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As an intermediate I find myself jealously guarding every newly learned piece as I want to build as much of a repertoir as I can. So I spend a lot of time polishing/maintaining older material. The downside to this is it can sometimes feel like a chore.

On the other hand, there's plenty of music that never fails to be fun. If I had to drop everything I've learned to this point except for one piece, I think I'd keep Chopin's op 64/2, a truly magnificent waltz. All three sections are beyond lovely, and at my level they're always enough of a challenge they can never be boring. I never fail to play this without feeling the most profound gratitude just to be alive...

Anyone else want to pick just one piece???

No, I wanna talk about that one.

I'm playing it now. It's a piece that is regarded as so commonplace that if you're fairly advanced, you start ignoring it, and then maybe you sort of forget about it. I picked it up recently for a competition where you "had to" play a Chopin waltz, and loved it all over again. And it turned out that lots of people had the same idea. It was the most-played waltz at the event, by far, and it was great to hear so many performances of it.

You said it well -- everything about it is great. And you can keep finding new ways to play it.

I get such a thrill out of playing Bach. The sometimes weird things the hand must do to pull off all the counterpoint is very addictive. Just having all the lines to listen to keeps the interest for a long time. I just love when it all comes together into a rich tapestry!

...To narrow it down into one piece... Probably the most recent piece I've been working on

Sinfonia 15 in bm, I love shaking those arpeggios out of the sleeve and blending the different rhythmic layers. I think this is also a very accessible piece: driving rhythmic patterns, explicit harmonic framework, a short melodic motif, and the flashyness of playing those 32nds as quickly and cleanly as possible

That particular Chopin Waltz has a mix of everything. Plus the Piu mosso part is a blast as its not really regulated by a tempo and basically just accelerate until you get to the end. It's like full throttle from a red light and then slamming on the brakes for the piu lento section in a nice italian sports car.

I love fast pieces that go full throttle until the end. Haydn Hob VI/46 3rd movement is a blast to play every time. It's not the most profound, but it's sure lots of fun.

I always enjoy playing Liebestraum because of the jumps in the middle section.

That would be an unusual way of playing it -- which doesn't mean it's not OK, but it sounds like you're saying that's a common way of playing it. I don't think I've ever heard it done, and I don't think it's a particularly good idea.

But I'm gonna try it.

haha, awesome.

Search around youtube, this occurs, the piu mosso part definitely has some pacing leniency.

Chopin's 3rd Ballade for me... I started it last spring and it's hard to stay away from it sometimes! (Yeah, I'm pretty undisciplined )

I agree with Mark. The second half of this section is often played faster and/or with different articulation than the first half, but I don't think many, if any, performances are played with an accelerando until you get to the end(not the same as "some pacing leniency"). Some play the very beginning of each half of this section slower than the rest.

# 17 opus posthumous (?). a rollicking waltz in E flat major..


I don't know how to translate the opus number (it is near the back of my Henle edition.)

it is sooo much fun. .. just a dancing blast. here is a gentle rendition.. i prefer to reeeaaally rollick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ5YSAnwE9A&feature=related

1RC, that's my favourite Sinfonia to listen to. I'm planning on learning it when I'm done with French Suite #5.

I think my all time favourite piece to play is Chopin's Waltz in b minor, op.69 #2. I learnt it several years ago and I haven't stopped loving it yet.

Hard to pick just one.

I enjoy the lilting playing of Schumann's Arabeske.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO-p8YKfSD4

I'm very happy to hear others share my feelings about 64/2. One great thing about this piece is that it's helped me technically. My philosophy has been not to use my limited practice time (nagging injuries, not time per se actually) to play repertoire exclusively instead of technical exercises, on the hopeful theory that well chosen music will advance my cause in that area sufficiently well.

The Piu mosso section has helped me with my speed, and those difficult grace note measures in the "A" section have helped me as well. I'm embarrassed to say how difficult I found those in the beginning. It literally took me months to feel really confident and fluent. Now I just love playing them.

What I'd really love to do with the Piu mosso is to get nimble enough to play those descending "thumb" notes to make that really cool sounding little melody on the way out.

I think I'll also add 17/4 is almost or even more pleasurable to play, though it's new to me so can't say for sure how well it will wear.

But in general, I fall head over heels for music that in my view borders on staggering beauty that is also accessible to these intermedate fingers. I'm very grateful to Chopin for writing music like that, stuff that's playable by the common man :>)

Yes -- with sort of a "hesitant" start. (I'm guessing that's what you mean.)

I don't like that approach as much for some reason,though it's a small matter. Check out Rach's,if you like speed :>), specially the last time around where I get the feeling he's showing off a bit. heck, I would too :>)

The shading in the first section is too good for words..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDP5rOTpZBg

Lily, that's a wonderful piece of music.If I could play it, it would be one of my favorites too :>)

The last movement of the Ginastera 1st Sonata, once you get the hang of it, is an absolute blast to play. What I can play of the 2nd Sonata's last movement is just as thrilling, but it's bone-crushingly difficult.

If I just want to sit down and have fun playing something, I pull out Chopin's Second Scherzo. I've never spent the time to perfect it, but I enjoy it so much that I can play it at the drop of a hat.

Rach Op. 23 No.5 - devilishly fun.

Yes -- and he does do basically what Rui said!

I don't think I'd do it that way even if I could. But that's easy to say, because I can't.