Waltz in A-flat major Op.69 No.1
Waltz Piano solo ~3 min
In brief

This waltz feels playful yet slightly wistful, alternating singing phrases with delicate accents that suggest an elegant, nostalgic promenade. Technically, focus on two things: Tempo rubato (3.9/5) requires measured flexibility of the wrist and small rhythmic adjustments — holding a note subtly while the accompanying hand keeps moving — and Phrasing (3.9/5) calls for precise control of connections and musical breathing to shape each phrase without interrupting the line. It belongs to the waltzes of Chopin that were published after his lifetime and occupies the role in his output of salon pieces combining melodic charm and pianistic refinement. I am not giving a reference interpretation because I prefer not to name anyone unless I am completely certain.

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MusicCoach difficulty
39/100
Elementary
Likely range : 33–45/100
Confidence : 69% · fair confidence
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
On the syllabus: Grade 4 ABRSM

Official level, taken from the exam syllabus.

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.

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Difficulty sources
ABRSM (syllabus)
Grade 4
36/100 normalised
MusicCoach curation
Grade 5
44/100 normalised
MusicCoach consensus
42.0
42/100 normalised
Relative difficulty
8%
Among Frédéric Chopin
32%
Era
27%
Genre
Estimated skills
Interpretation
Phrasing
2
Rhythm
Tempo rubato
2
Style
Character and style
1
Technique
Legato
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
1
Ornaments
Romantic ornaments
1
Style
Romantic style
1
What to play next?

Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.

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