Factors determining repertoire selection ...??

[claraclara]

Hi guys
Just got a topic "Factors determining repertoire selection and/or recital programming"
Its discussed so widely as well as practically but what are the factors on earth..? I am not English native speaker so Its a little bit hard for me to organize the points academically. Its a big question but if you guys could provide any brief opinions about it, I appreciate that greatly.
Many thanks.

[crazy for ivan moravec]

consider the following:


- LEVEL of the student: what can he play? what is is his capacity? or you may go a little beyond his capazity if you want to push him some more.

- what are some technical and musical NEEDS of a student? determine them and give them appropriate pieces for these needs.

- PERSONALITY: temperament, is the student cheerful (some Mendelssohn or Mozart maybe), passionate (some Russian or Spanish music), or serious (some German music like Brahms or Schumann) as shown in his/her exterior/interior, is he introvert/extrovert? etc...

- REPERTOIRE BUILDING considerations: competitions, recitals, auditions, etc...

- what does the student WANT TO PLAY? you may consider this too, especially for those kids who "don't" really take piano studies seriously.



hope this helps.

[claraclara]

Thank U for your opinions.
Yes what U make out is pretty comprehensive for this topic. I just love to develop the "REPERTOIRE BUILDING considerations"  elaborately by research. Coz I heard someone work on the order of repertoire of a recital just for taking care of lating audience...Put some easygoing stuff first or sth like that. Cool.
Im just thinking there are quite a few possibilties ppl can make out to gain a "proper" repertoire.

[pianistimo]

what a great topic!  gives me something to think about today, besides mundane bill paying.  perhaps having 'theme' recitals is cool.  you know what i think you should do claraclara?  i think you should look at your favorite performers recital lists and see what they put together.  for me, that would be my teacher and richter, and pogorelich, and a few others (arrau).  my teacher is a 'romantic' and has no problems putting together a recital with a vocalist.  that give him some 'breathing time' and the pieces always come out fresh instead of boom boom boom - one after the other.  also, the vocal pieces tie nicely in with the piano pieces.  it makes it poetic.  you can do the same with instrumental.

of course, when you are doing a solo recital - you can't do this.  that's where reviewing artists recitals would give some insight.  (and reading the programs to glean ideas).  i'll do some for you today.  richter themes some - just by playing the entire 'whatever' of ONE composer.  this might be too heavy for audiences now.

pogorelich has some NICE programs.

and, our very own koji probably has all this down pat, too.  maybe you should ask him!  they might teach something like this at uni?  do they?

[pianistimo]

here's my take after looking at the schedule for performing pianists at the sydney opera house.  one program has beethoven's op. 110 and 111 played one right after the other.  does anyone want to discuss this?  seems on the heavy side - but is there a reason they might be played together?

one has 33 variations on a theme by diabelli and schubert's piano sonata D959 (that's the entire recital)  i tend to like recital programs like this - that are clean and clear.

jean-yves thibaudet has another program that i love:
schumann arabesque op.18 , symphonic etudes  and ravel valses nobles and gaspard de nuit

dmitri alexeev:
tchaikovsky songs without words op.2 #3
humoresque, meditation, and three pieces from the seasons op. 37
scriabin sonata #3
shostakovich 12 preludes op. 34
rach. preludes (selected) and sonata #2 op. 36

seems that each program sort of exudes a bit of the personality of the performer.  how they match pieces together and all.  could something be done on a graph to analyze each performer and their choices?  or, is it something philosophically discussed?  does anyone understand more about the 'temperaments.'  are we dealing with temperaments when you have performers that play everything - vs. performers that sort of specialize in romantic music or classical music?  are there other classifications besides temperaments, technical ability, audience?  could a person put together a whole recital that was interesting musicologically?  would  people sit through a lot of talk and play?  or do people only want  play?  does that sort of define a master class - or could it be a new form of performance?  what about digitalized images, dance, etc.  is combining all this with music - taking away or adding to the music?  ok.  i have  wandering mind.

[crazy for ivan moravec]

im sorry, was my reply off? hehe, i was confused if we're talking about programs or repertoire selection for studies. apparently, it is about the former. disregard my reply.

[pianistimo]

does anyone just shut their eyes and point to something on every few pages of hinson's guide to piano repertoire - and just learn it?  does it matter if you plan your repertoire?  (i personally think it does) but what would be a really bad thing to happen if you randomly picked a recital without planning it out to be smooth and lead from one piece to another (via composers, eras, keys, temperaments, technical ability).  has anyone gone to a concert  where the program was terrible.  (personally, i think music has a persuasive charm - and it's hard - if the music is performed well - to not make some sort of connection between pieces even if it is unwritten).  perhaps the worst is to have NO written program.  go out, don't announce your pieces (make everyone guess), and play really badly.  ok.  that's the standard for the worst. 

grading scale:  worst                           middle of the road                   best

music too difficult for performer         performer almost has it          performer handles rep
pieces are chosen randomly              a little thought put into it       carefully chosen
no knowledge of composers             program carefully printed        autograph version
people leave at intermission             people stay after interm.         people won't leave
reviews are terrible                           reviews are ok                        raving reviews


maybe reviews are something to glean info. from?

[pianistimo]

dear ivan moravic,

perhaps it is i who is off.  anyway, in my own experience, i try to practice what i will perform in recital.  but, there are many who practice a lot of pieces and only choose a few for recital.  this is the time factor. 

[kghayesh]

That's a great topic that i've been thinking about much recently.
I think a pianist's repertoire must be varied and balanced between all styles of music. For example, i don't like people who play all Liszt or all Rachmaninov. I think it will be boring for the performer as well as the audience.

I remember going to a recital last January. It was the most pathetic recital i ever attended, and guess what the performance was nearly ok but what made it terrible was the programme which was:
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
Chopin - Etude Op.25 no. 12
-------Intermission-----------
Beethoven - Pathetique sonata
Beethoven - 32 variations in C minor

I don't know how on Earth can a pianist choose this for a recital. It was so boring.

The point of having a various and wide-ranging programme is to entertain the audience and show that you, as a pianist, are able to play music with different styles (Baroque, classical, romantic, contemporary).

[claraclara]

Since the topic is "Factors determining repertoire selection and/or recital programming" nobody replied off. Yes, as Pianistimo said, I got used to practice what i will perform in recital as well. 
Also talking about  the selection for study or programming will be interesting. They got different emphasis.
Anyway either one gonna cost me lots of time to work out...digest words from all of U first of coz. Although I was really supposed to put 2 aspects together to make an 3000word essay up...