Recital progam

[stevea]

Hi all,

I'm new here, and have thoroughly enjoyed reading many great posts on this forum.  I was wondering if you all could provide some feedback on a recital program that I've put together (I'm just starting the work, although I've been working on the polonaise for a couple months now)...


Brahms
Rhapsody in B minor, Op. 79  No. 1
Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118 No. 2

Three Gigues
Bach, Gigue in G major from French Suite No. 5, BWV 816
Brahms, Gigue in A minor, WoO posth. 4 No. 1
Mozart, Gigue in G major, K. 574

Mozart
Rondo in A minor, K. 511

Intermission

Two Impromptus
Schubert, Impromptu in G-flat major, Op. 90 No. 3
Chopin, Impromptu in F-sharp major, Op. 36

Chopin
Mazurka in C-sharp major, Op. 63 No. 3
Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op. 44

I'd like to end with...

Liszt
Au Lac de Wallenstadt from Première Années de pèlerinage: Suisse 


However, I'm not sure whether to just program the Liszt, or sort of surprise them with it at the end.  I don't want to assume an encore.  It will primarily be my family and friends and probably some other piano students and such.  The Liszt is peaceful, and the undulating rhythm in contrast with the decisive rhythm of the polonaise is just the "note" I want to leave them with.

Any feedback about the program would be greatly appreciated!

[Goldberg]

Stevea: Wow, what an excellent program! Very well-balanced and all of the pieces are just fantastic. I'll be working on the Polonaise myself in upcoming months and look foward to challenging myself with what *someone* (sorry, I can't remember exactly!) described as "the ultimate test for the poet-pianist."--I want to say Bulow but I could be terribly mistaken.

Anyway, my advice is to go ahead and surprise your audience with the Liszt. I think it would be very charming after the polonaise, and adding on the program I think might take away from the experience, if only a little bit. Instead, wait for the applause to die down and gently acknowledge them, go to the piano and smoothly coax them into the Liszt piece. After something like that, you will generally get a "delayed," warmer and more intimate applause, at least going from my rather limited recital experience, and people will feel touched by the performance and still have the virtuosity of the polonaise in mind as well (not to mention the rest of the program!).

So, yep, do it and have fun blowing them all away! Fantastic program! Any chance we greedy forum-goers can get our paws on some recordings?

[stevea]

Thanks, Goldberg!  Your suggestion about how to play the Liszt makes complete sense and is a really great idea.  I'll do just that.

I just happened to have the book; it was James Huneker that said "there is no greater test for the poet-pianist".  If you're going to start on it in a few months, that's awesome.  I have to say, I have never had more enjoyment practicing a piece than this one.  I've been doing hands separate work primarily for a couple of months with the big chords and am just now putting them together.  It's been thrilling.  I still have a ways to go, but I believe now that I can do it.  I have to highly highly recommend the recording of this piece by Piotr Anderszewski.  It is truly awesome.  The whole disc is.  Here's a link to it on Amazon...

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000DIGJ8/qid=1119675841/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/102-1840917-5391319

Mr. Anderszewski is coming to Kansas City in the fall.  I'm jazzed.

[Goldberg]

Wonderful! I've been looking for another top-knotch recording aside from the early one by Rubinstein, and this one looks like it'll do the trick. How fast does he play it?--it's not that I'm one of those speed-obsessed people, but I will say flat out that I need to get it at 10 minutes or below, purely because in the competition (it could be different a in recital of course, where time doesn't matter) I am counting on being able to play at least two minutes of other pieces on top of the polonaise.

But that's neither here nor there. I'll be learning the piece across the next few months, by the way, not starting in a few months! In fact I might start it today if I can get in the right state of mind, which can be difficult on a weekend. It's got to be ready for that competition I just mentioned, which is in October.

Have fun with all your pieces and be sure to let us know how the performance goes.

[stevea]

Hey Goldberg, sorry for the late reply...I went out of town for a few days.  The recording is actually right at 12:00, so I'm not sure it will fit with what you are trying to accomplish.  But it is definitely my favorite.  His tempo fluctuates somewhat significantly during the exposition, but I think it works really well.  At 10 minutes, there won't be quite that much flexibility, and the mazurka will likewise need to move along; although that will make sense since the entire pace of the piece will be faster.

You will definitely be finished with it probably before I will since I'm also working on 10 other pieces (although not simultaneously with equal attention) for the recital.  If you have the ability to record, I would love to hear it when you have it ready for the competion.  Best of luck with the competion, by the way!