Are these songs ok. Opinions needed

[jamie_liszt]

Hey

I will be playing infront of 10 000 - 15 000 people in about 2 and a half months, at the sydney entertainment centre ( just about 20 minutes, its at this other thing and ill be entertaining, in other words it aint all just about me ) lol..

I chose an easy song and i got told they would rather harder more virtuosic works lol so i chose some i can play and im learning!

La Campanella    -Liszt   5 minutes
Heroic Polonaise     -Chopin  7 minutes
Ballade No.1 Op 23   -Chopin  9minutes
Etude Op 10 No 1    -Chopin  2 minutes
So thats about 23 minutes

My questions are, Do you guys think that is a good choice and not boring, and i would like different opinions and the order i should play them in, these are considered hard right ?

thanks

[etudes]

is it half recital or what??? why only 23 mins???
quite fashion program but anyway nice if you could put all the piece at the concert standard
for me in order from beginning i will start with
Chopin Op.10 no.1
Chopin Op.53 Polonaise in Ab
Liszt La Campanella and end with Ballade        so you have etude between main pieces of chopin!

(we call as piece not song)

[quantum]

That program is kind of heavy on the technical side.  Maybe a lyrical piece inbetween to break it all up. 

It's like going to see fireworks, but there is so much fireworks you can't even see the night sky. 

Have you ever done a recital where you played that many technical pieces in direct succession of each other?  If not, I would suggest scaling down the program a bit.  You say you are learning some of these pieces still.  I would test them infront of a smaller audience, before the big crowd. 

[stevie]

That program is kind of heavy on the technical side.  Maybe a lyrical piece inbetween to break it all up. 

It's like going to see fireworks, but there is so much fireworks you can't even see the night sky. 

Have you ever done a recital where you played that many technical pieces in direct succession of each other?  If not, I would suggest scaling down the program a bit.  You say you are learning some of these pieces still.  I would test them infront of a smaller audience, before the big crowd. 

depends on the audience, a virtuosity-heavy fireworks program is perfect for the occasion hes talking about.

i think its good.possibly.

[apion]

Looks good.  I definitely agree with the Liszt, the Heroic Polonaise and the Ballade #1 in g-minor.  Utterly perfect masterpieces. 

[demented cow]

this is a good programme for a gig like that, but can you pull it off? Don't get me wrong, I am just trying to help, but not long ago under

www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,14189.0.html

you were saying you were 7th grade in the Austrlalian system, which is nothing like the level of the pieces you are planning to play at the gig you're talking about in this thread. (Chopin ballades used to be Licenciate level in the Australian system, i.e. the 10th level.)
What does your teacher say about this? If s/he thinks you can do this programme in front of a big audience (despite your comments about memory lapses and mistakes you made in the other post), why is s/he making you do 7th grade and not at least 8th or one of the diplomas?
I'd also ask: how well can you play the pieces NOW? You have 2 months, but this should be time to consolidate your ability to play pieces you can already play, not time for learning the pieces (and certainly not acquiring totally new skills, like, say, if your 4-5 trills in la camp. are only half tempo at the moment). You will have to be doubly sure that you have the pieces totally under your control, because you will be pretty nervous playing for an audience of that size.
Good luck, and best wishes from a well-meaning fellow Australian.

[jamie_liszt]

When i said 7th , thats the grades i have completed, i didnt mean that i can only play 7th grade stuff and below, my teacher thinks im well capable, if i wasnt, my teacher would have said something, and as far as the memory lapses go, its not nervousness i dont think, im not sure, i am getting better, i have been working on not stopping even it i hit a wrong not   
so its getting better, and i will be performing these songs infront of big crowds twice before then,!!

[fuel925]

For someone who claims to be able to play the pieces you mentioned, your musical vocabulary could use some work! If those composers knew you called their pieces songs they would be turning in their graves!

[pizno]

Are you singing in this recital?  Pianists do not play songs, unless of course they are singing while they are playing.  Pianists play piano pieces. 

[fliszt]

i agree with fuel925 and pizno.

at your level you should know by yourself that it is or isnt a good programme you're playing... so
calling pieces songs and not knowing how to put a good programme together and only be in the 7th grade...  and youre 16... 

will it be on tv? and when? does it stand on the internet that you're gonna play?

grtz

[Tash]

but you said you were 'currently' at 7th grade? an the pieces you've mentioned are at least LMus which is a bitchload harder than 7th grade. and even if you are capable of playing them, have you already started learning them like several months ago cos 2 1/2 months is not a long time to learn a whole lot of difficult pieces unless you're practicing like 12hrs a day...but hey i don't know you. personally i'd play something other than chopin and wouldn't end with the etude, like if you want to impress then play some crazed 20th century piece (not too bizarre or the audience won't be able to follow it) or even some bach. or something that isn't from the 19th century! it's all about contrast- that's probably the one thing i learnt at school haha

btw what's it for?

[jamie_liszt]

 Thanks so much for all of your replies, first of all, Fuel925 and Pizno - I got into a bad habit of saying that everything is "songs" rather than pieces, i will try fixing this, but in the future please dont pick at me because i do this. It won't be on TV or the internet or anywhere, im just entertainment, Tash did you read my whole post ? What about the part how it says that its not in order and suggestions for the order. Also i agree, i wanted to play something 
different but i got told, but stuff them, im gonna play what i originally planned!

originally i planned a program something like the following:

Scriabin Etude (doesnt say the op and no.. ) 7th grade exam piece
C.P.E Bach a sonata 7th grade exam piece
Chopin Mazuraka Op. 59 no. 1  i think thats in the 7th grade manual pieces or something
Polonaise Ab major op 53 (virtuosic piece) i learnt when i was like 14 turning 15
La campanella (almost finished learning)

i was gonna play something like that but i got told by my aunt who talked to the people running whatever im playing at say what they want, i think its stupid, thanks for your help, im just going to play what i feel comfortable with.

[ahmedito]

I dont know... something smells fishy.

[jamie_liszt]

ummm ? what

[fuel925]

I dont know... something smells fishy.

agree'd.

[pizno]

We're not picking on you, hon, we just don't want you going out there in public and saying 'and now I'm going to play this song, it's a little diddy called the Polonaise in such and such a key. We're trying to spare you the embarrassment. 

OK, now, the reason this sounds fishy is that you talk about playing in front of 15,000 people, or whatever, but I think we all would like to know why? Who invited you?  How old are you?  What is the event?  Not many people play in front of crowds like that - and then ask questions like 'Is this  hard piece, right out of your level 7 book.  Usually, to get to a level like that, one would know the repertoire better than you seem to, and certainly, be preparing for this for perhaps a year, not 2 months.  Have you played much in public before?   You need to be way over prepared for something like this.  Good luck.

piz

[jamie_liszt]

 I've actually played the Heroic Polonaise op 53 like a year ago and i Didn't call it a song, or do any of that, i guess its just when im typing i don't think! i just think, piece - song who cares... Thanks for correcting me though

I'm presuming there will be about 10 000, the place holds around 10 000 to 15 000 seats, and this is for a business where people get up and talk about there business (what ever they do) and they have entertainment, and my auntie since she is high up in the business she asked me to play, she had to organize it. I was meant to play in November, so i organized something like the pieces i just mentioned, Bach, Scriabin, Mozart, Chopin, i then got told that they had entertainment for november, i though i have about 4 months to learn another piece, la campanella. My grandmother just doesn't get it, she keeps pushing me to play harder stuff , that they want some harder pieces like the la campanella and polonaise in A flat major. Im just trying to follow there rules, i guess if i can't play what i want i should pull out

[pizno]

Do you think they will stop talking to listen to you or are you background noise?  I would tell them this is what you have to play.  If they don't like it, they play with their dessert.  You should not be pressured to play anything more advanced than you feel completely, 100% comfortable with.  But, that said, if you do have 4 months to prepare, and have mostly learned one of the more difficult pieces, you might be able to pull it off.  Don't try more than one piece that is a stretch for you.

Some day you can write this in your bio, that you played in front of 10,000 people.

Piz

[jamie_liszt]

I ain't background noise, they also have performances there too.

Thanks for your reply, ill play stuff i feel comfortable with 100%, i have time to perfect la campanella.

thanks

[pizno]

I was picturing one of those enormous conference centers with tables set up for dinner.  You mean the chairs are all going to be facing you? 

[jamie_liszt]

Yes, fer sure.. its got all the seats (like the competitions, chopin, sydney etc) all facing the centre stage. and people come out on stage and talk, present things, talk about new things, how to do better in what ever they are doing! just stuff, yes there is about 15 000 seats but im not totally sure if they will ALL be filled up, they record it and put them on dvd..

My grandparents thought of me, thinking this will be a good experience, i have performed infront of alot of people but not this big, 600 people max. I better have practise on the piano before hand..

[pizno]

At least an hour or two.   

[ted]

A "bitchload", Tash ? But thankfully not an "obese bitchload", I assume with a sigh of relief. That would be altogether too much.

Keep 'em coming, Tash !

[lagin]

To be the "devil's advocate," I will be working on my diploma level material (RCM), next year, and almost always call my pieces songs, lol.  

(Not saying I'm right, of course)