OK, this question is for people who have actually played or have useful advice one or more of these three songs:
The Hut on Fowl`s Legs (Mussourgsky)
Diabolic Suggestion (Prokofiev)
La Campanella (Liszt)

I`ve looked at and played a bit from all three, and all of them look difficult, but I`m gonna start working on one of them. Don`t tell me they are way too hard for me, because I can already play like a half of the right hand for La Campanella (Theme and variations except for 32nd notes, SO FAR) and can play the finale left and right hand. So, number 1, which is easiest and do you have any tips on them. If you have anymore questions on like what I`ve already done on the pieces or just questons in general, post `em.

Oh, and my piano repertoire is Rondo Alla Turca, Aufschwung, and Moonlight Sonata (Those are all the big pieces) but I`m far above Alla Turca and Moonlight by now. I`m on or above Aufschuwng, but I`m moving along skill levels at a breakneck pace. I dunno if this would help but I have a handspan of 9 keys (C-E), am 13 and have taken lessons for 2 years.

Thanks a LOT

First of all, as a fellow thirteen year old, i commmend you and tell you that i know how hard picking the right song can be. Second of all, i would suggest that for right now you stay away from prokofievin general. People will be angry at me because of that, but my teacher made me spend a whole year on the 20 vision fugitives and i damn near almost killed myself.

The easier of the remaining 2 is clearly the cabin on chicken`s legs. For that one, just practice it slow and start to speed up. It is not a difficult song at all.

La Campanella. Memories. The killer here is the fingering. You say that you span nine fingers. I have big hands for my age and can reach 12 fingers width if i`m feeling motivated. For this song, you need to practice rolling your wrist from side to side when you go back and forth between the wide keys. The feeling should remind you of what you had to do with your wrist in the third movement of the moonlight (you did do the third, right?).

Good luck and i hope that this info helps.

Sincerely, the eternal bobbo

btw, the muggoursky piece can be called either of the 2 names. the one that i got is titled cabin on chickens legs. stupid translation from russian. argh.

Thanks, most of Diabolic Suggestion looked like I could do it, it`s just a bunch of chords moving around, and that`s no biggie. But there`s a bit of really intense moving up and down the keyboard and it does look just a bit over my head. The hut on hens legs just looks like it requires very fast triplets and a LOT of endurance and some accuracy for the endless octaves. Not to mention some strength for the ff dynamics. La Campanella I can already play all but one of the theme and variations (I think), so the moving the wrist I don`t have a problem with. Besides, practice can easily fix that. No, I didn`t play Moonlight Sonata Movement #3 (not yet). I love the piece but I`m still working on my endurance, as I only started exercises recently. I can play a bit of it but not much. About the hand span thing, I can stretch to a 10th but 9th is what I can get at a medium fast tempo. I don`t know if I`ll stay away from all Profofiev, (Montagues and Capulets is irrestiable) but I`ll put Diablic Suggestion away for a few months.

The reason why I`m going after these hard pieces is that I always like to have 1 or 2 pieces that really challenge my ability at a time. Then I like to have 1 or 2 pieces that are on or below my level like some Chopin Preludes.

Any other tips or questions just let me know.

yeah, prokofiev, by all means, is a wonderful composer who brought an enrtirely new spin to modern music. if you want to try something by him, try his second concerto. kind of a challange, but you seem fairly competent

sincerely, the eternal bobbo

Sorry, but my skills are no where near concerto form (And defintely not Prokofiev`s 2nd). As I said, only 2 years of piano lessons and only 13, and add that to a hugely busy schedule (I have to cram piano in with Extra GT math and Wrestling and Rugby and I have a problem with staying focused so I waste time) and you have a kid that won`t be doing concerto for a while, but I`m going to start attending Peabody in a few weeks, and I`m moving along speedily, so maybe in my future I can get some really hard stuff. But as I said I started piano kinda late so my skills aren`t that great, so I`m trying to hurry along a bit. Pretty much as fast as I can go without pushing my technicality level past my expression level. I mean, i fantasize about being able to play Revolutionary Etude, Ballad in Gm or Heroic Polonaise in the near future but it would be horrible to play these fantastic pieces without emotion. So I think that I`m gonna hafta settle for one of the previously mentioned 3 for now.

bobboeternal,

lol you have a hilarious translation on your music! `cabin on chickens legs.` lmao isn`t the hut called baba-yaga anyway? whatever it makes me laugh.

okay..i think cool dude is losin his cool but i will agree witht the fact that they are called pieces not songs but no biggie..u remind me so much of me...i did waayy too many things aside from piano..and i had a very late start...and learned at a very fast pace..but revolutionary isnt technically as hard as la campanella...the Schumann Aufschwang is nice..you should try playn all the pieces in that opus. oh..and when playing a sonata..just make sure you play the whole thing..and yes...prokofiev`s famous concerto that he wrote for his friend is too hard for you(thats just from what i read..ive never heard you play)...and make sure u bring out the melody of la campanella..not the top bell...

Well, as I am already in Panel in CM, I guess that I can be of some help. The Lizt one is definitely harder, as the composer seems to have had hands the size of Massachusetts, so I suggest Prokofiev first. You can progress from there.

lmao...you are wrong by the way..he didnt have hands as big as Massachussetts.....they were as big as the whole New England region..i cant believe u didnt know that...jk..oh..and which prokofiev are u suggesting?..i hope u mean the diabolique suggestions..cuz that second piano concerto in my opinion is harder than la campanella