Juilliard piano reptiroie

[super5james]

hey, im 16 yrs. old currenlty a junior in high school and ive been working really hard for the last couple of years to get to a level to get into juilliard because its my dream.Anyway
I need advice on what piecies to pick out.
Bach-W.T.C book 1-nos.2,16,17,22,23

Beethoven-Moonlight sonata,Apassionsonata

Liszt-Un sospiro,Funerallies,Rhaspodie espangole

Prokfiev-Toccta in Dminor op.11

[BoliverAllmon]

firs question is why julliard?

[ludwig]

I love the Spanish Rhapsody

[pet]

Make sure you pick pieces that you are COMFORTABLE playing.  They usually pick the hardest things about the piece.  If you know you will not be able to master a piece up to tempo, pick something else.  Also, they  look at your confidence.  If you go in there looking all timid, and then make a face if you make a mistake, they'll note it.  Just go in there confident, and at least pretend that your going to play everything perfect...lol  Question:  How well can you play these pieces?  and Have to found the requirements for what pieces you can pick, from their application?

I remember a couple of years ago when I looked at their application, they asked for a Bach p&f, a sonata by Beethoven, and a concerto, along with something else that I can't remember.  It looks like you have some good pieces.

[TheHammer]

I love the Spanish Rhapsody

Oh yes! I am learning it right now, and it is so beautiful, that must be one of Liszt's best works... it is entertaining, but not so flashy and "virtuosic-just-for-the-sake-of-it" as for example, the Hungarian Rhapsodies.
Nevertheless, from the Liszt, this is definitely the hardest. It is long, it requires nearly all techniques you would expect when playing Liszt. But Funerailles is a close follower, I think, also, severla techniques, and not as long. Un Sospiro is rather an easy piece... definitely no match-up with the other two. So: Rhapsodie Espagnole all the way.

Beethoven: well, with the Moonlight, you won't impress anyone, that is for sure. A perfectly played Appassionata will work much better, but I would suggest you play a sonata that is not SO overplayed, there are various thread here on the forum... I would say op.90, op.22 or op.28 to the easy side, and op.7, op.81a or perhaps even a late one, that is either op. 101 (very hard), op. 109 (hard, trills at the end), or op.110 (not so hard, but still quite hard). But concerning your age that would make no good impression I think, unfortunately (on the judges, not on me... ).

Just looked at the apllication requirements:
https://www.juilliard.edu/pdf/MusicAudRequirementsLinks.pdf

I can't help you really with Bach.
Also take into account that you must not play Beethoven, but could also take a Mozart/Haydn/Schubert Sonata, but well, anyway.

A "substantial composition" by one of the Romantics. Well, this would be the Liszt thingy. Okay, then you need an Etude (already have one?) and another piece from another composer. I see... Bear in mind you need to have 60 min minimum, so with a longer Beethoven + Liszt we already have >35-40.

What, in general, are your preferences, and are the pieces you listed already in your repertoire or are you just asking which ones to learn. What is your level after all, which pieces can you play?

[dikai_yang]

Well, when I went to my audition for julliard like 5 years ago...
I regreted picking the pieces that I picked...
my advice...
don't pick something as long as the rhaspodie espangole
in the audition, i remember there is a very limited time given,
in that time you want to squeeze in as many contrasting pieces as possible...
and preferrably not the moonlight sonata
pick pieces that are rarely played, that's a big plus
the prokfiev toccta may be good since it's short and sufficiently technically demanding
but if you play this, make sure you have other pieces that are more musically challenging...
remember, this is not a competition, technical difficulty is already assumed to be there if you were chosen to play in the audition....
it's what's beyond

[steinwayguy]

To give you some idea of what kind of repertoire you need at a Juilliard audition to have a chance, here is my program for this coming year, as well as programs of two friends, one of which will be studying with Robert McDonald next year (he got in).

Bach- Prelude and Fugue in D-sharp Minor, WTC Book II
Schubert- Piano Sonata in B-flat, D.960
Liszt- Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Ravel- Le Tombeau de Couperin
Rachmaninoff- Etudes-Tableaux in F-sharp Minor, Op. 39 No. 3

(That's mine)

Bach- Prelude and Fugue in A Major, WTC Book I
Beethoven- Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109
Mendelssohn- Fantasy in F-sharp Minor, Op. 28
Prokofiev- Toccata in C, Op. 11
Chopin- Etude in G-flat, Op. 25 No. 9

(This guy didn't take the pre-screenings seriously so he didn't actually audition at Juilliard, but he auditioned at Curtis and made it to the finals (10 people, 5 were accepted))

Bach- Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue
Beethoven- Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, Op. 7
Schumann- Abegg Variations, Op. 1
Stravinsky- Trois Mouvements de Petrouchka
Rachmaninoff- Etudes-Tableaux in E-flat Minor, Op. 33 No. 5

(This guy got in last year)


Pieces you should generally stay away from (from what I've heard)-
Chopin Scherzi No. 1 and 2
Chopin Ballade No. 1
Chopin Etudes
Beethoven Sonatas Op. 53, 57, 101, 106, 109, 110 and 111
Liszt La Campanella
Bach Well-Tempered Clavier or Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue (nobody does toccatas, which would put you at a great advantage)

Some popular zingers-
Liszt's Six Paganini Etudes (as the "substantial romantic composition")
Rachmaninoff's Second Sonata
Liszt's Sonata
Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit
Stravinsky's Trois Mouvements de Petrouchka
Chopin Etudes Op. 25 No. 6 and 11


And good God do not play the Moonlight Sonata. I'm about 95-97% sure you wouldn't get an audition.

[BoliverAllmon]

I agree with the Moonlight. drop it.

[orlandopiano]

firs question is why julliard?

Yep, same question from me. Unless you know a specific teacher you plan on studying with there, you should not limit yourself to only Juilliard. (Although it is hard to beat being in the performing arts environment of Lincoln Center).

[pianohopper]

I would say op.90, op.22 or op.28 to the easy side, and op.7, op.81a or perhaps even a late one, that is either op. 101 (very hard), op. 109 (hard, trills at the end), or op.110 (not so hard, but still quite hard). But concerning your age that would make no good impression I think, unfortunately (on the judges, not on me... ).

Don't even think of TOUCHING  anything past Op. 90...that's the cutoff line going into Beethoven's "third period" musically.  Nobody younger than 40 could possibly understand it  -- there's a huge difference between playing the notes, and putting some oomf behind it, and you're 16.

[orlandopiano]

Nobody younger than 40 could possibly understand it  -- .

This is a bit of an exaggeration.

[steinwayguy]

This is a bit of an exaggeration.

Agreed.

Speaking of Beethoven sonatas, quite a few people have done Hammerklavier and just a couple years ago there was a kid who prepared all 32 Beethoven sonatas and the four Chopin Ballades for his Curtis audition. He got in, and that is sick beyond belief.

The biggest no-no is 111 and the Hammerklavier comes second. 101 is the safest late sonata to audition with, but even then, the piece is hard as fuckin hell. 109 and 110 can be done, but they are extremely hard to pull off succesfully. The kid I know who auditioned at Curtis with 109 said Gary Graffman loved it.

[bassoonypiano]

Would most of you consider using Op 81a as a good Beethoven Sonata to audition with? I won't be applying to juilliard just b/c I know I aint good enough but will be auditioning at other schools.

[steinwayguy]

Would most of you consider using Op 81a as a good Beethoven Sonata to audition with? I won't be applying to juilliard just b/c I know I aint good enough but will be auditioning at other schools.

Les Adieux is a fairly good piece to audition with. But as I've said before, there are not many good Beethoven sonatas for undergraduate candidates. Everyone does Op. 2 No. 3, Op. 53 or Op. 57, so you can't do those. Anything Op. 90 and above is very risky. In my opinion, if you're going to do Beethoven you had better do Opus 7. But 81a isn't too bad.

[super5james]

I think i have made up my mind on the piecies i would like to play and yes i agree with you all on the Moonlight sonata.

Bach WTC book 1 no.23 B Major

Beethoven-op.110

Lizst-Funrailles

Chopin etude op.25 no.1

Schubert improntus op.90 no.3

I can play all of these excpet for the Beethoven and im Halfway through Funerailles i Think these are good piecies and i Dont go ove 45 mins.

[musicsdarkangel]

hey!

How about Liszt - Veleigh de Obermann? (mispelled?)


The piece isn't THAT technically demanding, is musically amazing, and impressive.

[steinwayguy]

I think i have made up my mind on the piecies i would like to play and yes i agree with you all on the Moonlight sonata.

Bach WTC book 1 no.23 B Major

Beethoven-op.110

Lizst-Funrailles

Chopin etude op.25 no.1

Schubert improntus op.90 no.3

I can play all of these excpet for the Beethoven and im Halfway through Funerailles i Think these are good piecies and i Dont go ove 45 mins.

That is an audition program from a high school arts program, not the Juilliard School. You should seriously reconsider your choices or good luck getting an audition.

[yooniefied]

I think i have made up my mind on the piecies i would like to play and yes i agree with you all on the Moonlight sonata.

Bach WTC book 1 no.23 B Major

Beethoven-op.110

Lizst-Funrailles

Chopin etude op.25 no.1

Schubert improntus op.90 no.3

I can play all of these excpet for the Beethoven and im Halfway through Funerailles i Think these are good piecies and i Dont go ove 45 mins.

I am a juilliard grad.

First of all, Moonlight sonata is excluded from Juilliard's audition repetoire (just read the .pdf), so it's not even a matter to be discussed. And even if it wasn't, you'd be laughed at for performing it at an audition. 

IMO, I wouldn't have chosen a Beethoven sonata - almost everyone does, and they are so popular and difficult to play well.
If you really want to wow them, I would go for one of the Schubert options.

Liszt is very risky, as well. Your technique needs to be superb, and they would be much more forgiving with say, Brahms or Mendelssohn. Chopin is too overplayed, unless you pick a scherzo or one of the more difficult preludes.

The Chopin etude op. 25, no.1 is a good choice, although if I were you, I'd learn a few other Chopin etudes, just incase.
I know many people who get in have learned all or most of the etudes (I didn't bother with Chopin), and the judges asked them to play a few, not just one.

Make sure your audition program is long enough - this is definately not even 45 minutes, which is your minimum.
I prepared a good 90 minute program, and it seemed to have worked to my advantage.

Yoonie

[minor9th]

How about some Shostakovich? His 24th Prelude and Fugue in D min is very powerful and deadly serious--contains none of his frequent sarcastic humor. It sounds rather hard to play, though.

[henrah]

Why not Moonlight, what's wrong with it? Is it just because it's so popular and overplayed, and the judges are sick of it?

Mephisto Waltz (steinwayguy) is a great piece to play, as it sounds simply marvelous and has it's technically difficult parts.
Henrah

[yooniefied]

Why not Moonlight, what's wrong with it? Is it just because it's so popular and overplayed, and the judges are sick of it?

I think it's because the first two mvts. are reasonably easy technically.
Also, it's a piece not many people (at least, prospective students) can perform well...the expression and power of emotion required is so great.

And yes, you're right, I think the judges are sick of hearing it! 

[verywellmister]

Can you play concerti for Julliard auditions.  It does say a complete work of your choice as the last requirement.

[viking]

My suggestions:

Look at Bach's g minor Tocatta.
If you want something different for a Sonata, look at Clementi's Opus 40 no 2 in B minor.
Play the Funerailles

[mike_lang]

.

[ibbar]

Honestly, and this is only my opinion, I fear that you will be outclassed in terms of repertoire by many of the other students.  While not easy pieces by any means, the Schubert, Liszt, and Chopin are not really what they're looking for.  Especially the Chopin, as 25/1 is considered one of the easiest of all his etudes.  I would suggest any of the most difficult ones, if you want to do a Chopin etude (10/1, 10/2, 25/6, 25/11).  These will be played more frequently, though, so your competition will be fierce (not to say that it isn't anyway).  The above given suggestion of learning several may also prove helpful.  If you can play a middle-of-the-road etude extremely well, that might work well, too.  But avoid 10/6, 25/1, 25/2, and 10/12.  The Beethoven is a tremendous piece, but they will pick on you very heavily for playing a late sonata.  I don't agree with the idea that young people can't play late Beethoven, but the audition is not the time to debate the fine points of this issue.

I'm looking at the pdf of their rep requirements right now, these are my initial reactions:

1. Asks for a Bach work with a fugue:

Your WTC selection is reasonably good, especially if you play it well.  The Chromatic F&F is not a bad choice, either.

2. Either Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, or Schubert

I really like the above poster's suggestion of doing the Schubert.  They give you several selections to pick from, and if you did a really great Wanderer Fantasie, for example, I believe that it would impress any panel that you'll face.  If you still want to do Beethoven, I'd go earlier:  op. 7 is a good idea, but don't limit yourself to what we say: listen to all of the Beethoven sonatas, which will broaden your understanding if nothing else, and pick your favorite.  Pick one that you badly want to learn, that you can truly convey well, which is really the key to auditions.  Again, though, avoid warhorses: Pathetique, Tempest, Waldstein, etc.

3.  A substantial composition by Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, or Mendelssohn:

I'm not fully comfortable with playing Funerailles here.  It's a fine piece, but again, not really in league with what they're looking for.  I'd suggest that you look at Schumann (Fantasie in C would be amazing, also consider Abegg variations) and Brahms (Third sonata, variations on Handel or paganini, etc.) in particular.  With Liszt, there's obviously the Sonata in B, which is somewhat of a warhorse, but would nonetheless make a great impression if performed in titanic fashion.  He's also written pieces such as the Norma Fantasy, and the Reminisces de Don Juan that may be worth looking into.  If you insist on doing Chopin, consider the polonaise-fantasie op. 61 or the Fantasie in f minor.  Avoid the Scherzos and Ballades in general, as these are very much overplayed at all such auditions.

4. A virtuosic etude by Bartok, Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, or Stratinsky:

I've already commented on Chopin above, but I really think that you should pick a different composer for this, as well.  For Bartok, I'd recommend that you consider the etudes op. 18, although they are devilishly difficult.  Debussy's etude #12 might work, and maybe you could do some unusual scriabin like op. 42 #6 or any of the op. 65 etudes.  With the Scriabin, though, avoid op. 8 #12 and op. 42 #5.  These etudes that I've mentioned are not nearly so overplayed, and show some diverse taste in repertoire and technique.  Some Rachmaninoff possibilities in op. 39 include #'s 1, 3, 6, and 9.  While I don't care for the piece, op. 33 #6 is also rather popular (which may be a good reason to avoid it).

5.  A complete work of the contestant's choice by a composer other than one previously selected.

Here is where you must impress with a creative choice in repertoire.  As you've already hit all the major divisions of music history above, except for the modern, I'd recommend that you pick a twentieth century work of some kind.  It should be fairly difficult.  Some choices to consider are:  Stravinsky's Petroushka, any Boulez sonata (#1 isn't that impossible), a work of Ives, such as his sonata #1, the Copland Sonata, Piano variations, or piano fantasy, the Barber sonata, maybe a Scriabin sonata, Ligeti's etudes bk. 1, Corigliano's etude fantasy, et al.  These are more obscure, but you could consider a sonata by Mathias or Pickard, Sessions, or a piece by Carter.  A more difficult selection from Messiaen's 20 regards or his catalogue of birds would be very impressive, too.  There is vast variety to choose from, and you don't even have to go atonal.  Rachmaninoff wrote another sonata, in D minor, that is quite beautiful.  Reger wrote large variation sets on Telemann and Bach that are very difficult, but would certainly impress any jury.  The selection is tremendous, and I've only scratched the surface here.  One final thought regarding the Prokofiev sonatas, which are fairly frequently encountered as the modern rep.  #3 and #7 are very much overplayed, and #6 is fairly overplayed, as well.  I'd suggest playing #4 or #8, or maybe even #9, instead.



I realize that all of my above selections are challenging (although you can pick some rather easier ones from any of the categories), but to get into Juilliard, or any other such place, you need to be prepared to meet, and achieve, difficult goals.  You must be prepared to work, and study, and give tremendous amounts of energy over to your goal in order to stand out.

As a final aside, remember that within the bounds of reason, how you play matters more than what you play.

Good luck!

[contrapunctus]

To give you some idea of what kind of repertoire you need at a Juilliard audition to have a chance, here is my program for this coming year, as well as programs of two friends, one of which will be studying with Robert McDonald next year (he got in).

Bach- Prelude and Fugue in D-sharp Minor, WTC Book II
Schubert- Piano Sonata in B-flat, D.960
Liszt- Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Ravel- Le Tombeau de Couperin
Rachmaninoff- Etudes-Tableaux in F-sharp Minor, Op. 39 No. 3

(That's mine)

Bach- Prelude and Fugue in A Major, WTC Book I
Beethoven- Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109
Mendelssohn- Fantasy in F-sharp Minor, Op. 28
Prokofiev- Toccata in C, Op. 11
Chopin- Etude in G-flat, Op. 25 No. 9

(This guy didn't take the pre-screenings seriously so he didn't actually audition at Juilliard, but he auditioned at Curtis and made it to the finals (10 people, 5 were accepted))

Bach- Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue
Beethoven- Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, Op. 7
Schumann- Abegg Variations, Op. 1
Stravinsky- Trois Mouvements de Petrouchka
Rachmaninoff- Etudes-Tableaux in E-flat Minor, Op. 33 No. 5

(This guy got in last year)


Pieces you should generally stay away from (from what I've heard)-
Chopin Scherzi No. 1 and 2
Chopin Ballade No. 1
Chopin Etudes
Beethoven Sonatas Op. 53, 57, 101, 106, 109, 110 and 111
Liszt La Campanella
Bach Well-Tempered Clavier or Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue (nobody does toccatas, which would put you at a great advantage)

Some popular zingers-
Liszt's Six Paganini Etudes (as the "substantial romantic composition")
Rachmaninoff's Second Sonata
Liszt's Sonata
Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit
Stravinsky's Trois Mouvements de Petrouchka
Chopin Etudes Op. 25 No. 6 and 11


And good God do not play the Moonlight Sonata. I'm about 95-97% sure you wouldn't get an audition.

Are college auditioners supposed to be good enough to play La camp and other Liszt stuff? I kind of thought you reached that level in college. I don't know.

[pita bread]

Are college auditioners supposed to be good enough to play La camp and other Liszt stuff? I kind of thought you reached that level in college. I don't know.

Keep in mind there are 14-year-olds running around playing Gaspard de la Nuit and Islamey nowadays.

[contrapunctus]

Keep in mind there are 14-year-olds running around playing Gaspard de la Nuit and Islamey nowadays.

Now, there is a limit on the length of practicing one should reasonably do in a day...

or else you just have no friends and die in a gutter.

[pmz310]

What about Bach's Fantasy and Fugues?

[viking]

OLD THREAD..

[thierry13]

Are college auditioners supposed to be good enough to play La camp and other Liszt stuff? I kind of thought you reached that level in college. I don't know.

Just one huge LOL.

OLD THREAD..

Haha, indeed !

[rob47]

MATT DAMON

[slobone]

Bear in mind you need to have 60 min minimum, so with a longer Beethoven + Liszt we already have >35-40.

60 minutes for graduate students, if I'm reading it correctly. 45 minutes for undergraduates. But that's already a lot of music.

I would definitely second the suggestion that you include something from the 20th century, preferably as dissonant as possible. You need to set yourself apart from the other applicants, and I think they'll be impressed that you chose something that works the brain as hard as the fingers.

And I'd definitely stay away from the Chopin Etudes, or anything else that's overexposed. Don't play anything they'll be sick of hearing.

[tompilk]

play szymanowksi 2nd sonata... cool piece...