Polonaise in G minor, BWV.Anh.125
Classical Polonaise Piano solo ~2 min
In brief

This polonaise in G minor blends a dance-like, martial step with dramatic accents, alternating vigorous passages and more intimate moments that require keeping the pulse while maintaining expressive tension. Technically, the Octaves (4.3/5) demand secure, even tone from both hands and a relaxed arm when making wide leaps and large chords, and the Dotted rhythms (4.3/5) call for precise articulation and timing to render the characteristic unequal note values without slipping into approximation. The piece belongs to the Classical period and reflects the composer’s keyboard writing that bridges the empfindsamer style and the more codified forms that follow. I do not have a confidently identifiable reference recording to recommend for this specific work.

MusicCoach difficulty
46/100
Intermediate
Likely range : 34–58/100
Confidence : 40% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 5

Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.

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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Relative difficulty
45%
Among Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
45%
Era Classical
28%
Genre
Estimated skills
Technique
Octaves
1
Technique
Fast passages
1
Rhythm
Dotted rhythms
1
Theory
Knowledge of forms
1
Style
Classical style
1
Technique
Legato
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
1
Interpretation
Phrasing
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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