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Hi everybody, I know this is a difficult question to answer: The most advanced piece that I am learning now is Chopin's Ballade Op 23. Some other pieces I have played before are Beethoven's Op 10 No 2, Op 26 and Op 90, Chopin's Op 48 No 1, Op 10 No 12 and Op 10 No 5, among other things. Some pieces that I really dream of playing but I feel I am not ready to play yet are Beethoven's Appasionata and late sonatas, and Chopin's Op 52 and some of his harder etudes, like Op 25 No 11. My question is, based on my current repertoire, how many years away from those pieces would I probably be, if I develop in a normal rate? 1 year ago, the hardest piece I could play was Chopin's Op 10 No 3 and Beethoven's Op 26, and now I am learning Chopin's first ballade, just to show you all how much I have developed the last year

Your indications are not particularly helpful in providing a possible answer to your question. Indeed, I think that the question is nearly impossible to answer, although many might make wild guesses at a response.

First, we don't know how much time and effort has gone into the works that you have studied and, even more importantly, we have no idea how well you can play them, whether passably or to professional standards. One person's idea of "playing" a work can be at a very far remove from another person's idea of "playing" a work; person A may think that you have learned the work well while person B may think that you have much, much more work to do.

I would not worry about trying to get estimates on "how many years away" you are from the works you aspire to play; I would concentrate more on what repertoire you can currently work on successfully and let the future take care of itself as you progress.

Regards,

Chopin's 1st Ballade is quite a step up, honestly. I love it so much But if you can execute it well, op. 25 11 is not that far off. The main struggle with the étude is endurance, but I don't think it's even close to the hardest étude. Good luck!

Also, don't necessarily assume that your current rate of progress will remain the same as you tackle harder and harder repertoire.

Well let's just say, hypothetically, that I play the Ballade and all the other pieces I mentioned quite well without any mistakes and tensions, but I still feel that I am not ready for the Appassionata and Winter Wind Etude for example, then would it be a reasonable goal to strive towards being able to play those pieces well without mistakes and tensions, within one or two years?

Why are you so determined to have others - who don't know you - set a time line for you? When you are ready for the work you will know it. Until then, keep practicing!

I really don't believe that there is a "hypothetical" consideration as there are just too many variables.