Sonate no 18 op. 31/3 « La Chasse » : IV. Presto con fuoco
Romantic Sonata Piano solo
In brief

The IV. Presto con fuoco creates a restless, racing character, with sharp accents and sudden breaks that keep a burning tension throughout. Technically, rely on Connaissance des formes (3.6/5) to identify and clearly shape repeats and contrasting episodes so the overall structure remains coherent, and on Analyse harmonique (3.6/5) to anticipate rapid progressions and adjust fingering and pedalling — concretely this means using release-and-relay fingerings and left-hand support to secure clarity and forward drive through harmonic shifts. In the composer's catalogue this sonata is placed among works that mark a transition toward a more dramatic, expansive language often associated with the move into a more Romantic aesthetic.

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MusicCoach difficulty
74/100
Advanced
Likely range : 66–81/100
Confidence : 43% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 8

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
84%
Among Ludwig van Beethoven
83%
Era Romantic
83%
Genre
Estimated skills
Theory
Harmonic analysis
1
Theory
Knowledge of forms
1
Pedaling
Sustain pedal
1
Rhythm
Tempo rubato
1
Style
Romantic style
2
Tone
Touch control
1
Technique
Hand independence
1
Technique
Legato
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
1
Ornaments
Romantic ornaments
1
Technique
Fast passages
1
Interpretation
Phrasing
1
Rhythm
General rhythm
1
Technique
Staccato
1
Rhythm
Syncopation
1
Technique
General technique
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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