I am starting to learn this piece. The arranger notes that this piece is easy basically for a beginner. But I think it's more advance than that. What do you think?

1st movement is easy (I'll probably put it at Grade 4/5 on the ABRSM grade scale to play it well -- Intermediate). Second movement is easy -- you just need lots of patience to step through it (it's long and slow and I personally find it boring). Third movement is harder (probably ABRSM Grade 6 to play well).

One of my favorite "music box" pieces. Always a crowd pleaser.

are you talking about the original piece? it is so called a 'beginner piece', but it is not that easy for those who have only played piano for short time (say, 6 month - 1 year). i learned the 1st movement after about a year of playing, and found it was hard to even get through the 1st page. i eventually did complete the whole movement, but it took me a long time, and was never able to play it flawlessly. Mozart's music sometime causes some illusion of easiness, with much fewer notes shown on pages than Beethoven, Bach or any Romantic composers, while it actually is really difficult to play his music well because every note on the sheet counts.

A former teacher described looking at Mozart's works as looking through gauze. The music "breathes" frequently because the rests in his compositions are all over the place, whereas Beethoven, Bach etc. scores, thick with notes and few rests are like trying to peer through heavy muslin.

When music is described to me in visual terms like that, it makes understanding the intent so much easier.

I find playing simply what is written works well. Sometimes inexperienced players try to interpret too much with his music when none is needed. When I listen to the good recorded performances they sound simple and balanced. Also, Mozart was famous for improvising. So you want to add spontaneity and freshness to your playing which sometimes is difficult when over practicing his music. Think Effortless Flowing...

This is the piece I am talking about.

http://www.mfiles.co.uk/Scores/sonata-in-c.pdf

indeed, it is the original K545 1st mvt. it is usually called "sonata facile", although it is not a beginner's piece. so, if you have trouble playing it, it is not your fault!

I heard that piece recently on XM Pops, played extremely fast, and I thought to myself "Jeez, why the heck is he playing it so darn fast?"
Shame I didn't get who the pianist was.
My teacher says that Mitsuku Uchida is the foremost Mozart player of our day (in her opinion, of course) - wonder how fast he (or is it a she?) plays it?

Mitsuku Uchida is 'she', Japaness origin. i heard her playing K545 on radio once very fluently, which didn't sound too fast and seemed like the right tempo.

Lovely piece but I don't think it is beginner music. Intermediate perhaps. Good luck. It's worth every bit of effort you put into it.

I'm a beginner and it sure doesn't look easy to me! I've been taking lessons for about 3 months (I did take 2 yrs of lessons 15 years ago) and it looks like it'll be years before I play it.

I've never passed the "beginner" level. I really want to at least get to an intermediate level. What's it take? 3 yrs? 5 yrs?

Mitsuko Uchida is a woman, and is Japanese.

I don't have any of her CDs yet, but I need to get some!
My classical CD collection is so tiny, but I do borrow from the library which saves me $$$$.

i read before that Mozart was commissioned to write a set of sonatas for beginners, including this one perhaps, but miscalculated the counterpoint used in the sonatas which he thought was simple and yet difficult to play for beginners. so, the commission was cancelled after the first few he completed.

i guess that for some of fast learners, to become an intermediate player will happen in 3-5 years, presumably with continuous playing/learning. so, just keep trying!

Smart teacher!

I am sort of semi beginner and typically pick nice pieces that I love to listen to, mostly first pages of music like Nocturne op 9 2Scott Joplin Easy Winners, etc. I know I should have completed whole music but it does takes time. I figure this will get me going and not be too stressful. I also listen to CD's before playing so I know how to imitate at least.

Later on I might need to start see some teachers however I have learnt most of them thru sitting in daughter's YAMAHA lessons for the last 3-4 years but never had a private lesson.

Signa - I fully agree with all the comments you've made.

The most difficult aspects of the first movement is tempo and fluency and making the arpeggio parts (18-21,63-66) sound effortless - because that's what I'm having problems with! Even Bach's WTC fugues seem easier.

very true indeed. i actually learned the 1st movement twice in the past, and yet never reached the fluency. sad, isn't it?