Rarely performed Chopin Competition piece.

[thierry13]

I'm searching for a good thing to play by Chopin in competition ... something that both requires a LOT of musicality, and fairly advanced technical skills(for pure technic, i got something else:P). It must not be longer that 10 minutes(because of time limits). I wondered if playing only the finale of Chopin's 3rd sonata would be good or playing a fragment in competition would suck ...

[pianistimo]

idil biret apparently issued a complete chopin set with two years study with alfred cortot (in his eighties - and a world renown chopin specialist).  also with kempff?  anyway - i haven't heard this set - but think it would be worth buying to listen to it all and see what you are interested in playing and what lasts 10 minutes or less.

www.idilbiret.org/ENG/IBe13.htm

[pianistimo]

jacq-yves thibeaut is supposed to be really good, too - playing on the original broadwood piano that chopin played.  i'm not a chopin expert - but more than playing a piece - you are transmitting what you feel that chopin should sound like.

[iumonito]

I'm searching for a good thing to play by Chopin in competition ... something that both requires a LOT of musicality, and fairly advanced technical skills(for pure technic, i got something else:P). It must not be longer that 10 minutes(because of time limits). I wondered if playing only the finale of Chopin's 3rd sonata would be good or playing a fragment in competition would suck ...

Not precisely rarely performed, and not really 10 minutes, but Op. 49 is a great and somewhat underplayed work.

Several of the nocturnes fit the bill.

Again not rarely performed and not really 10 minutes, but the 4th scherzo is another masterpiece not entirely hackeyned.

Chop off a couple of minutes elsewhere and play one of these 2.

[pianote]

u could perform 1 or some of the variations from "La ci darem la mano"

rarely played... and a great piece.

[phil13]

Tarantella! Tarantella! Tarantella! Tarantella! Tarantella! Tarantella! Tarantella! Tarantella! Tarantella!Tarantella! Tarantella! Tarantella!

Can't emphasize that enough. Op.43, in A-flat. It's an awesome piece, it's not really often played, and it fits your description of what you want.

Phil

[brewtality]

I'm searching for a good thing to play by Chopin in competition ... something that both requires a LOT of musicality, and fairly advanced technical skills(for pure technic, i got something else:P). It must not be longer that 10 minutes(because of time limits). I wondered if playing only the finale of Chopin's 3rd sonata would be good or playing a fragment in competition would suck ...

I don't know what sort of comp this is, but I don't think it would be wise to just play one movement. And even if you did, the 1st or 3rd would be much better than the 4th.

[verywellmister]

I second the 4th scherzo.  It is much more demanding than the other scherzi.

i also recommend the 2nd ballade.  also highly musically challenging and technically.

[jehangircama]

Fantasie in F minor op49, Scherzo no. 3 (though that's quite common), and another common but great work is of course the Polonaise in A flat op53. in a competition it would probably not do to play a mvt of a sonata, imo.
a simpler piece is the Andante Spaniato but i don't know if that's what you'd require.

[lung7793]

I would suggest the Berceuse, Introduction and Rondo in Eb, or the Andante Spianato and/or grand polonaise.  Not sure exactly how long these take...Berceuse is def not 10 minutes, but the other 2 might be damn close or more. 

[pianistimo]

i heard a really great rendition of the andante-spianato and it was amazing!  but, as mentioned about the scherzi and ballades - they are amazing, too.  i was studying the 2nd ballade in school and found it very intense and 'storytellingish' - dedicated to schumann - i figured it was about the calm, placid, peaceful family life that schumann had - with his wife and children around him.  but, the middle section a sort of whirlwind of atrocity on the polish villages that chopin had lived in.  his family wiped out.  (not sure what happened to his sister?)  anyway - poor chopin is left with this sort of 'reflection' in a pool of what was and what had been.  you know - how history is like a lake or large body of water and hides what horrors have been covered up or under it.

there's some insight into chopin in a polish music journal - with several writings by mickiwicz (sp?) who inspired chopin with his writing and poetry.  insight into the history of chopin's poland.

[phil13]

Do you guys seriously believe the Scherzi are underplayed, let alone the Ballades?!

Those are played in competitions more often than almost all of Chopin's other works, MAYBE short of the Etudes.

Like I stated before, go with the Tarantella, or else one of the 3 Impromptus besides FI. Op.51 in G-flat is my favorite of those, but the A-flat and F-sharp ones are good too.

Phil

[thalbergmad]

I would consider the Op16 Rondo.

A lovely piece (at least in the hands of Horowitz) that rarely seems to get an outing.

Thal

[ahinton]

I would consider the Op16 Rondo.

A lovely piece (at least in the hands of Horowitz) that rarely seems to get an outing.

Thal

Ever come across the Godowsky transcription of it (one of his earliest Chopin transcriptions)?

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Ever come across the Godowsky transcription of it (one of his earliest Chopin transcriptions)?

Best,

Alistair

I have seen it, would very much like to hear it, but have no chance of being able to play it.

Thal

[sharon_f]

The F sharp minor Polonaise.

[burstroman]

The Barcarolle is beautiful, not a piece with fireworks, but a work to show off one's musicality.

[quasimodo]

The Barcarolle is beautiful, not a piece with fireworks, but a work to show off one's musicality.

The double trills might get a lot stuck...

[cloches_de_geneve]

the calm, placid, peaceful family life that schumann had - with his wife and children around him. 

Now, that is truly an innvovative interpretation of Schumann's life ...

[mephisto]

Now, that is truly an innvovative interpretation of Schumann's life ...

 

The going insane part may not have been that important anyway....

[ihatepop]

You can try 'The Infernal Banquet' or Scherzo No1. (The Infernal Banquet IS Scherzo No1!)

Are you up to it?

ihatepop

[thierry13]

You can try 'The Infernal Banquet' or Scherzo No1. (The Infernal Banquet IS Scherzo No1!)

Are you up to it?

ihatepop

If you looked my post on my Competition program, you would see I play things much harder than that, to answer your questions. And BTW, his nickname is NOT the infernal banquet. Some nowhere named it like that, but this is DEFINATELY not his true name. And it is too overperformed.

[phil13]

I just thought of a few more

Nocturne Op.9 No.3 in B major
Bolero in A minor, Op.19
Either of the posthumous Fugues (these are NEVER EVER played.)

Phil

[thierry13]

I just thought of a few more

Nocturne Op.9 No.3 in B major
Bolero in A minor, Op.19
Either of the posthumous Fugues (these are NEVER EVER played.)

Phil

YES haha i tought exactly about the first two you mentioned last night ... that nocturne is amazing ... moves me so much. The bolero is a very interesting piece. But the posthumous fugues ?? I never heard about them. Where could I get sheet music/record ?

[phil13]

YES haha i tought exactly about the first two you mentioned last night ... that nocturne is amazing ... moves me so much. The bolero is a very interesting piece. But the posthumous fugues ?? I never heard about them. Where could I get sheet music/record ?

I don't even know if they've BEEN recorded. I havce only heard the A-minor one through MIDI, and I haven't found the F-minor one whatsoever.

T repeat, I still think your best bet is the Tarantella, though. Or an Impromptu.

Phil

[thalbergmad]

Check my rare Chopin Zip

https://www.megaupload.com/?d=1M1E548K

Thal

[opuswriter]

I recommend the Fantasie op.49 or the Barcarolle op.60 if you want to show off musical interpretation ability (where technique is only a tool not a goal of itself). May be difficult to play the op.49 in ten minutes though.

[kriskicksass]

The Prelude Opus 45 is rarely played, but not difficult. It is somewhat musically challanging to play without it sounding aimless, and there is a cadenza in double notes that twists the fingers around a bit. It's definitely easier than anything else you're playing, but it's around 5 mins, which leaves you time to pad your other rep. Maybe pair it with a less-heard etude?

[thierry13]

The Prelude Opus 45 is rarely played, but not difficult. It is somewhat musically challanging to play without it sounding aimless, and there is a cadenza in double notes that twists the fingers around a bit. It's definitely easier than anything else you're playing, but it's around 5 mins, which leaves you time to pad your other rep. Maybe pair it with a less-heard etude?

I don't think the prelude would be a good idea for competition ... I wanted to do the Fantasy op.49 but it's too long...

[etudes]

Allegro de Concert?
seems like everyone forget this

[phil13]

Allegro de Concert?
seems like everyone forget this

First of all, it's 13 minutes long.

Second, this is the one and ONLY work by Chopin that I would NEVER consider playing. You would think, for all its serious difficulty, that Chopin could have written something a little more interesting...

Phil

[verywellmister]

First of all, it's 13 minutes long.

Second, this is the one and ONLY work by Chopin that I would NEVER consider playing. You would think, for all its serious difficulty, that Chopin could have written something a little more interesting...

Phil

Concurred.

[thierry13]

First of all, it's 13 minutes long.

Second, this is the one and ONLY work by Chopin that I would NEVER consider playing. You would think, for all its serious difficulty, that Chopin could have written something a little more interesting...

Phil

I wouldn't go as far as to say I would never consider playing, but it sure looks like a hell of a challenge. Man, those kind of things excite me so much  haha. I guess it's too long for my competition this year, but i'll consider learning it next year as my Chopin piece. Definately THE piece I was looking for, never played and effective ... the thing is it's too long for this year, but still... amazing !

[etudes]

First of all, it's 13 minutes long.

Second, this is the one and ONLY work by Chopin that I would NEVER consider playing. You would think, for all its serious difficulty, that Chopin could have written something a little more interesting...

Phil

does it matter with the lengh? fantasie,barcarolle,polonaise fantasy,4th ballade and scherzo are almost the same lengh with this piece...Andante Spianato e Grandes Polonaise brilliant is even longer.
the piece is not that bad for me
another one chopin-forgotten music is variation brilliant (i suppose if i recall the name correctly) Cziffra did some live recordings of this piece ..worth to check it out

[quasimodo]

does it matter with the lengh? fantasie,barcarolle,polonaise fantasy,4th ballade and scherzo are almost the same lengh with this piece...

Fantaisie and Polonaise-Fantaisie are over 12 mins, Barcarolle, Ballade and Scherzi are around 8 mins. That's quite a signifiant difference in a competition program.

[phil13]

does it matter with the lengh? fantasie,barcarolle,polonaise fantasy,4th ballade and scherzo are almost the same lengh with this piece...Andante Spianato e Grandes Polonaise brilliant is even longer.
the piece is not that bad for me
another one chopin-forgotten music is variation brilliant (i suppose if i recall the name correctly) Cziffra did some live recordings of this piece ..worth to check it out

1. He needs something less than 10 minutes long.

2. In my opinion, this is the worst large-scale piece of music Chopin ever wrote. It simply does not compare to the brilliance he showed in the other late pieces; the 4th Ballade, the 3rd Sonata, the Fantasy in F minor, both the Barcarolle and the Polonaise-Fantasie, and even the Cello Sonata in G minor. That's just my opinion, and if the piece works for you, fine. I just don't believe it's worth its difficulty, unlike the others.

Phil

[phil13]

another one chopin-forgotten music is variation brilliant (i suppose if i recall the name correctly) Cziffra did some live recordings of this piece ..worth to check it out

Unlike the Allegro de Concert, I do like this work. It's the 'Ludovic' variations brillantes Op.12 right?

Another 2 pieces I forgot to mention are the Rondos besides Op.16; a la Mazur (in F?) Op.5, and Op.1 in C minor. Also underplayed. I especially like the Op.1 one.

Phil

Phil

[immanueljoseph]

Hi,

I will introduce some Chopin's rarely played, but actually wonderful pieces technically & musically:

1. Introduction & Rondo (Rondo No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 16)
2. Allegro de Concerto in A Major, Op. 46
3. Krakowiak, in F Major, Op. 14 (originally for Piano & Orchestra)
4. Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op. 61

The 4th one perhaps has been performed quite often, but it's still a niece piece. So you can choose any one of those titles above & start practising. Good luck!

Best regards,

Joseph

[jakev2.0]

There's this really exciting etude in the Opus 10 set that is wrongfully neglected. I think it's no. 4 in C sharp minor.

[liszt-essence]

Prelude op 28 No 24 = 2:35  Very exciting piece. 

Polonaise in Ab minor op 53 = 6:20

brings you to 8:55 so nearly 9 minutes.

Then one more prelude:  OP 28 no 3 = 0:59. Nice happy prelude, not too difficult but it puts a smile on my face and is rich in it is musicality.

If none of this works for you. Perhaps go with Ballade op 23 no 1 In g minor. Its 9:54 in length. It's just a beautiful piece.


Btw If I read jury reports on competetion, I often read this:

"Player X was technically allright, he gave us a decent musical performance. But... he played as if this was a concert hall filled with 2000 people.. where was the Pianissimo??"

So fit the volume to the size of the hall and the audience. Use that Pianissimo.

P will impress the jury a lot more than F.  And with that in mind, If you were to play in a small to normal place then Ballad in G minor is suitable for this because it has many parts that are to be played quietly.

[sissco]

Rondo in F Op. 5, Tarantella and variations op. 12 ...yesss

[Pumkinhead]

My vote definately goes for the Barcarolle. It's late Chopin, it's infintely deep, it's unpianistic ie. difficult, it requires a "mature" virtuostic touch, IT FITS THE TIME LIMIT, and it's basically a Chopin Nocturne on crack. Don't worry about the technical difficulty too much. I know a few Juilliarders who played this in their auditions.

[viking]

I would have to agree, the Tarantella is a great piece rarely performed.  Do consider learning it.

[dnephi]

Hey thal con u please reup load the rare Chop please?

[imbetter]

Chopin's Barcarolle. It's beautifal but rarely played.

[opus10no2]

op1 rondo in C minor

I'm lovin it

[bachfan87]

What about the Introduction and Rondo in Eb, op. 16? It's approxamately 10 minutes...the beginning requires a lot of musicality and the rest is more technical. It's difficult, but not too difficult.

[dbrainiak914]

If you're looking for something easier than the burners these fanatics are recommending, the Impromptu Op. 29 would be a great choice, as Chopinesque as a piece can get IMO.

[ihatepop]

Hey thal con u please reup load the rare Chop please?

Yes, I second it. PLEASE...................

ihatepop

[bflatminor24]

Rondo in F Op. 5, Tarantella and variations op. 12 ...yesss

Hey who is playing?