What to NOT play for auditions

[phil13]

Okay, there are a LOT of pianofourm members who ask for advice on what to play in college/conservatory auditions, myself included. But here I'm doing the exact opposite. I want you to post what pieces should stay off the audition rep.

Phil

[llamaman]

Hmm....I'd say anything that they expect you to play. Pick some other composers. Instead of say Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, try Schumann, Granados, and Brahms.

[pies]

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[thierry13]

Don't play anything by Liszt and Chopin.
Instead, play Ligeti.

A ligeti etude would definatly do the job.

[pita bread]

USC suggests Ligeti on their etude requirement, hahaha.

[jehangircama]

how tough are the ligeti etudes compared to the chopin etudes?

[bachelssohn]

I'd avoid anything exceedingly difficult. La Campanella, Chopin op. 10 no.1, anything like that. Oh, and when I proposed auditioning with the Minute Waltz, my teacher advised against it, because they might expect it to be played in under a minute.

[paris]

Don't play anything by Liszt and Chopin.

huh, thats ridiculous! 
come on, i agree not to play overplayed pieces such as la campanella, g-minor ballade...but that doesn't mean you should keep away from chopin and liszt at all !!!

Oh, and when I proposed auditioning with the Minute Waltz, my teacher advised against it, because they might expect it to be played in under a minute.

lol 

[pies]

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[BoliverAllmon]

Chopin is child's play compared to Mr. Ligeti

seriously?

[pies]

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[musicsdarkangel]

Don't play that feckin' 2nd Prelude and Fugue (c minor).  Goddammit.

[phil13]

Probably an exaggeration.  I just said it because I'm not fond of Chopin.

*remembers ancient thread*

*invokes wrath*

*urge to attack rising*

Just kidding. 

Phil

[nanabush]

Don't play Moonlight Sonata or Fantaisie Impromptu.

[pita bread]

Chopin is child's play compared to Mr. Ligeti

Well said.

[BoliverAllmon]

fur elise. stay away from it. I know it is tempting to play due to its insane difficulty, but stay away.

[perfect_pitch]

Don't play Moonlight Sonata or Fantaisie Impromptu.

HELL NO!!! I impressed my Auditioners when I was auditioning for applying for University.

[nanabush]

Well depends what ur auditioning for... if it's a university where many students apply, and only a percentage get in, then I'd stay away from commonly played pieces...

[phil13]

fur elise. stay away from it. I know it is tempting to play due to its insane difficulty, but stay away.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I know you're joking. You must be joking.

Who in their right mind would play this piece for auditions?

Phil

[BoliverAllmon]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I know you're joking. You must be joking.

Who in their right mind would play this piece for auditions?

Phil

of course I am joking.

[practicingnow]

Serious advice - stay away from Mozart and Chopin in auditions and competitions

[pita bread]

Why no Mozart?

[jehangircama]

and why not a piece like the chopin f minor fantasie? or for that matter mozart variations? these aren't  child's play by a long shot.

[BoliverAllmon]

Why no Mozart?

only mozart if you kick booty. otherwise you really look exposed.

[ahmedito]

I played Chopin's Fantasie Polonaise and did OK.


Seriously though, do NOT EVER play the appassionata. In my experience, I have seen at lest 6 or 7 people play it and have their audition wrecked because of it. (ironically it is one of the most played sonatas at auditions).... ask yourself, how many people do you know who did well at an audition by playing the appassionata?

On a side note, try to keep a varied program in all respects.

[mcgillcomposer]

I'd avoid anything exceedingly difficult. La Campanella, Chopin op. 10 no.1, anything like that. Oh, and when I proposed auditioning with the Minute Waltz, my teacher advised against it, because they might expect it to be played in under a minute.

The title of the Minute Waltz was never meant to suggest it should be played in one minute.  It simply means a small (minute) waltz.

- Andrew

[BoliverAllmon]

The title of the Minute Waltz was never meant to suggest it should be played in one minute.  It simply means a small (minute) waltz.

- Andrew

Walter Hautsig told me once that in China the minute waltz is referred to as the little yellow dog waltz.

[phil13]

The Minute Waltz's original nickname is 'Le Petit Chien', French for 'The Little Dog'. Maybe that's where the Chinese name came from.

Phil

[dmk]

Don't play that feckin' 2nd Prelude and Fugue (c minor).  Goddammit.

I played Chopin's Fantasie Polonaise and did OK.


Seriously though, do NOT EVER play the appassionata. In my experience, I have seen at lest 6 or 7 people play it and have their audition wrecked because of it. (ironically it is one of the most played sonatas at auditions).... ask yourself, how many people do you know who did well at an audition by playing the appassionata?

On a side note, try to keep a varied program in all respects.

Totally agree...

As for Chopin, I think there is lots of worthwhile Chopin to play at auditions..but there are a few which would be audition suicide, amogst others:

Nocturnes

op 9 n2, op 27 n2, op32 either, op 48 n1, op55 n1, op 72 n1, postumous C Sharp Minor (1930)
(and probably others)

Etudes

op 10 n 1, 3,6 and 12
op 25 n1 (and probably others)

Fantasie Impromptu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things like the Fantasie-Polonaise, Fantasy op 49 and Barcarolle would be good....Berceuse would be an interesting selection because its not so easy to pull off without the audience falling asleep!!

I would personally also steer clear of the Debussy Preludes and L'Isle Joyeuse; Bartok's Sonata (this seems to be quite 'sexy' and overplayed at auditions at the moment); Ravel's Sonatina; Brahms' Rhapsody in Gminor op 79 n2; Rachmaninoff Preludes op 3 n2, op32 n12; Scriabin op 2 n3 Etude; Beethoven's Waldstein

List could go on really!

[mrchops10]

Seriously though, do NOT EVER play the appassionata. In my experience, I have seen at lest 6 or 7 people play it and have their audition wrecked because of it. (ironically it is one of the most played sonatas at auditions).... ask yourself, how many people do you know who did well at an audition by playing the appassionata?

Appassionata worked for me! I don't think it's usually a good idea, most people play it because it's so famous and impressive, not because they really own it. I worked on it for a year too, before auditions, and had lessons with the teachers I wanted to get their feedback.

A fun thing to play that most people don't are Shostakovich preludes. I started with #5, very fast, but not so bad once you get the positional fingering. Played with plenty of humor and panache, it's extremely effective. However, I do second not playing Chopin op. 10 #1. I was going to do it, but at the last moment substituted Revolutionary. Much safer. And play a Haydn sonata over a Mozart one, unless you are one of around 4 people that can actually pull off Mozart.

[phil13]

I guess it's time I responded.

BTW, lots of excellent choices out there to steer clear of.

Beethoven: unless you really own them, stay away from any of the sonatas with names- i.e. Pathetique, Moonlight, Waldstein, Appassionata and Hammerklavier. Pastoral, though, is OK.

Chopin: Keep away from Ballade No.1 in G minor, Etudes Op.10 No.1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12 and Op.25 No.1, 2 (unless you pull off the rhythmic complexities perfectly) and 7 (gotta completely own this one to make it sing right). Also, Nocturnes 9-2, 27-2, 37-1, 48-1, 55-1, and both posthumous ones, Scherzo No.2, 'Minute' Waltz, and the 'Heroic' Polonaise.

I probably am not the man to ask about most other composers, though.

Phil

[jehangircama]

I have a question. These auditions are for undergraduate degrees right? then what level according to, say, the TCL or ABRSM boards do you need to be? Do you have to play FTCL pieces (like Waldstein level) or can you play a programme like this:
Beethoven 32 variations in C minor
Rachmaninov preludes 5 and 10 op 32
Chopin fantasie impromptu( I know I know you said don't play it but anyways this is all hypothetical)
Mozart twinkle variations or a Liszt Rhapsody
And how long are the auditions in general?
thanks

[chopintod]

Yea, you might want to stay away from 4'33.  Probably don't wanna play that one.  It'd more than likely put them off.

Just an idea.

Terry

[phil13]

Yea, you might want to stay away from 4'33.  Probably don't wanna play that one.  It'd more than likely put them off.

Just an idea.

Terry

ROFL

Better ask Mr. John Carey about that one... and also 55' 27" 

Phil