MusicCoach difficulty
65/100
Advanced
Level of the complete work
We have no level specific to this movement. The figure above is that of the complete work: within a cycle, movements often differ widely in demand.
Estimated skills
Theory
Knowledge of forms
1
Ornaments
Baroque ornaments
1
Style
Baroque style
1
Pedaling
Sustain pedal
1
Style
Romantic style
1
Rhythm
Tempo rubato
1
Tone
Touch control
1
Sight-reading
Sight-reading
1
Technique
Two-voice polyphony
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.
Gentle step
The safest next step.
Gentle
Suite for Piano, 4-hands
Mily Balakirev
close skills
low risk
to confirm
A short step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Indépendance des mains and Style baroque — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Gentle
5 Humoresques in the Form of Suite, op. 17
Ernst von Dohnányi
close skills
low risk
to confirm
A short step up, staying in Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM). The skill that will carry the work: Style baroque and Ornements baroque — the notes are not enough: articulation and ornaments follow performance conventions best checked in an urtext edition.
Balanced step
A genuine step up, without a jolt.
Ambitious challenge
A useful leap with guided practice.
Challenge
Suite española no. 1, op. 47, B.7
Isaac Albéniz
close skills
high risk
to confirm
An ambitious leap into Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. New compared with the previous piece: Polyphonie à trois voix ou plus and Demi-pédale — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Challenge
Suite Bergamasque, L.75
Claude Debussy
close skills
high risk
to confirm
An ambitious leap into Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. New compared with the previous piece: Indépendance des mains and Style baroque — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Same level
Same level
Preludes and Fugues, B.302
Antonín Dvořák
partial transfer
low risk
to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Indépendance des mains and Analyse harmonique — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Same level
Fuga à 2 in G minor, EG184g
Edvard Grieg
partial transfer
low risk
to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Polyphonie à trois voix ou plus and Analyse harmonique — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
Same level
Fuga à 2 in C minor, EG 184a
Edvard Grieg
partial transfer
low risk
to confirm
Equivalent demands, still Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Polyphonie à trois voix ou plus and Analyse harmonique — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.
This Sarabande has a measured, ceremonial calm, with internal breathing points that require shaping each phrase without weighing down the line, more like a stately court dance than a lively folk tune. You will need to focus especially on Ornaments baroque (4.1/5), paying attention to small finger releases and precise attacks so trills and mordents stay clean and integrated, and on Knowledge of forms (Connaissance des formes, 4.1/5), shaping repeats and transitions through articulation and colour changes rather than abrupt tempo shifts. Composed in the Romantic period, the movement shows Albéniz's interest in reworking older forms such as the suite while adding Romantic harmony and pianistic expressivity.