Hi,I'm new here,I've just started learning piano for a short period.Recently I've a chance to perform in my school's open day,my teacher told me that I must play classical stuff,however I'm not very familiar with classical music,I'm looking
for you guys help,could anyone can kindly tell me that
which of the following composers & songs is technically the hardest and easiest?
1)Mozart- Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major ("Alla Turca")K.331/Piano Sonata No. 15 in C major ("Sonata semplice")K. 545
2)Beethoven-Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ("Moonlight")Op. 27/2/Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major ("Grand Sonata")Op. 7
3)Cohpin-Impromptu No.4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66(posth.)/Polonaise in A-flat major Op.53
4)Liszt-Hungarian Rhapsodies No.2/Sonata in B minor
Which two should I choose?I've just got about two months to practice,Thanks alot!!

The Mozart C major sonata is the easiest piece listed. The first movement of the Beethoven Op 27/2 and the third movement of the Mozart K.331 are often played on their own and are quite effective as stand alone pieces. Neither of these movements is especially difficult, although the Mozart Rondo would be the trickier of the two technically.

I would leave the Liszt B minor sonata for the moment. Good luck with your performance.

I agree with yok.

The Mozart Rondo Alla Turca is often played on its own and isn't all that difficult, but the C major Mozart Sonata is definitely the easiest piece you've got listed.

You've got some pretty advanced stuff there!! How did the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies and the Liszt Sonata get on your Liszt... extremely difficult!

The Moonlight sonata would be OK... the first movt is often played badly. it's very beautiful. The third movt of the Moonlight is difficult, though. I'm not sure what you're used to playing... what sort of music have you played before?

The Beethoven Op 7 is difficult, as the title suggests. I don't think that would be a good choice at the moment.

Good luck

Oh...thanks guys,the list was given by my teacher,she said I may consider to play those
music,however is it most of Mozart's works are easy to play?

For someone who has "just started learning piano for a short period" (sic!), and who has only two months to learn before a performance, surely these are not the original versions we're talking about. I don't know of any prodigy, child or otherwise, who, "not very familiar with classical music" would be ready to tackle anything on this list with this kind of musical experience.

Feels like a strong pull on the leg, here, or - no disrespect intended - total naivete.

Regards,

[ January 13, 2002: Message edited by: BruceD ]

Sigh...

Well, you could take up the violin. It's one of the easiest instruments to play, as it only has four strings. . .

Assuming you are legit, and yes, you are naive to ask about masterpieces of the repertoire and wonder if they're "easy." -- How about Bach C major prelude No. 1 from the Well-Tempered Clavier, and Beethoven's "Fuer Elise" (probably just the A section). You would be a hit, and if you're a serious student with talent, learning these in 2 months would not be impossible. Of course, you might have to drop out of school to get enough practice time, as you would have to commit at least an hour per day.

That list was given to you by your teacher?!? No offense to her or you but she's a little crazy if those are not the simplified arrangements. And no, Mozart is not going to be easy for a beginner to learn. It is easy to play the notes in Mozart but to really play it well is difficult. Maybe you should try to find the recordings of some of those pieces that you mentioned. I think you would be quite surprised!

So Liszt's Sonata in B is possibly going to be played in two months time at a school function ... right. No offense, but that is the funniest thing I have heard. If your teacher actually did advise that, I recommend that you get a teacher that knows what they are talking about.(I do not see how that Sonata could be simplified and retain anything of worth.)

Note: the "Moonlight Sonata" and Sonata in B are generally never used within a two-mile radius of the other when discussing program choices.

[ January 14, 2002: Message edited by: SethW ]

Musical progress can be made very fast by a talented student, but even if one did learn the notes in a day, the real work takes a long time even for virtuosos! It would be advisible to tackle some other classical pieces that are within reach (simplified arrangments are a complete waste of time) and continue upwards to the harder pieces.

Huh??????? This has got to be a troll conning us here.

Well, I noticed that the Beethoven Sonata Op. 106 (Hammerklavier) wasn't on the list of recommended classical "songs". I really think it should be. It would be a great complement to the Liszt B Minor Sonata. Why not learn those two for the performance. Played together they would be an incredible knockout. All those students with their mouths hanging open. What a hit with the girls you'd be.

With a teacher like this it should be possible for someone who's only been playing the piano for a short time and doesn't know much about classical music to whip them together in about two months. I'd like to know this teacher's name and phone number so I could start studying with him/her. Since I already have a head start (playing classical music almost all my life) I bet he/she could turn me into a smoking hot virtuoso in a New York minute. Wow! I can't wait! Carnegie Hall, here I come.

Niles Duncan
Piano rebuilder, Pasadena, CA

[ January 20, 2002: Message edited by: Niles Duncan ]

Stay away from bith Liszt pieces. The Hungarian Rhapsody is technically very demanding, and the Sonata in B minor is said to be among the most difficult solo piano pieces in the regular repertoire.

Opus 7 is quite difficult also. It's long (it's the second longest Beethoven sonata at 32 minutes) and quite technically difficult; consequently, this would take a very long time to learn.

Opus 53 Polonaise is also technically difficult. It requires a lot of endurance and I hear the middle section is tough to pull off correctly.

I have had potential students who wanted me to show them the "tricks" to playing difficult music (e.g. Tchaikovky's First Piano Concerto, etc.) and skip all of that "boring basic stuff." Previously I have had to disapoint these people, but now maybe I can point them to this teacher. Or even better, perhaps they have a video set, "How to Become a Concert Pianist in 8 Easy Lessons" - it would be a godsend to teachers...

(Tongue firmly in cheek...)

Ryan

Since we've heard el-zippo from Piano_Boy on "his" topic, my guess is this is a joke. OK, ha ha ha. Now back to real life.

Nina

:rolleyes:

My elementary school had an Honors Day for those "graduating" to middle school. Every year kids were chosen to play the processional and recessional. One year a guy did the Tchaikovsky Concerto (calm down, it was an arrangement of the opening theme and chunky chords, and he used the score--didn't play from memory). I got to play the first movement of Clementi's sonatina in C Major, Op. 36, no. 3 and Gillock's "Fountain in the Rain" (from memory, thank you).

It was hilarious the time a girl played Chopin's Prelude in C Minor, Op. 28, No. 21 as a processional. Everybody said it sounded like the class was marching in to be executed!