What is the problem with playing easy pieces?

[Chrysalis]

I don't know if there is somebody sharing the same thoughts but i was wondering
why people refuse to play "easy" pieces.
I have no problem playing these easy pieces (not that i am that good pianist to play utterly hard pieces) but are people afraid spectators say:

"hey i guess i can do that too?"

or something like that? Mayb this all sounds a little bit vague but i know some pianists
around and they just don't play easier pieces, while easier pieces are beautiful to listen to as well if well composed. Other people having problems with playing the easier ones?

I think most people won't even hear/notice if a piece is harder or easier (ok feux follets vs gymnopedie is obvious) but i guess the reason why most pianist think that way is because they think people will not like their easier repertoire?

[sonatainfsharp]

I love easy pieces. Often, I am asked to play at my students' recitals at the end, and I always play something that isn't much more difficult than my best student's piece. I did play a killer piece one year, but that was a special request.

When I come up with imaginary recital programs, I always include "easy" pieces amongst more difficult ones.

I get a kick out of some people on here who share their program thoughts and every single piece is virtuositc--how boring to listen to for an hour.

[Antnee]

This is probably THE problem with many young pianists today. It seems that after years of clementi and 'easy' sounding material, kids are ready to play the hardcore, pounding, emotional virtuoso pieces. The problem with this is that they often fail to realize that the original intention of playing the piano is not to see how fast you can eventually get your fingers to go, but how well you can make the music sing and communicate. Easy pieces are often misnomers because 'easy' commonly refers to the digital difficulties associated with it which is downright disrespect to the composer. The point of these 'easy' pieces is more often than not concerned entirely with the musical aspect of it, while some composer's more difficult works were composed just for the sake of difficulty. Easy pieces are frowned upon because especially in todays piano world easy often refers to overplayed. It would be nice to see some more easy and yet more lesser known works make their way into the repertory...

-Tony-

[xvimbi]

The so-called "easy" pieces are not so easy if one wants to do a good job. I have no problem spending weeks on an "easy" Liszt Consolation, a Satie Gymnopedie, a Mozart Sonata, Chopin Prelude No. 4, always playing around with articulation, rubato, etc. to get it "just right". It's like meditation - winding down after a long day. All this is lost in virtuosic, fast-paced pieces (they have other issues, of course).

To me, true musicality shines strongest in those pieces that have few notes, because every single note counts, and if one doesn't get it "just right", it will sound awful.

I also find it quite astonishing that there are not many "good" recordings of the easier repertoire. There are plenty of recordings of the Gymnopedies, for example, but most of them totally miss the point (IMO). The same with other "easy" pieces.

[thierry13]

In general we don't refuse to play easy pieces because they are easy, but more because we are piano students, so we want to play things that will help us become allways better and better. Look at Horowitz, when he had played a lot of really hard stuff, he came back to "easy pieces", that he played wonderfully. Like some chopin pieces, some schubert impromptu, and other "easy" non-virtuosic at all pieces.

[rafant]

true musicality shines strongest in those pieces that have few notes, because every single note counts

In general we don't refuse to play easy pieces because they are easy, but more because we are piano students, so we want to play things that will help us become allways better and better

I agree completely. Maybe problems arise for someone having a repertory of no more than easy pieces. It's better a well-balanced repertory, combining demanding and easy pieces. Horowitz didn't hesitate to add to his recitals Traumerei and easy Scarlatti's Sonatas, but he didn't have to proof anything.

During my beginner years I refused to play in my school's annual concerts because, as an adult student, I felt ashamed of playing Bach's minuets and Clementi's sonatinas.

But I always enjoy when someone plays such easy pieces really well.

[steinwayguy]

I was looking at the list of competitiors in the Cliburn competition this year and one chick is playing Mozart k.545 in her final recital. What?

[Siberian Husky]

I was looking at the list of competitiors in the Cliburn competition this year and one chick is playing Mozart k.545 in her final recital. What?

the 545 is difficult...any mozart is difficult...

and please..save me the lecture on mozart being mediocre easy boring yadda yadda

[ludwig]

absolutely agree Mozart is difficult, it is so hard to get the lightness, simplicity and delicacy of it right, and all the clean fingerwork.... I think you've gotta have a different hand shape, posture, mind status to play it

and on the easy pieces question, I think people are afriad to play easy "sounding" pieces because they can't play it well! They think that easy pieces anyone can play, and there's a limit as to how good it is done, this is false I think.. and true that one should have a balanced repetoire, I get tedious listening to a Liszt recital, especially if the aim of the performer is to display the technicality of things

[kilini]

I never want to play Mozart. Never could play it well enough.

[whynot]

I once saw my favorite pianist play K545.  At first I couldn't believe he was playing it.  It was a class/lecture thing, so he went through it in bits first, talking about how he had made all his decisions about the piece, then he started over and played it through.  It was really, really unbelievable.  Easy?  Yeah, little kids learn the notes and play it all the time.  But I don't know anyone else who could make it sound like what I heard.  It's a very gutsy choice for the VC competition.  It'll be interesting to see how that turns out!