Recital

[chopinfan_22]

I'm planning a recital to perform in the Summer of 2007. I'm thinking probably sometime in June. Where I live, it's a small town, so people here don't get to see piano performances often. I thought about playing the following, and in the following order:

1. Ballade Op. 23 -- Chopin
2. Moonlight Sonata (All Movements) -- Beethoven
3. Etude Op 25 No. 12 -- Chopin

*Intermission*

4. Tempest Sonata (All Movements) -- Beethoven
5. Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 -- Rachmaninoff
6. Etude Op. 10 No. 3 -- Chopin

Encore: Berceuse in Db -- Chopin


I know these pieces are all familiar, and some overplayed. I want to play pieces that the crowd will know, and some they may not. I'm trying to encorporate a variety. I don't want the recital to be overly long. With this lineup, including the intermission, the recital is just a little over an hour. Simple. What do you guys think? Since this isn't a professional recital, I'm not concerned with touching all the periods of music.

[canardroti]

sounds good, i would attend it.
WHich ballade are you playing?

[Kassaa]

Please not the first ballade, you have overplayed, and too overplayed. Why not do the second instead?

And IF you're going to do the first ballade, play it before the intermission, it's a good piece for ending a half with.

[invictus]

If you want it varied, then your program now is definitely not varied

4 chopin (including encore!) [even 2 etudes!]
2 Beethoven sonatas! (1 is enough)
1 Rachmaninoff (a prelude..!?! try putting it at the beginning)

[chopinfan_22]

I meant I didn't care if it was varied in the sense of hitting every major period of classical music. I like the program the way it is. And yes, I'm playing the first Ballade, because I'll bet you more than half the people who would go to that recital wouldn't have heard it, no matter how overplayed it is. I'm just playing some of my favorites.

[letters]

i think its really good, i like how you start and end with chopin, which brings some structure, and i like how even though many of these pieces are often overplayed, your still playing them because you enjoy it and because you think the audience will too. And its true that the audience may not have heard all of these pieces, which can only be a good thing!!

[gruffalo]

ok, my comment is not going to be on 'whats overplayed or not', but if these people havent heard Chopin Ballade No.1, then they probably havent heard much classical piano music or piano recitals. 2 Beethoven Sonatas will be too boring for the non-classical ear. you have to take yourself back to a time, maybe when you first got into classical music, or when you were less interested. At those times you prefer to hear more of the Romantics. ok you can argue about Beethoven being late classical, but argue from point your ear. they will get bored.

[alejo_90]

ok, my comment is not going to be on 'whats overplayed or not', but if these people havent heard Chopin Ballade No.1, then they probably havent heard much classical piano music or piano recitals. 2 Beethoven Sonatas will be too boring for the non-classical ear. you have to take yourself back to a time, maybe when you first got into classical music, or when you were less interested. At those times you prefer to hear more of the Romantics. ok you can argue about Beethoven being late classical, but argue from point your ear. they will get bored.

I totally agree, two Beethoven Sonatas will be too boring for the non-classical ear. And you should give them some Liszt as an Encore.

How about something like this?

1. Ballade No.1 Op. 23 -- Chopin
2. Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor (Moonlight) -- Beethoven
3. Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 in C sharp minor -- Rachmaninoff

*Intermission*

4. Etude Op.10 No.1 -- Chopin
5. Any short and well known sonata (Less than 15 min)
6. Etude de Concert No.2 "Gnomenreigen" -- Liszt

Encore: Chopin's Heroic polonaise / Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies No.2 or 6 / Chopin's 2nd Scherzo.

That should make about an hour.

I'm not saying that you have to play exactly what I put on the program. They're just examples, and they must be well known. You also need to give them a virtuoso encore.

Good luck !
Alex

[lagin]

Now, now guys.  I am working on my performer's degree (well, finishing up grade 10 and starting ARCT pieces anyway) and I have never heard Chopin's 1st Ballade.  (seriously)

[gruffalo]

oh dear. you need treatment, and quick.

if you PM me, i may upload it to you.

[chopinfan_22]

I'm not saying that you have to play exactly what I put on the program. They're just examples, and they must be well known. You also need to give them a virtuoso encore.

Good luck !
Alex

I'm not a virtuoso. I'm only 17. I'm just giving a recital for the enjoyment of people who don't ever get a chance to go to one.

[alejo_90]

I'm not a virtuoso. I'm only 17.

No problem ! I'm just suggesting something. You may choose whatever piece you like. I was just saying that it has to be well known, that's why I put Heroic Polonaise or Hungarian Rhapsody No.6. And your recital is in one year, so you are plenty of time to practise and improve your technique. You can play some Chopin Etudes anyways, and those are pretty difficult. 

I'm just giving a recital for the enjoyment of people who don't ever get a chance to go to one.

That's exactly why you need to play well known pieces. Your program has to be enjoyable for a non-classical ear. I would attend it but I live way too far ! (Peru) 

Good Luck again !
Alex

[gruffalo]

chopinfan, virtuoso or not, i would seriously listen to some of our suggestions here. One Beethoven Sonata is good, but not 2. alex's example recital programme is a very good example, so try to follow it. you can follow it with pieces that are easier or difficult.

if you want people to sleep during your recital, then fine. but here us out if you want this to be good.

[chopinfan_22]

Perhaps I could replace the Tempest with something. Now, before any suggestions are made, all the pieces I listed, I cannot play (at this point), so I have to learn all of them in one year. However, I know the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata. I'll... think of something. I thought about doing an all-Chopin recital... playing a ballade, nocturne, waltz, poloniase, etc.

[donjuan]

I would certainly attend this concert; it looks great!

[chopinfan_22]

Alright... this is what I'm thinking....

1. Ballade Op. 23 -- Chopin
2. Moonlight Sonata -- Beethoven
3. Prelude in C# Minor -- Rachmaninoff

*Intermission*

4. Etude Op. 10 No. 12 OR Etude Op. 25 No. 12 -- Chopin
5. Tango -- Isaac Albeniz OR Prelude No. 1 "Danseuses de Delphes" -- Debussy
6. La Campanella (Ideally) or Gnomenreigen -- Liszt

Encore: Berceuse in Db -- Chopin

Ideally, I'd like to play La Campanella, but I don't think that's a possiblity. I'm just not good enough yet. Let me know what you guys think.

[alejo_90]

Alright... this is what I'm thinking....

1. Ballade Op. 23 -- Chopin
2. Moonlight Sonata -- Beethoven
3. Prelude in C# Minor -- Rachmaninoff

*Intermission*

4. Etude Op. 10 No. 12 OR Etude Op. 25 No. 12 -- Chopin
5. Tango -- Isaac Albeniz OR Prelude No. 1 "Danseuses de Delphes" -- Debussy
6. La Campanella (Ideally) or Gnomenreigen -- Liszt

Encore: Berceuse in Db -- Chopin

Ideally, I'd like to play La Campanella, but I don't think that's a possiblity. I'm just not good enough yet. Let me know what you guys think.

That's much better. Now the problem is to learn all that stuff within one year.
Good Luck with that.

Alex

[chopinfan_22]

I'm currently learning the Rachmaninoff Prelude. I'll probably have that learned by this summer. This summer, I'm going to try and get as many of them learned as possible. I know the Berceuse and Tango/Prelude 1 won't be a problem. I already know the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata, and I'll probably learn the second over the summer, and I'll try to tackle the Ballade to get it out of the way. It's just the last movement of Moonlight, the Chopin Etude, and La Camp/Gnomenreigen that pose a problem.

[gruffalo]

ah, spot on. good choice, cant really change much. the Chopin Ballade op.23 defo the best one for the non-classical and classical ear.

Gruff