - favorite: Op. 56 No. 1, easiest: can't decide from any of the posthumous ones, hardest: Op. 56 No. 3

Preludes - favorite: Op. 28 No. 17, easiest: Op. 28 No. 7, hardest: Op. 28 No. 24

Nocturnes - favorite: Op. 37 No. 2, easiest: Op. 15 No. 3, hardest: Op. 15 No. 2
Logged
last 3 schubert sonatas and piano trios are something else

Online liszt-and-the-galops

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2187
Re: Chopin - Ballades vs. Etudes vs. Polonaises vs. Scherzos vs. Impromptus vs...
Reply #2 on: April 29, 2024, 02:24:11 PM
Personally...
Ballades
Favorite: #1
Easiest: #3
Hardest: #4

Etudes
Favorite: tie between 10/1, 25/3, 25/6, 25/9, and 25/10
Easiest: One of the Trois Nouvelles; haven't heard #3 so can't say here
Hardest: 25/6

Polonaises
Favorite: Heroic
Easiest: Haven't heard all of them
Hardest: I believe Traum when he says the Military Polonaise

Scherzi
Favorite: #2
Easiest: #1
Hardest: #4

Nocturnes
Favorite: 27/2
Easiest: Don't know
Hardest: 48/1 imo

Impromptus
Favorite: Fantaisie
Easiest: #2
Hardest: I don't hate you for this, because I also think Fantaisie-Impromptu

Haven't heard a single Mazurka
Heard only 2 of the Preludes and didn't like either.
Haven't heard enough of the Waltzes to form an opinion
Logged
Amateur pianist, beginning composer, creator of the Musical Madness tournament (2024-25).
https://www.youtube.com/@Liszt-and-the-Galops
https://sites.google.com/view/musicalmadness-ps/home

Offline transitional

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 887
Re: Chopin - Ballades vs. Etudes vs. Polonaises vs. Scherzos vs. Impromptus vs...
Reply #3 on: April 29, 2024, 04:44:01 PM
Oh yeah, I forgot the piano sonatas and waltzes.

Waltzes - favorite: Op. 42, easiest: A Minor Sostenuto waltz, hardest: Op. 42

Piano Sonatas - favorite: No. 3 (but really hard to decide), easiest: No. 2, hardest: No. 3

If you haven't heard a mazurka, I'd listen to Op. 56, Op. 59, and Op. 63. In my opinion those three opera are far more well-developed and mature than the previous mazurkas, and represent the genre well.
Logged
last 3 schubert sonatas and piano trios are something else

Offline lelle

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2597
Re: Chopin - Ballades vs. Etudes vs. Polonaises vs. Scherzos vs. Impromptus vs...
Reply #4 on: April 29, 2024, 05:28:21 PM
Hardest: easy, the Etudes

Sound the best: well this is subjective, my favorites are the Ballades and the Preludes.

I might try to do a more detailed breakdown like you guys later!
Logged

Online liszt-and-the-galops

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2187
Re: Chopin - Ballades vs. Etudes vs. Polonaises vs. Scherzos vs. Impromptus vs...
Reply #5 on: April 29, 2024, 07:58:33 PM
If we're going for general stuff, then I'd say the Ballades are the hardest, then the Etudes.
In terms of how good they are, Etudes overall and Nocturnes on average.
Logged
Amateur pianist, beginning composer, creator of the Musical Madness tournament (2024-25).
https://www.youtube.com/@Liszt-and-the-Galops
https://sites.google.com/view/musicalmadness-ps/home

Offline transitional

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 887
Re: Chopin - Ballades vs. Etudes vs. Polonaises vs. Scherzos vs. Impromptus vs...
Reply #6 on: April 29, 2024, 09:06:11 PM
I would say the Ballades are the best, and then the Mazurkas.
Logged
last 3 schubert sonatas and piano trios are something else

Offline dizzyfingers

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 388
Re: Chopin - Ballades vs. Etudes vs. Polonaises vs. Scherzos vs. Impromptus vs...
Reply #7 on: October 12, 2024, 02:13:45 PM
I think many of Chopin's pieces are extraordinary works of art.  No point in making a hierarchy but some thoughts:
The Scherzos (first 3) are great leaps of imagination, conceiving of a brand new sound and an extremely athletic approach to the keyboard.  The etudes of opus 10 are the same - jaw dropping musical/technical concepts for the 1830's.  I think the opus 25 etudes show, comparatively, a bit more of a methodical approach - thirds, sixths, octaves, arpeggios, but nonetheless great music.  I think the Ballades show Chopin at his most serious - painting beautiful and profound landscapes, touching the soul.  With the Polonaises Chopin was adhering to a form, more so than the above, they sound a bit formal and more restrained to me.  Can't omit the Fantasy in f minor, nor the Barcarolle when discussing Chopin's greatest achievements.

Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
For more information about this topic, click search below!

Piano Street Magazine:
Piano Competitions Flourish in 2025 – A Unique Clash
The year 2025 promises to be an exciting one for the piano world, with the top three prestigious piano competitions taking center stage worldwide. With Chopin, taking place each five years, Cliburn each four and Queen Elisabeth with varying intervals of 3-5 years, this unique clash occurs for the first time ever. Read more
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert