Making a good recital program

[fnork]

Recently, I've started to think more and more about how to make a good recital program - which pieces to include, in which order etc etc... The more I've thought about it, the more I'm realizing how difficult it is! Like Horowitz once said, it's like "composing a symphony", where you need contrast between the pieces (ie you shouldn't play six fast pieces right after each other and then a bunch of slow pieces..), but also some kind of "unity". The program shouldn't be random.

To any pianist on this board who has given a lot of solo recitals; what was your program, and how did you go about deciding which pieces to play?

Personally, I've participated solo in lots of concerts but never as the only act - however, I might do a few concerts at the end of the summer. So I've been thinking a lot about what to play and in which order.. The pieces I'm working on now and which I'm selecting from for the programme are:


Beethoven: Waldstein
(possibly) sonata nr 24 in F#major
Bach: English suite no 2 in A minor
Preludes and fugues in C, C minor, Eb minor, G or G#minor
Chopin: Etude op 10 no 1, plus no 3, 9 and 12, Ballade no 3 in Ab major, NOCTURNES OP 27, SCHERZO NO 2
Debussy: Pagodes from Estampes
Brahms: Two rhapsodies op 79
Ravel: Menuet and toccata from Le Tombeau de couperin (possibly the riguadon also), SONATINE.
Bartok: Rumonian dance no 1 op 8a
Shostakovich: P&F op 87 in E minor
Scriabin: Etude op 42 no 5, OP 8 NO 5
Schubert: Impromptu Gb major
Prokofiev: Diabolic suggestion
(possibly Carl Vine: Piano sonata no 1)
LISZT: WALDESRAUSCHEN


Well... no audience would like to hear all of this in one concert and I probably wouldn't be able to prepare all of it either  So I have to select. Here are a few possible programs I've thought about, please give me feedback and suggestions if you have other ideas! btw, the program is without pause, just a 45-50 minute long concert.

1.

Beethoven: Waldstein
Shostakovich: P&F in e minor (complete contrast to the beethoven sonata)
Carl Vine: Piano sonata no 1
Ravel: Menuet and toccata from Le Tombeau de couperin

(Not sure about ending the concert with these ravel pieces, it might be good with a more "relaxed" ending than the toccata, especially after the stormy Vine-sonata. Perhaps Schubert - Impromptu Gb major?)

55 minutes

2.

Bach: English suite a minor
Debussy: Pagodes
Shostakovich: P & F e minor
Beethoven: Waldstein

50-55 minutes

3.

Debussy: Pagodes
Brahms: Rhapsodies op 79
Bartok: Romonian dance no 1 op 8a
Prokofiev: Diabolic suggestion
Ravel: Menuet and toccata from Tombeau

40-45 minutes

4.

Beethoven: Sonata 24 in F#major
Carl Vine: Piano sonata no 1
Chopin: Ballade Ab major
Ravel: Menuet and toccata from Tombeau

45 minutes

[franz_]

I would like to come and watch recital number 3.

[fnork]

I would like to come and watch recital number 3.

Hehe, problem is that I really want to play a beethoven sonata, mostly Waldstein, but it's so long! It takes half of the recital time... which makes it hard to add a lot of other pieces. Recial 3 has a lot of short, fun pieces, but maybe it's not varied enough - most composers are from the same period, no classical works, no bach...

[franz_]

My idea:

Waldstein Sonata
Brahms Rhapsody Op 79
Chopin: Ballade Nr. 3
Prokofiev Suggestion D.
Ravel

May be you could also ad the Shostakovitch. Are just take a break after 30min.

[phil13]

Here's my suggestion:

Bach English Suite No.2 in A minor
Beethoven Waldstein Sonata

Bartok Romanian Dance No.1
Chopin Ballade No.3 in Ab Major

Encore:
Scriabin Etude in C# minor Op.42 No.5

Phil

[mike_lang]

I lean toward number four.  Why don't you add a poll to this?

Best,
ML

[fnork]

Good idea, ML, just added a poll. Added a few new pieces too in the list of possible pieces: Liszts waldesrauschen, Scriabin op 8 no 5, Chopin nocturnes op 27 and scherzo no 2, and also Ravels Sonatine.

Feel free to create your own programme within my repertoire!

[cloches_de_geneve]

Ravel's Sonatine and Liszt's Waldesrauschen are two awesome pieces of music. Fit them in if you can!! However, scherzo 2 is somewhat overplayed, personally I would go for 1 or 4.