I would recommend Chopin's

Nocturne in E minor op.39 no.1
Etude op.10 no.3

Can anyone recommend any more great masterpieces.

Recommend for what purpose? Playing at grade 1 standard? Listening? Building up technique?

I know you avoided this question before but where is your doctorate from by the way?

I recommend:

Fantaisie Impromptu (Op. 66)
Nocturne in E Minor (Op. 72 No. 1)
Polonaise in Ab (Op. 53)

These are all my favourites but depends on your ability if you can play them too

Nocturne No.13 in C minor, No.8 in D flat, No.7 in C# minor
Polonaises in C# minor, E flat minor, A, C minor, F# minor and both in A flat
Preludes Op.28
Op.10 and Op.25 Etudes
Concertos No.1 Op.11 and No.2 Op.22

Nocturne in C# minor, Opus Posthumous.

oooh i love this one! im learning it at the moment.
the first nocturne is really nice
and the second ones great too!

FACT: did you know that chopin wrote the 2nd nocturne before the first,but the second one he wrote (aka nocturne no. 1) was published first because they decided it would be a better 1st nocturne!

confusing, i know, but thats my fact of today!

Shall I come up with a Doctorate too?

Same goes for the Piano Concertos, he wrote the F minor one first, then the E minor, but the E minor was published first as Op.11 then the F minor later as Op.22

Can you stop shouting please...I can't hear myself playing!
If it carries on like this I'm going to have to see a doctor to get my hearing checked.

Whatever ANYONE does before they die please, all of you, play Chopin's Ballade in G Minor. It is single handedly responsible for changing my life and making me a much more deep, sensitive and emotional person. It also contributed to my fingers being crippled for about 6 months. It's DEFINITELY worth it though.

I totally agree, I listen to it on the way to school every morning. If I don't, I'm not in the right mood for the rest of the day. I listen to Rach's piano concerto no. 1 this morning. Didn't feel quite as awake and ready to start the day as I usually do

Wow! How long did it take you to learn it...approx hours per day over however m,any months will do. I presume you have to memorise certain passages...if not all.
Well done.
Yes, it is one of my very, very favourites ever.

About 3/4 months although I reckon I only did about 4 hours proper practise a week. The rest was all just me bashing through it pretending to be Ashkenazy in front of millions....
I can dream
Sarah x

At least you got to the end. I think I'd have a heart attack first.

There's something really thrilling about playing those octaves at the end. It gives you such a sense of achievement

I can imagine!! Every time I listen I hear something new. I'm scared to even look at it, lol.

Oh do have a look, its definitely worth it. The openings not too hard and there are some lovely easy(ish) bits such as approx. 3 pages in where it all calms down and the left hand plays in fourths with the gorgeous tune coming in on the right. Try it all painfully slowly, it's still great to play.
Good luck x x

Anyone trying to play this piece could well die in the attempt

It is the work I have performed the most throughout my career - hundreds of times. I could write it out by had for you. It is on my publicity cd, on my website. When asked to stand in at short notice for a sick soloist, it is the first piece chosen to be the programme finisher. I can churn it out at the drop of a hat - have been able to for 34 years.

Still can't actually play the blasted piece properly, mind you Never have mastered the coda.

Hey ho

Steve

The second scale is a killer, right before the end isn't it? Have wasted many an hour getting nowhere over that!
So glad it's so popular though, I adore it

Very Chopinesque

Sarah, was this one of your pieces that stemmed from the "play the entire soundtrack of The Pianist"? Have I ever heard you playing parts of it? *Realises this is probable and will mean nothing*

*Wanders off to Steve's website to see if she recognises it*

Db major Nocturne without a doubt, plus the C minor Etude op25 no. 12 plus the F minor piano concerto and the Scherzo in Bb minor......great fun!!!!

There is a 'secret' to playing this scale.

Start slowly and accelerate towards the top.

On the one-in-a-hundred times it goes well, then hang on in there and enjoy the ride.

The other 99?

You keep going as long as you can. When you recognise there is no future in continuing further, you simply leap to the Bb\G at the top and hope nobody has noticed what you have done

Nobody ever does

Have fun

Steve

I'm gonna give it a go...haven't got the score yet so can't start t'nite.
Can anyone recommend a good score...thereare a few dodgy publishers out there, so if I'm gonna have a go over the next year, may aswell have a good score to go by.
Many thanks !!
...and wish me luck!!

I recommend the Henle edition. http://www.henle.de/index.cfm?lang=en

Thanks for that, I'll go and have a look.....saves me shoppin' around!!(sorry..couldn't resist)
*just found a good hiding place*

Try also

Nocturne 72 no.1

Regards

I think we can reasonably narrow it down to somewhere where basic English is not a requirement.

Does he know what the word 'doctorate' means?...........

Maybe he's from the same university as Professor Blah Blah!! (University of Piffle - see thread in General Music.......)

CD, I am shocked at you. How can you so lack respect? After all, the Gentleman concerned is A Leading Pianist.

Steve

Perhaps the doctorate was downloaded from a website somewhere...

That said, I was asked to add a view, so here goes: I don't like Chopin.

There, I've said it now!

I never met him

Sorry

doctor is latin for teacher.

if you can't do it, teach it. if you can't do that become a critic. but if people insist, mcdonalds are handing out certificates with three or more happy meals - there ya go!



i too happen to be a doctor of music. i hold surgery weekday mornings between 9am and noon and do whatever i can for sick music of which there is plenty. did a tierce-de-pectomy only yesterday.
my ancestors who founded das musikalisches krankhaus in wien helped beethoven out a bit.