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Hey im curios about the ABRSM grade that a piece would have. I'll post the link with the pdf. Its Canon in D. Please analyze it and estimate its grade in ABRSM.
Thanks!
http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=26797#

I don't know if they would accept this for a piano exam; I really really doubt it.

I am in a country where music like the ABRSM's eight grades is spread over ten grades instead, so I might be mistaken - please don't think that my analysis is correct. If somebody who uses AB answers, then ignore my rambling.

It's harder than it sounds because the original wasn't written for piano - some of the things are hard to reach and clumsy on the piano, even though they're pretty easy for the orchestra. With all that said: I would call it "mostly grade 3 or 4, but with some grade 6-like parts thrown in"

It's difficult to analyze because it's a very awkward arrangement. Too many 10ths and unplayable intervals in the bass, etc...

I guess that would make it a grade 11.

I'm about half way into it and i really make gymnastics with my right hand for those 10ths... Its really hard to get them... Can you guys point me to a better/more enjoyable arrangement of Canon D?

I dunno -- I would suggest that at no point in the piece are the fingering challenges less acute than in, say, Stenhammer's Molto Tranquilo, which was in last season's gr. 6. I would be inclined to say mostly gr. 6 with completely unplayable parts thrown in.

Having said that, ABRSM grading is (in my view) often hard to fathom.

Yes, certainly. The original string orchestra version is the best and most enjoyable; you should play piano music on the piano and leave this piece for orchestras to do. Maybe (I haven't seen it but I never looked) there could be an arrangement of this for piano duet - two piano players together could hit all or at least most of the notes, and it might even sound OK - but still not half as good as the orchestra does.

I'm not against arrangements - some orchestra music can be re-written for piano in a more-or-less-successful way - but in my opinion this piece just plain doesn't work as a piano solo. It seems that every arrangement is either impossible to play, or is not enjoyable because most of the good parts got left out in an attempt to make it do-able.


(Please believe Kevin's grade estimate over mine - clearly he knows more than I do about ABRSM's music lists.)

I agree that it's not easy to do this piece on piano. I heard a rumour that it was originally written for organ before being re-done for strings. If that's the case, I'd be interested to know what the organ version looked like.

I've fiddled with making a piano arrangment of my own, but it's difficult to find the right balance between playability and capturing the original feel of the piece.

Exactly. And people who play it, play it because they want to capture the original feel - which means playability goes out the window.

The more advanced version of Canon is about Grade 5-6 level. However if you are more of a beginner you can download a simplified version free from g major music theory.

I am more of a beginner but i see i can learn fairly easy this one;) Thank you any way for the suggestion!