Music college audutions

[franzliszt2]

Hi, I was just hoping to get some advice on my choice of pieces for my music college auditions in november 2005. I am applying to Royal college of music, royal academy of music, royal scotish academy of music, royal northern college of music, trinity and guildhall.  I am preparing the pieces now and need some advice. My pieces are:

Liszt: Walderauschen, and Gnomenreigen
Chopin: Ballade no. 3
Beethoven: Appasionata (any mvt)
Ravel:sonatine
And maybe some Bach.

Is that suitable in terms of difficulty. I'm trying to prepare a program that is difficult, but not so difficult that I struggle to portray the music.
Thanks

[jeremyjchilds]

if you are technically skilled, then play Bach for sure... there is no more transparent vehicle to show your technique in..

If not, then stay away...Get something where you can hide behind all kinds of pedalling, emotion, and bravura...

[moose_opus_28]

If he's playing Gnomenreigen I should think he has a bit of technique...

And yeah, that program is okay difficulty wise.  Not insane, but if you manage them well, it'll be impressive enough, in my opinion.

[musicsdarkangel]

That's an excellent list.

If you can handle it, learn Bach P+F no 3 in c sharp major


it's a beast and when played well, people will love it.


Almost everyone complimented me on mine when I had a lesson.

It was what impressed my teacher the most on my audition, even though I nailed the Ocean Etude and played with color.

Go figure, it's a beast.

[moose_opus_28]

The book I P&F?  The one that's so much easier with the...I think it's the Peter's edition with the D-flat transposition in the back?

>_>
<_<

Yeah, it's good.  And happy.

[musicsdarkangel]

The book I P&F?  The one that's so much easier with the...I think it's the Peter's edition with the D-flat transposition in the back?

>_>
<_<

Yeah, it's good.  And happy.

Congradulations.

You have just confused the hell out of me.

[moose_opus_28]

Congradulations.

You have just confused the hell out of me.

Sorry.  The edition my teacher has comes with a rewrite of the piece in D-flat, which makes it much easier to read.  The only problem is, I call it D-flat when I'm talking about it to other people, and they're like..."what?!?!? CHEATER!"

[nanabush]

Gnomenriegen, I've heard it never saw the sheets I don't think.  How is it compared to his TE?

[lagin]

Sorry.  The edition my teacher has comes with a rewrite of the piece in D-flat, which makes it much easier to read.  The only problem is, I call it D-flat when I'm talking about it to other people, and they're like..."what?!?!? CHEATER!"

Oh, I get it.  Db and C# are the same key, but different way of writing it out.  So the notes are written differently, but sound identical when played.  Interesting

[Goldberg]

Gnomenriegen, I've heard it never saw the sheets I don't think.  How is it compared to his TE?

Gnomenreigen is one of Liszt's easiest etudes, outdone only perhaps by the 5th Paganini etude (and not counting the earliest versions of the TEs). Walderauschen is not only considerably more difficult, it's also one of Liszt's best etudes, musically.

[kayfeli]

For the same kind of auditions, I would play:

Bach: French Suite (selected movements) or P&F
Beethoven: a movement from a sonata
Some Chopin: NOT Ballades (Overdone and usually made a mess of
Debussy: Selection of Preludes or Etudes
Rachmaninov: Selection of Preludes or Etudes

Any opinions?

[pianowelsh]

is this an undergraduate or postgraduate audition. Be carefull because some of the colleges had a prescribed list when i was auditioning a few years ago - check this out first! But for either undergrad or postgrad these pieces should show off a wide range of your abilities. Dont worry about doing a Chopin Ballade as long as you do a good job of it and its well researched and performed before hand.  Do plenty of work on your etude - they want to know that you are technically up to staying the course - aim to play these as technically reliably and musically as absolutely possible. Really work on your fugue to make everything clear and really secure from memory and do plenty of analytical study in your sonata movement so that the architecture of it is really clear and the music has strong sense of energy and direction. All the very best! Play your socks off!