Difficulty

This is a kinda random topic, but i just want to get the opinions of some different people

What order would you rate in difficulty these pieces of Chopin's, 1 being the highest and 8 the lowest etc..

-:Fantasy Impromptu, 1st Ballade in G minor , 2nd Ballade in F major , 3rd Ballade in Ab Major, 4th ballade in F minor, fantasy in f minor, (heroic) polonaise op. 53 , grand polonaise (with intro, piano version).
It would be beneficial to get some kinda order, so people can know a kind of order to tackle these quite difficult pieces
In particular, do you think the Fantasy Impromptu is as difficult as the Ballade (I was wondering since i play the ballade, if the Impromptu would be easy enough) or as the Polonaise Op.53 (which i find to be quite an intense song, hahahha NO REAL BREAKS :x )

Thanks anyway!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks Pianolady-Really! Is that the general consensus, that the Fantasy Impromptu is the easiest! I might start learning it then...
I don't play all those songs, i do play the Op 53 polonaise though, and compared to the other songs i mentioned there are just no really easy parts to give yourself a break, for that reason i find its the hardest song i play. Anyway hahaha- anymore opinions would be appreciated

 

don't forget that "easy" and "difficult" are subjective. One person may say that the F.Imp. is the easiest while someone else could say that it is a difficult piece.

 

Yes i know this is a subjective topic in general, that's why i was wondering what all of you thought, so i could get a well rounded opinion. What is your opinion for the difficulty of these pieces?

 

Same opinion. Will only add, that I find the Fantaisie Impromptus FAR easier as the 3rd Ballade, and the 4th Ballade FAR difficultier than the 1st Ballade. Maybe the Pol. 53 is bit easier than the 4th Ballade however. Sorry, but can't put it really in a difficulty range from 1 to 8 according your wishes. But have to add, that I only played the Fantaisie Impromtus so far and am still laboring on the 1st Ballade, and did not play the other pieces.

The Fantaisie Impromptus is easier than the other pieces, because it is easy to memorize, lots of repetitions (form A-B-A-C) with B beeing the slow middle part, what consists itself of 4 repetitions.
As soon as you get the hang on the 4-3 cross rhythm right/left hand, it is fun to play!

 

Yeah thanks, don't worry about the 1 to 8, i just randomly kinda wrote it. Yeah the 4th ballade is also very intensely difficult especially near the end i would have thought its close to or harder than Polonaise .53. How do you guys think the fantasy in f minor stacks up with these pieces?

 

I haven't played have any of these works, but I do have some advice, such as it is: the piece which you most badly want to play will be the easiest to practice (because you'll enjoy the work) and the most rewarding when you have success. So figure out which of those pieces you love most -- none of us can decide that for you -- and then go after it!

 

Thanks its good advice! The two pieces i would like to start might be a little outta my league, being the fantasy in f minor (i heard that this is one of or is chopins most difficult technically, is this true?) and his 4th ballade. I do handle the technical side of the polonaise op. 53 quite well, but these pieces do seem difficult. But any more opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

I think the 4th Ballade is harder than Polonaise Op.53
Fantasy Impromptu is probably the easiest to play.
I believe Fantasy in F minor is VERY VERY difficult, I never played it, I've seen Krystian Zimerman playing it on Youtube and by the looks of it, I think its extremely difficult.
By the way, just because you can "handle" the technical side of the piece doesn't mean you can really play it.
I suggest you should learn Ballade 1 or 3 before you learn 4, the 4th Ballade is really difficult.
In conlusion, NO CHOPIN PIECE IS EASY!

 

Yes, i know what you mean, handling the technical side of a piece doesn't mean you can play it-the musicality is very important. However, when deciding on if i can handle a piece (start learning it) it is only the technical side that matters, since you can't put musicality into a piece you can't play. I do put musicality into my polonaise -i just said i can handle the technical side of it, because it shows the standard of playing that i am currently at. I am actually playing the first ballade atm, i was thinking of starting the fourth after I've finished the first. I agree, no chopin piece is easy, in fact the easier pieces can sometimes be even harder, as interpretation often becomes even more difficult!

 

I see what you mean but this is not quite true. It is a mistake to think that virtuoso pieces of the Chopin calibre need less in the way of interpretation. The only reason that simpler pieces are somehow harder is that you have no excuses for making mistakes. Whereas everybody will forgive a couple of slips in e.g. the coda of the 4th Ballade.