Contrary Motion (2)
Piano solo
In brief

This piano solo unfolds in opposing motions that give it a lively, slightly jagged character, as if the two hands answer each other in mirror rather than forming a single melodic line. Technically, attend to the Doigté complexe (2.5/5) which here requires unusual finger distributions and quick position shifts to keep the lines clear, and to the Indépendance des mains (2.5/5) which demands maintaining distinct articulations and dynamics between the hands during the contrary-motion passages. The period of the work is noted as unknown and it should be viewed as part of the composer's solo piano output rather than a well-defined place in a larger cycle. I do not give interpretation recommendations because I am not fully confident of a definitive recording for this specific piece.

MusicCoach difficulty
22/100
Beginner
Likely range : 14–31/100
Confidence : 55% · fair confidence
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 2

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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Difficulty sources
Henle Verlag
2
18/100 normalised · 2 obs.
Relative difficulty
21%
Among Béla Bartók
11%
Era
Genre
Estimated skills
Fingering
Complex fingering
1
Technique
Hand independence
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.

See the whole progression