Romance avec 12 variations in G, H.226, Wq.118, no. 6, "Colin a peine à seize ans"
Classical VariationsRomance Piano solo ~6 min
In brief

This Romance with twelve variations in G unfolds a lyrical, singing character that is often introspective yet interrupted by brisk episodes requiring clarity and lightness in ornamentation. You will need to focus on Phrasing (3.8/5) — here that means shaping long lines and sculpting dynamics so each phrase breathes — and Legato (3.8/5), the concrete gesture being connecting notes without breaks through careful fingering and arm weight control to maintain continuity of the musical line. The piece belongs to the Classical period and is part of C. P. E. Bach's keyboard variation repertoire, reflecting his taste for contrasting affects within a formal variation set. I do not offer a specific reference recording because I am not absolutely certain of a single widely recognized interpretation for this exact work.

MusicCoach difficulty
55/100
Intermediate
Likely range : 43–67/100
Confidence : 35% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 6

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
74%
Among Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
75%
Era Classical
40%
Genre
Estimated skills
Theory
Harmonic analysis
1
Theory
Knowledge of forms
1
Interpretation
Singing voice
1
Technique
Legato
2
Interpretation
Phrasing
2
Style
Classical style
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
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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