recital order

[donjuan]

I am giving a recital with 2 other students of my teacher.  They have the first half, and then I play for a target time of 35 - 40 minutes.  Here is the order of my pieces:


other 2 students perform - (works of Jazz, Mozart, Debussy)

-----intermission-----

me-
Liszt: Transcendental Etude No. 1 (~1 min)
Liszt: Sonetto 104 del Petrarca (~ 6 min)
Liszt: Ballade No. 2 (~15 min)
Rachmaninoff: Prelude Op. 23 No. 4 (~ 6 min)
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (~ 10 min)

Questions:
Is my 40 minutes of playing varied enough? i.e. not too much of similar sounding music? (Bit of a worry with all the Liszt)

Can you recommend a better order for my pieces?

Thanks,
donjuan

*EDIT 05/13/06: one of the other students isn't playing.  there is now extra time and I have another month to learn something new. recommendations?

[contrapunctus]

Why don't you play some good music, say, some Bach or Haydn?

I agree with you that the liszt will start to sound very boring about half a minute through the first piece.

Seriously, why are you only playing middle, late romantic period stuff?

[pita bread]

Why don't you play some good music, say, some Bach or Haydn?

I agree with you that the liszt will start to sound very boring about half a minute through the first piece.

Seriously, why are you only playing middle, late romantic period stuff?

Because it is good music.

[donjuan]

Why don't you play some good music, say, some Bach or Haydn?

the other students in the first half do that stuff better than me.

[mikey6]

You could put the Rach inbetween the sonett and the ballade coz they're more poetic Liszt or swap them around.  I think possibly
Liszt etude
Ballade
Rach prelude
Sonetto
Rhapsody

but then depending if the sonett and Rach are too similar (both rather dreamy although the sonetto does have some finger work in it).  Either that or knock one out.

[pianowelsh]

Depending on how much time you have Id be inclined to swap the Liszt Rhapsody for the Brahms Bminor one.  I generally dont think when youve broken away from a composer (ie with the Rachmaninov) that you should go back to them.  It sounds to obvious.  Keep the audience moving forward, musically or they tend to get bored. The only other solution i can think of is to actually put the rach first.  This could work if everyone previously has been doing whizzy classical pieces because you can then wow everyone by starting in a very poetice and centered way and then smack them between the eyes with your virtuoso pieces.  I have to say id be Very tempted to loose the etude - fr all the minute it takes i think its a bit of over kill and the Ballade has such a spectacular start I think you could easily pick up the pace after the rachmaninov with that opening. Because they both have big openings the programme will start to sound the same and with the etude only being 1 min they havent had time to forget it yet!

I Think this could also work well...
Rachmaninov
---------------- Pause! conscious break of mood!
Sonetto (very embracing piece)
Ballade (dark brooding opening) contrast
Liszt Rhapsody (virtuoso exit!)

You could then hold the etude back and if you get lots of applause throw it in as an encore - this would take no extra work and look alot more impressive!

[donjuan]

Thanks for responding!

mikey6, you made me think.. how about this swap from what you suggested:

Liszt etude
Rach prelude
Ballade
Sonetto
Rhapsody

It's actually just what I planned originally, but with swapping the rach prelude and sonetto.  pianowelsh makes a valid point about not liking to break away from a composer and then come back. Liszt etude is just an introduction; Consider Ballade the first piece to begin the Liszt works.

mikey6, you are right - Rach prelude and Sonetto are pretty similar, and I didn't want them side by side.  Also, Rhapsody and Ballade are longish pieces, and I dont want to play them one after another, as pianowelsh suggested.  People must have breaks to cough and shuffle in their seats etc.

About the etude:  Dont think of it as a piece really; pianowelsh, I think this piece is more of an introduction than an encore.  it is often called "Prelude to the Transcendental Etudes" and in that documentary "art of the piano," it made for a nice effect when it was performed during the opening credits.  I wouldn't play it in any showoffy or pretentious way; I just wanted it to greet the audience.

I dont think I can learn that Brahms rhapsody in time.. also, once, at a competition, this piece was one of the 'staple' pieces all competitors were required to play.  i think Liszt's rhapsody is more unique and makes for better ending material for a recital.  I wanted to do Bach-Busoni Chaconne in Dm as an ending, but ..... ;)I'm only human.

[tompilk]

why play bach, let alone haydn, when you can play liszt?
Tom

[stevie]

I agree with you that the liszt will start to sound very boring about half a minute through the first piece.

hahaha, the first piece is half a minute long, im sure you know

[tompilk]

anyway, how can liszt be boring? i dont think you can have too much liszt.. it's so full and so much is going on that even if you played the same piece 5 times, its just as interesting each time...
Tom

[donjuan]

oh guess what?  it turns out one of the other pianists is not going to be playing.  Now there is extra time, and my teacher said I can learn something new to add to the concert list.

I only have a month to learn and memorize the new piece.

I was thinking of keeping the Liszt theme going and doing Consolation No. 2 or the Wagner Transcription "Elsa's Dream" <--because they are both short and I think I can learn one of em in a month.

any other suggestions?  I have to make up my mind soon because time is short.  No point recommending somehitng long and crazy difficult like Tannhauser overture, ok?

thanks

[jason2711]

Yeah, the consolation number 2 is nice, it would be a good one to go for if you've only got a month.  Good luck, whatever you choose to do!

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I was thinking of keeping the Liszt theme going and doing Consolation No. 2 or the Wagner Transcription "Elsa's Dream" <--because they are both short and I think I can learn one of em in a month.

How about the Wagner-Liszt Abendstern from Tannhauser? It's both fairly short and pretty easy.

[donjuan]

How about the Wagner-Liszt Abendstern from Tannhauser? It's both fairly short and pretty easy.

yeah I never thought of that one thanks


i think it might be a little hard to memorize in just a month though..

[bach-liszt]

Hey, DJ,  I really like the program. 

IMHO, however, your program needs a bit of a release from the considerable tension created in the music.  From a stylistic standpoint, I would not add another Liszt work.    How about something from American composer Edward MacDowell, I have been playing some of his Woodland Sketches and Etudes  -- it has been a nice break for me and it is enjoyable music, harmonic and not hard to memorize.

Enjoy your playing and have fun at the recital!

[alejo_90]

Hi Orien (If that's your name) !

I really liked your recital program, altough I would change the Rach Prelude 23/4 for the 23/5 (if you have learnt it / I don't care if it is overplayed).
As for the extra piece, I was thinking about Liszt's Waldesrauschen.

Practice a lot and Have fun !

PD. Would you mind to record that HR 2 ?  Your cadenza is one my favourites. 

Good Luck
Alex

[tompilk]

how about 2 chopin waltzes? they aren't too hard and everyone loves them. I'm learning C Minor Op. 64 No. 2 and Op. 18... both are really nice and not too difficult...
Tom

[krittyot]

I would take out the Liszt Ballade no.2 and replace it with Bach's Tccaca BWV911. You just have to re-arrange your program. Don't put too many Liszt pieces. Good luck.

[mutedstring]

all "crowd pleasers"... i believe whatever order you do, the audience will like them...