popular or not? Which is better for competitions?

[jamie0168]

I'm sure there's been plenty of posts about this topic, but I couldn't find the info. I was looking for.
What would be better to play for a concerto competition? Grieg concerto or Saint Saens no. 2 concerto. Both are fairly popular, but let's face it. Everyone knows the Grieg concerto.
Is it better to play popular concerti for competitions because the judges (who probably aren't pianists in my case) will enjoy them more? Or is it better to play not so famous pieces that they will have a hard time judging?

[I Love Xenakis]

the grieg is too easy.

play the SS2

[maxy]

the grieg is too easy.

play the SS2

you find SS2 harder?

[abe]

What movements are you talking about? The first movements, or the whole thing? I think greig 1st movement stands alone better than the SS2 first movement. The last movement for SS2 is great, and might be a better choice for a competition. As for difficulty, I personally find the first movement of the Saint-Saens (which I am trying to polish and get up to speed) fairly difficult because my octaves are a mess, and my left have arpeggios need work. The grieg doesn't sound all that hard (1st movement) except for the impressive cadenza, but i'm sure its harder than it sounds.