Program feedback

[stevea]

Hi everyone-

I just had this idea for a program. What do you think?


Brahms  Rhapsody in G minor

Brahms  Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118 No. 2

Beethoven  Tempest Sonata

-intermission-

Bach  "The Great" Prelude in Fugue in A minor, trans. Liszt

Mozart  Gigue in G major

Mozart  Fantasia in F minor for Mechanical Organ K. 608, trans. Busoni for two pianos


Not to oversimplify, but the first half is sort of piano as orchestra (since Brahms and Beethoven often treat the piano orchestrally), and the second half is piano as organ (since they're all organ transcriptions or reductions). And each half has two larger minor pieces broken up by shorter major ones. For the Mozart Fantasia, I'll be doing some editing of Busoni's transcription based on the original score--Lupu and Perahia did this and it works much better.

Do you think this works?  Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

- Steve

[dnephi]

Honestly, I don't think so. 

The Brahms pieces don't really sound orchestral, awkward though, they may be.  If you really wanted that full, orchestral style.  I also don't see it as a good program opener.

As far as the Beethoven goes, it is orchestral in style.  Personally, I've never really appreciated the sonata, but it would be a great opening piece.

The organ half of the program seems rather random as well.  The Bach would work as a great opener but it would also be an excellent closing piece-much more effective than the Mozart.  Do you have another pianist and piano to play the second part?

Good luck,

Daniel

[slobone]

Usually people put the lighter stuff in the first half and the heavier stuff at the end, possibly closing with an ultra-fun encore. If you switched the two halves it would be better I think.

I'm not clear -- are  you playing the Mozart Fantasia by yourself? Or is somebody else going to join you?

[stevea]

Yeah, the Brahms isn't really orchestral. It was too broad of a generalization.  I guess it's more that I think Beethoven and Brahms work together, and sometimes do treat the piano orchestrally. Yes, the Mozart will be played on two pianos, which is why I think it work well last. And it has a fiery ending.

So keeping the Beethoven and Mozart, any suggestions on pieces/structure for completing the program? Love that Bach/Liszt, and those Brahms, but could save them for another time. Maybe the Brahms Op. 117 with the Beethoven? Maybe something modern before the Mozart? It's lit. I wish I knew better (tonal required).

Thanks for the feedback--I don't have a lot of experience putting programs together, although I really enjoy it.

- Steve