Mendelssohn 1st Concerto (Read Scale First!!!!!)

[fred smalls]

     Well guys, I want to learn a new concerto (a.k.a. I ditched my old one) and I stumbled upon the Mendelssohn 1.  I really like it and I tryed it out, sight-reading wise, and it didn't seem ridiculous.  Anyway on a scale of 1-10 (options 1-5 not being there, heh...) how hard do you think it is, first movement only, mind.  I mean expression, technical, everything, I want to perfect the 1st movement by next April. So, Mendelssohn concerto no.1, first movement, including every challenge required to perfect it.  How hard?


6=beethoven 1, mozart-lots, etc...
7=beethoven 3, beethoven 5, etc....
8=greig, saint-saens 2, etc...
9=chopin f-, scriabin, etc...
10=rach3, brahms1+2, prokofiev 2 etc...


Ok: dont ask me about the scale, i already know it sucks, ive never played any goddamned concertos cept beethoven 1!! meh, anyway im thinking 7 on this scale, but i want to know YOUR opinion



(I ask this because I am lazy, and 10 is definately tooooo much work...... 9 too....)

I know i talk too much 
Fred Smalls

[fred smalls]

Whoever voted 10...................................
 

[sharon_f]

Fred,

The Mendelssohn is definitely NOT a 10. If you've done Beethoven 1, then the Mendelssohn should come quite easily. The first movement is not overly long, it is very pianistically written and lies very well under the hands. It is not very difficult to memorize and there is no cadenza to learn. Most of the difficulty in the concerto is in the last movement. It requires an excellent rotation technique and demands some very fast fingers.  The slow movement is absolutely beautiful. I would recommend you eventually learn the whole concerto. Best of luck.

[keys]

I think what Fred ment is that whoever rated it 10 must not have read the scale and thought it was measured from 1-100

[fred smalls]

I just realized how dumd the scale is... because it is obviously not a 9 or 10....

[shasta]

Hi Fred.  In my opinion, the Mendelssohn G minor is ~5 relative to all the concerti out there.  A great "starter concerto."  All the movements are very straightforward; the only trouble I've seen people get into with it is taking the 3rd movement too fast to begin with and then losing control/musicality along the way. 

Good luck with it!  It's a ton of fun!!

[thomasjosey]

Love this concerto

[swilliams002]

I studied the first movement with my piano teacher several years ago. It is not very difficult. I learned it before I learned Chopin's Ballade in G Minor, which I found much more difficult.