Show off pieces

[kelly_kelly]

I know this topic has been posted often, but I need some suggestions for flashy pieces that aren't impossibly difficult  (Grade 8 or slightly above). Any help would be appreciated!

[tompilk]

hehehe... im at this level too (grade 8 and slightly above) and I asked tis question around xmas time... i didnt get any real answers... I played Rachmaninov's Prelude in G minor Op. 23 No. 5 - badly, if people remember. Im now having a go at Alkan Op. 39 No. 2 En Rhythme Mossolique. By no way am I going to be able to play it at a reasonable standard, or even play all of it but the experience is extremely beneficial i find (playing pieces way too difficult.
That said, it can render the piece unplayable in later life when perhaps I want to play it in it's glory...
So, what type of music to you like? Scriabin? Some of his preludes are amazing... op 11 nos 14 and 24 are the ones Im having a go at...
If you like mozart then i have no idea... i personally find him a load of *snore* - well his piano concertos are good but thats about it...
Tom

[bench warmer]

Grainger:  In Dahomey   also called [i]Cakewalk Smasher[/i], really. Great fun to play & listen to. 

[kelly_kelly]

Thanks for the suggestion, but isn't that FRSM level (that's out of my league)?

[tompilk]

yes its extremely difficult lol...
Tom

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Two pieces that are flashy without being outrageously difficult:

Rubinstein's arrangement of the Turkish March from Beethoven's "Ruins of Athens".
Liszt fantasy on themes from Rienzi.

The Liszt is the harder, but as flashy Liszt goes, this is at the easier end.
Good octaves will help with both.

[tompilk]

the country garden one sounds easier.. lol.. still a very memorable and awesome piece....
Tom

[bench warmer]

Sorry about the difficulty level in Cakewalk Smasher.
 What is a "FRSM" level?

[da jake]

Chopin E minor Posth. Waltz.

[dnephi]

Chopin E minor Posth. Waltz.

He's right.  It's like grade 6 or something.  But it's an amazing ride if you pull it off!

[tompilk]

He's right.  It's like grade 6 or something.  But it's an amazing ride if you pull it off!

yeah good choice..
Tom

[pianote]

some I can think of...

Schumann -   Soaring (Aufschwung) from Kreisleriana
Beethoven -  Pathetique Sonata, Mvt III
Beethoven  -  Op.10, No.1  Allegro Molto e con Brio
Dohnanyi   -   Rhapsody in C Major
Brahms     -    Rhapsody, op.79 No.2
Prokofiev  -    Suggestion Diabolique
Mendelssohn -  Scherzo in e minor, Op.16, No.2
MacDowell   -   Hungarian (forget opus / number... but it's an etude)
Schubert     -    Four Impromptus, D.899, Op.90, No. 2 Eb major
Bartok      -       Allegro Barbaro  &  Roumanian Folk Dances (especially last movement) & 
                         Suite, Op.14 (I think 1 and 6, but I might be wrong) & Two Roumanian     
                        Dances, op. 8a, No.1
Gershwin   -     Preludes for Piano I & III
Copland    -      The Cat & Mouse
Mendelssohn -   Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14
Bach          -       Italian Concerto, BWV 971: I
Bach          -       Fantasia in c minor BMW 906
Lecuona    -        Malaguena from Suite Andalucia
Liszt          -        Liebestraume
Rachmaninoff -   Prelude in C#  & Prelude in g
Glinka         -       The Lark
Ravel         -        Sonatine, III Anime

[kelly_kelly]

Wow! Thanks guys  !

[nanabush]

some I can think of...

Schumann -   Soaring (Aufschwung) from Kreisleriana
Beethoven -  Pathetique Sonata, Mvt III
Beethoven  -  Op.10, No.1  Allegro Molto e con Brio
Dohnanyi   -   Rhapsody in C Major
Brahms     -    Rhapsody, op.79 No.2
Prokofiev  -    Suggestion Diabolique
Mendelssohn -  Scherzo in e minor, Op.16, No.2
MacDowell   -   Hungarian (forget opus / number... but it's an etude)
Schubert     -    Four Impromptus, D.899, Op.90, No. 2 Eb major
Bartok      -       Allegro Barbaro  &  Roumanian Folk Dances (especially last movement) & 
                         Suite, Op.14 (I think 1 and 6, but I might be wrong) & Two Roumanian     
                        Dances, op. 8a, No.1
Gershwin   -     Preludes for Piano I & III
Copland    -      The Cat & Mouse
Mendelssohn -   Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14
Bach          -       Italian Concerto, BWV 971: I
Bach          -       Fantasia in c minor BMW 906
Lecuona    -        Malaguena from Suite Andalucia
Liszt          -        Liebestraume
Rachmaninoff -   Prelude in C#  & Prelude in g
Glinka         -       The Lark
Ravel         -        Sonatine, III Anime

Wow, a very nice list of show-offy pieces around grd 8.  I'll also add a few:

Debussy - Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum from Children's Corner
Chopin - Etude in Gb Op 10 #5
Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas (1st and 2nd, third is overly difficult)
Schubert - Various Impromptus (Check out the Eb major, don't know the number, but it's alot of running scales, and it's like 9 pages)

[kelly_kelly]

A tentative list of what I'm playing so far might help (this is for an upcoming recital):

Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata (complete)
Mozart: K. 457 (1st and 2nd mvts)
Chopin: Nocturne no. 21 in C minor
             Etude 25-1
             Maybe Prelude Op. 28 No. 8
             Maybe Waltz Op. 69 No. 2 

Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas (1st and 2nd, third is overly difficult)

I didn't know the third was so far beyond Gr. 8.

[nanabush]

Third is LRSM in USA, I'm assuming your going by that system.  All three are LRSM actually, but the first two are very manageable at around grd 8 to DipAbrsm.  The third one is longer than the other two, the left hand actually does not have one rest, the middle section is quite tiring, and the two climax sections with all the major chords in the right hand is an absolute b*tch.  The other half of that page is jumpy to the max in both hands in random directions.

[burstroman]

Toccata by Khachaturian (sp)

[alejo_90]

Grand Galop Chromatique at Cziffra speed !!! 

[soliloquy]

Liszt Consolation No. 6

[franzliszt2]

Liszt Gnomenriegen
Its very tricky, but great show off piece

Gershwin prelude 1 and 3 always go nicly with an audience.

Chopin op10no4

Prokofievs toccata.

Brahms hungarian dances!!!!!

Only problem, bloody hard, and harder than they sound, but great musical pieces,a nd such fun!! I remeber listening to Kissin playing no1 as an encore to Brahms 2nd concreto, wow

And rachmaninoff midsummer nights dream transcription

[franz_]

Grand Galop Chromatique at Cziffra speed !!! 

Mission impossible.

[rapmasterb]

Fantaise Impromptu is very flashy as is Flight of the Bumblebee (Rachmaninov). Actually how far above grade 8 would Flight of the Bumblebee be?

[nanabush]

Flight of the bumblebee Rach version I find the notes in right hand easy to play, it's just fitting that together with the massive left hand chords... When focusing on the left hand, sometimes I lose focus on the right hand, and if you slip one of ur notes up, then ur gonna have to be good at recovering.  I'd say it'd be about DipABRSM in the US, or grd10/performers' in Canada.

[invictious]

-

[walking_encyclopedia]

Toccata by Khachaturian (sp)

i'll second that. the khach toccata is a very awesome piece and great for showing off :-)

[kevinatcausa]

Grieg's "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen" would also fit the bill. 

[pianowelsh]

I would suggest that you take a look at some of the Moszkowski etudes. Some of them are very impressive sounding and many of them arent as hard as they sound but are definately ABRSM level some may be a little higher.

[letters]

Grieg's "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen" would also fit the bill. 

i am at the standard of the orginal poster and ive been having a go at this. my teacher showed me fantasie impromptu but i find it very hard, the middle section is nice tho but not particularly flashy!! i have also been ploughing through rach g minor prelude but again pretty difficult HOWEVER i think the C# minor one is good because its famous and manageable, the ends pretty big with 4 staves!! ive been playing pieces by albeniez from the suite espangnole and some of those are pretty flashy!! all quite maneagable tho.

[dnephi]

Grieg's "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen" would also fit the bill. 

Girls like that song
MacDowell 12 virtuoso studies- I highly recommend. #10 is march wind.  It is stunning.  It is a great etude.  I got great wrist staccato, powerful wrists, jumping skills, and of course a great piece for my repertoire.  Check it out.

[kriskicksass]

HOWEVER i think the C# minor one is good because its famous and manageable, the ends pretty big with 4 staves!!

I'm not trying to be condescending or anything, so don't take this the wrong way, but the audience can't be impressed by the fact that it's on 4 staves unless they have the music in front of them. 

Seriously though, it's great music. Have fun playing it!

[kelly_kelly]

I'm not trying to be condescending or anything, so don't take this the wrong way, but the audience can't be impressed by the fact that it's on 4 staves unless they have the music in front of them. 

Seriously though, it's great music. Have fun playing it!

I think letters meant that it has a grand ending, which the audience will notice without the music.

Does anyone have recordings or music for the MAcDowell etudes?

[jehangircama]

I am also at this level and one piece i've managed to pick up reasonably is the A major Chopin polonaise op. 40 no.1. i'll check out some of the pieces mentioned here for something new also.

[verywellmister]

You could try some movements of Prokofiev's Sonata no.2 in D minor (the Scherzo is challenging but not bad). 
Hungarian Rhapsody no.6 is another idea.

[franz_]

You could try some movements of Prokofiev's Sonata no.2 in D minor (the Scherzo is challenging but not bad). 

Isn't this very hard?

[invictious]

-

[gruffalo]

Debussy - Jardin sous la pluie. easier than it sounds and looks, i pulled it off at grade 8 and i know a grade 8 student doing it quite well.

[tompilk]

I am also at this level and one piece i've managed to pick up reasonably is the A major Chopin polonaise op. 40 no.1. i'll check out some of the pieces mentioned here for something new also.

ah yes! im the same level and just learnt this,... sounds much harder than it is!
Tom

[alejo_90]

ah yes! im the same level and just learnt this,... sounds much harder than it is!

Absolutely true !
I once heard Ashkenazy playing it on his Polonaises Cd and I was mad, I wanted to play it like him, so I got the score and I realised it was much easier than it sounded like.

Best
Alex

[jspash]

could someone point me to a thread or webpage that explains the various grading systems?

[kelly_kelly]

This is going to sound insane, but how hard is Prelude from Debussy's Pour le Piano? Can I learn it in two weeks (with a ridiculous amount of practicing)?

Does anyone have the music to this piece?

[anekdote]

My showoff pieces are Scriabin preludes... 11/14 or 39/1 usually work pretty well.

[gyzzzmo]

Just tell the audience the piece is a very hard piece from Scriabin and start banging random notes on the piano.

[invictious]

Just tell the audience the piece is a very hard piece from Scriabin and start banging random notes on the piano.

Or do you mean Prokofiev

[verywellmister]

HR 6?? Are you mad? I personally think the beginning is the most difficult section, the octaves are actually pretty easy if you know how to do it

oops i meant HR 7
sorry
its still no walk in the park

[tompilk]

yeah... prok... early scriabin sounds like rachmaninov to me... not random... late scriabin is far from random if you listen a few times...
Tom

[verywellmister]

You could try some movements of Prokofiev's Sonata no.2 in D minor (the Scherzo is challenging but not bad). 

Isn't this very hard?

It's hard, but the SCHERZO movement is what I was talking about and its not insane like the Vivace movement.

[jehangircama]

there's a Tchaikowsky Romance in F minor(i think) which was in the trinity grade 8 book. it has a nice section which repeats a couple of times. might be worth a try. i'm going to now have a look at the mendellhssohn rondo capricio which someone suggested and see how it fits into the hand. my teacher said it shouldn't be too much trouble.

[gyzzzmo]

Or do you mean Prokofiev

Oops yeah, i ment Prokofiev :p

[elevateme]

burgmuller - l'hirondelle (the swallow)

i think from etudes op. 100

really really worth doing, not hard at all and very very fancy/fast

also chopin minute waltz is only about grade 6

[cloches_de_geneve]

I would put in a vote for Liszt's "Au bord d'une source", not exactly easy, but not very hard either. The effect of this piece -- if decently managed -- on most listeners will be simply dazzling.