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For those who have learned it, how difficult was the memorization?

That's a question that is impossible to answer in a way that will be of any use to you.

As useless as this statement?

It's not a useless statement. Memorisation speed is an incredibly personal thing and how one person memorises a particular piece will not have any bearing on how best you are to memorise the same piece.

+1

True, but it's rather relative. As in, how difficult is the memorization of the finale relative to other more tonally obvious pieces? I didn't ask "how hard will it be for me to memorize this?".

Speaking of memorizing : it's getting increasingly difficult to remember who you are with, now, another name change.

It's not "rather relative" at all because it still boils down to how an individual memorizes; the harmonic clues in the score that help one to memorize may be less obvious to one who memorizes by thinking in a more "scalar" manner as opposed yet again to someone whose memory is helped more by seeing patterns that others don't see or whose memory is helped by "finger memory." How can one put a quantitative value on an answer to the question?

What, by the way, is the point of the question?

There are too many variables to make it relative.

Example:
-People with different musical educations memorize differently
-Ages
-Pianistic Skill and past experience memorizing
-Each brain works differently...

I do see what all of the above mean, but I will take a different route here...

I think that if one can actually provide a 'level of difficulty' for most rather known works (such as the RCM or ABSRM or other levelling system) and if we can agree that individuals can have different strengths and weaknesses in our playing, perhaps it's not absurd to provide a fair and simple reply to this new guy, with the older avatar, who looks familiar and posts even more familiar threads, but calls himself Joe!

No?

I find that difficult pieces where you have to look at your hands a lot are a lot easier to memorize than less difficult ones.

No, because I don't see it as a "fair and simple" response. The other "levelling systems" you speak of are based on overall difficulties, both technical and artistic; the question here is "how difficult to memorize." I think that puts the question in another category entirely, not covered by overall grading systems.

Grading systems, as I know them, are conventionally - although not entirely - grading pieces according to primary technical difficulties where such things as octaves, arpeggios, repeated notes, thirds, etc. (you name it!) are more or less quantifiable. I don't think that memorization is a quantifiable component, and certainly not part of grading systems.

Regards,

Bruce, I don't see why it isn't relative. I would say it's pretty objective that the ballades are harder to memorize than say... the 4th prelude in E minor. So in other words, the ballades are harder to memorize relative to the 4th prelude. No? Why can't the same be applied to sonata 2 finale?

False...the ballades are much easier IMO because you need to put in the hours to figure out the fingerwork,and you can ingrain the patterns into your muscle memory.

Why all of the names changes..

you really believe that? you really believe that memorizing any one of the ballades is "much easier" than memorizing the e minor prelude. REALLY?!

If I told you that I have had less difficulties memorizing,Rach 2, Chopin's 1st ballade, the Waldstein sonata, Chopin's third and fourth scherzi, the Kapustin variations, than memorizing some tiny Scriabin preludes, or a slow Brahms intermezzi, would you believe me? Cause it's true and you missed the big capital IMO in my original post.

When you work on a big piece, you have bigger issues than trying to memorize the notes, so that works itself out. I've never had to consciously put work into memorizing a large or technically challenging work.

Yes.

Now you've changed your argument. The Chopin e minor prelude is not on the same level as brahms intermezzi or scriabin preludes. I was just wondering if you truly thought it was more difficult to memorize the prelude than any one of the ballades.

Also I recommend you not put such final words like "false" in a sentence you deem to be just your opinion.

Well, comparing the E minor prelude to say the G sharp minor Scriabin one. Or the E major, or the G flat major (all from op.11). They're all one page, slow, roughly the same form as the Chopin. Why isn't that a fair comparison? I'll admit that the Brahms is more of a stretch...

I think saying that something is "false, IMO" is equally valid as "I think it's pretty objective that..". I was also feeling snarky because I don't usually think someone's "just wondering" if they ask rhetorical statements sounding like "u rly think that? srly bro? o rly? REALLY!?"

lmao

I admit I don't know those preludes you mention off the top of my head, but knowing how closely Scriabin followed the romantic tradition in his early works I'll accept that comparison.

Although I could've expressed it in more eloquent words I still remain skeptical of your original claim.

Happy Practicing!