Piece with a lot of scales

[freakofnature]

Heyho!

My teacher suggested shortly before the beginning of the summer vacation that I should start to learn a piece, that uses scales quite a bit, because in the last year I concentrated more on slower pieces with a lot of chords and only very few single-note-runs (I've learned Mendelssohn's SWW op 16/4 and 30/3 for example). He thought of a sonata by Haydn, but I really disliked it and so we decided to try Beethoven op. 49 no. 2. Unfortunately I'm not that fond of it and am getting really bored with this piece, so I would like to try another. Only I can't think of any...

So, do you have any suggestions for pieces with a lot of scales, that won't bore me that much? Maybe something by Scarlatti (I'm working on K380 already, but there can't be too much Scarlatti in one's repertoire  ). As for my skill: I'm playing for about a year, so please don't suggest any Chopin etudes... 

Thanx, FoN

[xvimbi]

Bach Preludes are often chock-full of scale (fragments) and arpeggios, and he mixes them freely. Just figuring out what key one is in is a challenge.

[musicsdarkangel]

I was about to suggest Haydn heheheh.


Try Mozart's D major sonata, K 284.


You might hate it though.


Really though, Haydn and Mozart, Haydn and Mozart, Haydn and Mozart.


Then there's the brief 30 sec prelude to Liszt's Pagannini etudes, which is all scales in intervals.

Beethoven op 10 no 1 (2nd and 3rd movements particularly) have their share of scale configurations.

Yeah, Scarlatti is definitley a great option.

There is a Moskowski piece Horowitz plays (I believe it's Etude in A flat major) that has massave scalework, and is speedy as hell, but you can slow it down.

That would be great actually.

[Souza]

Another good suggestion E flat Impromptu - Schubert op 90 n 2 or D.899 n2.

Take a look at this sample with Brendel.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000041MS/qid=1123472463/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8__i4_xgl15/104-4601095-8528739?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846

Success!

Pedro

[presto agitato]

Another good suggestion E flat Impromptu - Schubert op 90 n 2 or D.899 n2.

Perfect Suggestion. 

BTW Brahms made an arrangement of this piece for the left hand and sounds great.

[Siberian Husky]

mozarts 545k first mov has neat run patterns and arppegios

[freakofnature]

Thanks for your suggestions so far! Unfortunately I'm no big fan of Mozart or Haydn - maybe this will change with the years... 

The Schubert Impromptu is a good idea - although the second part seems to be a bit harder than the first. But I might try it. Anyone know which grade this piece is? I'm currently dealing with grade 6 pieces most of the time...

Bach preludes is a good idea, too - I alomost forgot that I wanted to learn a prelude in D major (don't know which BWV it was...)

Keep the suggestions coming... 

FoN

[freakofnature]

I've just stumbled over a thread where Bernhard graded the impromptu as grade 8... Maybe that's a little too hard for me at the time... 

[Souza]

What about Organ Prelude in G minor - Bach-Siloti?

It begins with an Adagio religioso, and has a solemnity finale...the sonority go from PPP to FFF...has parallel  fast runs in D major in middle section...not very hard piece...you could use middle pedal/grand's piano in some sections... the vigorous final chords aren't so difficult...piece of great effect in a recital...perhaps difficult to get the score.

Guiomar Novaes version  was great, take a look at this sample:

 https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000001KBX/qid=1123506029/sr=8-8/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i7_xgl15/002-7160717-1268046?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

Good luck

Pedro

[spirithorn]

Schubert Op. 120 (posthumous), Sonata in A major, last movement.  Beautiful piece that is not played very often.

[musicsdarkangel]

Another good suggestion E flat Impromptu - Schubert op 90 n 2 or D.899 n2.

Take a look at this sample with Brendel.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000041MS/qid=1123472463/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8__i4_xgl15/104-4601095-8528739?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846

Success!

Pedro

ahhh, brilliant suggestion, can't believe i forgot that...... i played the damned thing. 

[steinwaym]

Every Mozart Concerto ever written?

[mlsmithz]

The Schubert Impromptu Op.90 No.2 is Grade 8?  That's hard to believe.... I was able to play the E-flat major sections by ear just from listening to a demo on a Clavinova (the B minor section didn't come as easily).... perhaps, though, it actually deserves a place in the "pieces which sound easy but are difficult to play" thread.  At any rate, as any good impromptu should, it has an improvisatory quality about it - both the E-flat major section and the B minor section are built off of one basic riff each, so if you can get those basic riffs under finger the rest falls into place very easily, I found. (It was one of the first pieces I taught myself after my formal instruction in piano petered out when I was 19.)

[spirithorn]

At a Perahia recital I attended, he played the Schubert Eb Impromtu as an encore.  Needless to say, it was stunning with his leggierissimo touch.

[freakofnature]

Ok, thanks again for all the suggestions! I decided to start with a Scarlatti sonata (K373/L98) that is filled with scales in both hands (although I doubt that I can reach the suggested tempo of quater=288  ) and later move on to the Schubert Impromptu.

The Bach-Siloti piece looks very interesting - I found a recording and the score through p2p and will definitely try playing it...

[montiverdirocks]

Beethoven Sonata op. 2 #2.
Also, the Air (Harmonious Blacksmith) from Handel's Suite in E Major

[jeremyjchilds]

The Schubert Impromptu Op.90 No.2 is Grade 8?  That's hard to believe.... I was able to play the E-flat major sections by ear just from listening to a demo on a Clavinova (the B minor section didn't come as easily).... perhaps, though, it actually deserves a place in the "pieces which sound easy but are difficult to play" thread.  At any rate, as any good impromptu should, it has an improvisatory quality about it - both the E-flat major section and the B minor section are built off of one basic riff each, so if you can get those basic riffs under finger the rest falls into place very easily, I found. (It was one of the first pieces I taught myself after my formal instruction in piano petered out when I was 19.)

I think this song is a lighter Gr. 8 as well.

Songs with economical texture are definetely easier to learn by ear than thicker ones... that would explain why the b minor section may have been trickier.

I disagree, and believe that this song is much esaier than it sounds...it is just hard to play it really well. This is actually one of the easiest songs to play that sounds half-virtuoso.

For the poster of the original, if you want easy scales, try School of velocity #2. It will make you feel like a he-man (even though it doesen't have a whole lot of content... )

[prokomozart man]

Can't go wrong with Mozart. Any sonata, any concerto, anything! That man uses more scales than any dude I know!

[Souza]

The Bach-Siloti piece looks very interesting - I found a recording and the score through p2p and will definitely try playing it...

Where did you find the Bach-siloti score?
 
Thanks!

Pedro

[gkatele]

.. the Air (Harmonious Blacksmith) from Handel's Suite in E Major

Darn! I was going to suggest that!

[freakofnature]

Where did you find the Bach-siloti score?
 
Thanks!

Pedro

In eMule - just search for 'Bach Siloti' and you will find it...

[vladhorwz]

Clementi's Sonantinas

[llamaman]

An arrangement of Hemoines or even the Pianistes from Carnival D'animaux.

And there's anotheby Burgmuller Opus 100. The Clear Stream I can't remember the number.

[turner]

At a Perahia recital I attended, he played the Schubert Eb Impromtu as an encore. Needless to say, it was stunning with his leggierissimo touch.

I have heard the Schubert Eb Impromptu many times played by talented intermediate students, but to achieve the level described by Spirithorn would take a true artist on the level of Perahia. When I learned this piece, my teacher suggested that to achieve that leggierissimo effect, it should almost be heard as one-beat per measure instead of the 3/4 time signature that it is written. And the b minor section is by no means easy. Anyway, this piece will definitely show how well you have practiced your scales.

The Op. 120 Sonata is also a great piece with lots scale passages--principally in the 3rd movement. There are quite a few tricky places technically, but very rewarding.