Op64 no2, Op69 no1, Op69 no2



Can someone tell me what grade all of them are?

Op 64 No 2 in C#minor Grade 8 ish
Op 60 No 1 in in A flat a bit easier , say Grade 7
Op 69 No 2 in B Minor a bit easier again , say Grade 6-7 (probably second easiest of them all)

Easiest of them all probably Op 34 No 2 in A Minor Grade 6
Op 70 No 2 also quite straightforward.

Opus 69, no1 was set for grade 8 in about 1982 (give or take a couple of years).
Opus 64, no2 was set for Guildhall grade 7 not that long ago.

that's odd, I would have thought 'l'adieu' would be quite straightforward. Out of interest, what makes it grade 8, apart from perhaps intuitive dynamics?

Has anyone played Op.64 No.2 before? It is one of the favourites of many famed pianists like Horowitz, Rubinstein... Why?

Well I certainly play it, have done for years, and I think it is one of the most popular, together with the so called Minute Waltz.

Chopin used this waltz in his ballet Les Sylphides, maybe thats one reason it has become so popular.

Well.,I'm a bit surprised it's Grade 8, as technically the 'mechanics' of the piece are straightforward enough, but the phrasing and dynamics of this waltz could let you down, if you don't pay close attention. ..It's such a heart rending melody, one of my favourite waltzes, and i think it was the first one i learnt.

no idea why 64,2 would be a favourite of famed pianists apart from the fact that it is quite popular generally. Also the acciaccature are quite tricky to 'squash' properly whilst maintaining integrity of phrasing, and the middle section is played quite steadily without any excessive rubato (excessive rubato is a big no-no when playing Chopin anyway). 69,1 is a nice melody.

Out of interest, does anyone play the middle section (beginning on dominant 7th chord, with the Db-F, Bb-Db melody) 'brillante' or louder than anything else?

I usually play that a bit louder, and the next time round, not so loud.

Maybe it is because when it is performed it looks and sounds impressively difficult - especially to the non-pianist (but in reality it is rather easy!)