Piano help

[bwv 1080]

OK, as I think I posted before, I am seriously trying to take up piano.  My goal is to play the whole of Schumann's Kinderszenen within a year (i.e. I think it will take that long to get my technique there)

So here's the questions

- Works by Messiaen of similar technical difficulty to Kinderszenen?  I am thinking maybe a few selections from Catalog d'oiseaux
- Does Bartok's Out of Doors require way more technique?  It does not sound insanely difficult - would at least like to play the 1st piece and maybe a couple others
- What are the easier fugues from the WTC, I am guessing the C major from Book 1 and the E major from Book 2, any others?

[lukeottevanger]

Messiaen - not the Catalogue, for sure. Try the 4th or 7th Preludes, or the Piece pour le Tombeau de Paul Dukas, or some of the Vingt Regards (e.g. no 7, no 9, no 11, no 13, no 19 - all of these are do-able, but some less so than others!)

Out of Doors is very hard - much harder than it sounds.

In the WTC - well, quite a few are approachable. I'll provide a list of those I would recommend later, if no one else does....

[(poco) Sforzando]

I have no idea how much prior experience at the piano BWV has. If very little, I would start with some of the small independent preludes and some of the 2-part inventions before even considering the WTC.

I would work on the Bartok Mikrokosmos, starting from book 1 or 2. The first four at least of the Six Roumanian Dances are fairly easy.

Messiaen? no way.

[lukeottevanger]

Well, he's asking for something around the level of Kinderszenen, which are not the easiest things in the world, so I'm guessing that his ability isn't that negligible. The Messiaen pieces I mentioned - I might revise my list down a little but not too much - they are certainly within reach of many people.

[lukeottevanger]

Well, he's asking for something around the level of Kinderszenen ...

Ah, no he's not, just read his OP again!  Scrap my suggestions, then!

But re the Bartok particularly - it's a killer!

[bwv 1080]

Well, he's asking for something around the level of Kinderszenen, which are not the easiest things in the world, so I'm guessing that his ability isn't that negligible. The Messiaen pieces I mentioned - I might revise my list down a little but not too much - they are certainly within reach of many people.

Yes, I am not there now, but am playing #7 now, have #1 about 80% up to tempo, reading through #2 and have made some attempts at #3.  

My basic thought is, that there is not that much guitar music I want to learn, and what I do want to learn is extremely difficult (like Carter).  Also there are so many composers you cannot reach on the guitar. ISTM that a year or so of practice (I already "know" how to basically play piano from music school - just have no technique) and could access alot of music

While definitely a stretch for me, it seems like Kinderszenen is a huge leap down in technique from Schumann's other sets of pieces (although I could see tackling Arabesque at some point).  It looks like one could, say be able to play through the WTC and still not be able to tackle the really virtuosic Romantic piano repertoire - true?

Plus it so much damned easier to read music on the piano.

[bwv 1080]

Ah, no he's not, just read his OP again!  Scrap my suggestions, then!

But re the Bartok particularly - it's a killer!

No, I was asking basically if I can play Kinderszenen, what else could I move onto next