Piano Sonata no. 6 in F major, op. 10 no. 2
Romantic Sonata Piano solo ~16 min
In brief

This sonata presents a lively, jaunty character with quick motifs alternating with more incisive passages, requiring crisp articulation and a driving pulse. Technically, you will face challenges in Harmonic Analysis (3.6/5) — you need to identify chord progressions quickly to anticipate modulations and choose fingerings that support the harmonic direction — and in Knowledge of Forms (3.6/5) since understanding the layout of episodes and reprises helps you shape tensions and releases in performance. Positioned early in the composer's piano sonata output, it reflects the move toward more dramatic structures within the solo piano repertoire. I do not give a recommended recording here out of caution, as I prefer not to cite names unless I am completely certain.

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  • Play — Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.6 in F Major, Op.10 No.2 (Sviatoslav Richter) · Mallard (the player loads on click)

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  • Play — Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10 No. 2: I. Allegro molto e con brio · Ludwig van Beethoven, Daniel Barenboim (the player loads on click)

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MusicCoach difficulty
57/100
Intermediate
Likely range : 51–62/100
Confidence : 50% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
On the syllabus: Grade 6 ABRSM

Official level, taken from the exam syllabus.

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
Combined exam syllabi
Grade 6
55/100 normalised
Relative difficulty
51%
Among Ludwig van Beethoven
49%
Era Romantic
44%
Genre
Movements and pieces of this work

One rarely plays the whole work: each movement has its own level — often very different from the opus's overall score.

Estimated skills
Theory
Harmonic analysis
2
Theory
Knowledge of forms
2
Pedaling
Sustain pedal
1
Style
Romantic style
1
Rhythm
Tempo rubato
1
Technique
Legato
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
2
Interpretation
Phrasing
2
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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