competition

[liszmaninopin]

I am going to be playing in a piano competition this coming May.  Here is what I plan on playing, what is your opinion of these pieces as a program?

Bach Prelude & Fugue #6 (WTC bk. 1)  I already know this.
Beethoven Pathetique Sonata 1st movement.  I can play this.
Rachmaninoff Sonata #1, 1st movement.  I still need to learn about half of this, should be done by end of February.

Do you think that if I did these pieces really well, they would impress judges at a competition?

[Matthias]

I wouldn't take the Rachmaninoff, if I still have to learn half of it. I would rather take a piece that I know and which I can perform very well.

Me to I have to do a piano competition in May.
My program:
Bach: Prelude & Fugue 20 (book 2)
Beethoven: Sonate op. 101 1ste movement
Debussy: Etude 11: pour les arpèges composées
Screabin: Flammes sombres (op.73/2)
4the Ballade op.52 of Chopin

Any suggestions?

[bitus]

Lisztmaninopin, don't try to impress your jury with the complexity of your program... but rather take a piece that is at your level, and personalize it, play it from your heart. Quality no quantity, remember?
Given your age (15?) i would say it's not that bad repertoire. However, i will asure you that a jury would appreciate you more if you played a full sonata, not just one movement (Matthias, u 2 ) It's just like watching Lord of The Rings, but only part one ;]
The Bitus

[Hannah Joy]

I have to agree with Bitus there.  You rarely hear something from WTC played well.  I think they're often assigned to less proficient pianists because they're fairly easy technically.  If you can really play it musically, it would be impressive - as well as refreshing.

[liszmaninopin]

Thank you for your suggestions, but there is a problem.  The requirements of the competition state that I can only play one movement (I would do the whole thing if allowed, though), I picked those movements because they show a range of expression, and I enjoy them alot.

I definitely agree that one doesn't often hear WTC done well.  I didn't like Bach until quite recently, and then I did some careful listening to him and playing of his works and really started warming to his compositions.  Perhaps why I didn't like him was that all performances I've ever heard of Bach have been flat beyond belief, but when I add emotion to my playing, Bach really can be quite enjoyable.

I think I gave the wrong impression in my post.  What I meant to show was that I can in fact play the first two things quite well, and the third thing I am working on and should be able to do well fairly soon.  Then it can be polished up long before the competition arrives.  I really meant to ask if the repertoire, done well, would be suitable, I wasn't looking for easier repertoire.

[comme_le_vent]

these judge dudes really piss me off, this forum's beloved Ed was knocked out of a competition for his choice of programme. this is utter bollocks.
wether what you play is good music or fits together well or what-bloody-ever, it should be the quality of the playing that matters!
if i was entering a competition id say - screw bach im playing telemann, screw chopin im playing alkan, and screw rachmaninov im playin medtner, in any order i bloody like!
whats wrong with the world today?  

[liszmaninopin]

I find it hard to believe that they'd knock somebody out because of repertoire choice, they just shouldn't have let them enter.

It is the quality of playing that matters, they just want you to play certain things well.  I don't agree with it, but I can see the logic behind stipulating a choice of composers that are acceptable.

I like these pieces that I mentioned; to a large degree they are my free choice.  I could have played a bunch of different things, but here is the "logic" behind my choices and the order they're in.

I begin with a simple, sweet Bach prelude, and go into a fugue that is more complex and interesting, with an enjoyable melody.  If done well, they would be a primer of sorts, and would interest the judges.  Then, the Beethoven has a good deal of energy, as well as some nice lyrical sections; for balance.  After the powerful ending, the Rach has a soft and sweet opening, which devlops into one of the most powerful climaxes I know of in solo piano repertoire.  There are some beautiful melodies in it as well.

I do see your point, though.  It is being rather cretinous to stipulate that I can only play 1 movement from a Sonata.

[bitus]

Liszmaninopin,
I'm asuming that the competition you are going to attend is not that big, since you mentioned it's just a state-level competition? If this competition's requirements don't satisfy you, aim higher!
I used to go to a lot of competitions when i was younger, but my teacher would put me from time to time in a easy one so that i would win and have more confidence
Also... choosing the Pathetique was a little risky because it's such a well-know piece... the same with the other ones. And here comme_le_vent has a good advantage over you, since he plays pieces that aren't performed as much as the ones you play.
The Bitus.

[liszmaninopin]

What might you suggest instead of those?  I'd really like to keep the Rachmaninoff, but I can part with the others.

[liszmaninopin]

Is Scarbo played alot?  I could replace the Beethoven with Scarbo, that would be allowed, because it "contrasts" with the others still.  It's not that big of a competition, but is drawing from the Baltimore-Washington metro area and the surrounding environment for some distance-I live over 100 miles from its location.  I'm not really worried about it, but I would certainly like to win.

[liszmaninopin]

I just realized something about competitions.  They take the focus off of the music, which is where it is supposed to be; and put it on the performer.  It all becomes about winning, showing off, which in most circumstances is considered a very bad thing.

[bitus]

When I was writing about your repertoire that is very well-know, i wasn't discouraging you from playing it However, if you were to start it all over again, it wouldn't be very recomended to play things that are played in malls, or Forrest Gump, The Pianist, etc
My knowledge of the piano-repertoire is not as vast as some other's on this forum, and i'll let them give you advice on what else could you be working on
The Bitus

[liszmaninopin]

I definitely agree that the Pathetique and the Bach are overplayed.  But honestly, I don't hear many people play Rachmaninoff's D minor Sonata.  I am starting to question exactly what I want to end up doing for the competition after all.  It's a good thing I have plenty of time-I'd like to prepare something new because I nearly always work best with a deadline.  If you tell me I have to perform something in 3 weeks, it'll be learned, but if I don't have deadlines, I get easily sidetracked.

[chopiabin]

Try Scriabin's etude op.8#12 or op.49#5. These pieces are amazing, and although the judges probably would have heard the twelve, they would be amazed at a good perfomance of such a difficult and emotional piece. Same with the 5 except it is rarely played. These pieces are very different from the other things you mentioned, and coming from a 15 year old would probably send the judges to the mental institution. You could definitely play these though.

[liszmaninopin]

That's an idea!  If I was doing Scriabin, maybe I could do the Sonata #9-probably my favorite piece of his.  Do you really think that judges would react well to Scriabin?

[liszmaninopin]

Op. 8 #12 is a beautiful piece.  I've never actually heard the op. 49 #5 before, though.  How would it compare to the #12?  Are there any recordings available online?

[liszmaninopin]

Do you mean the op. 42 #5?  I just looked in my book of comlete preludes & etudes, it didn't have an op. 49 #5; no wonder I had never heard it!

[bitus]

Liszmaninopin,
be careful with the deadline thing. I used to do the same thing... but it was nothing but going deeper and deeper into superficiality. Just because you are able to play a piece without mistake, musicaly and on tempo, doesn't mean you are getting better. The pieces that you play have to be part of you, you must discover new things every day... Don't be easily satisfied with only playing the piece without mistake, etc.
Deadlines... what will happen when you will not have any deadlines? Will there be no motivation? Are you going to stop practising?
Also... don't care that much about the judges... you are not there to impress them, but to play some nice music for them, but even more, for you.
Do you agree with me?
The Bitus

[liszmaninopin]

What you say makes quite a bit of sense.  You don't need to worry about me playing a piece technically perfectly with no expression.  My technique is good, but I am hardly perfect.  When I perform, I usually get that engaged in what I play that I occasionally slop up a bit here and there.  It's never anything major, but I'm not the kind to hold back anything when playing.  You have some interesting comments, there, about how just because I play new pieces it's not getting better.

I should probably clarify a bit what I mean by the deadlines.  If I have none to meet (either self-imposed or for a concert or competition), I tend to just kind of dabble in lots of pieces.  I need to force myself to concentrate on one, and not get side tracked.  There will still be motivation without it, but I work best under some form of pressure.

I agree wholeheartedly with your last statement.  The only problem is that one must impress the judges in order to win.  It seems like most famous pianists nowadays have won lots of competitions-almost like that's how one becomes better known in the world of performing.  That's why I'm looking forward to playing Rach's Second with an orchestra later this year.  There will be no judges, and perhaps I can gain a reputation that way instead of at competitions.  The only standard that I must play to is one that does the music its fullest justice.

[chopiabin]

Sorry dude, yeah, I meant op.42! I think that along with op.8#12, it is the coolest. Have you heard it? Piers Lane does a really good job with it (even better than Horowitz in my opinion), but the Horowitz does the best 12. I think that these pieces are incredibly musically complex and will not only demonstrate technical display, but also sheer musicality. Check out #5 if you can, the judges will not be as familiar with it as they will be with #12, so you will sort of be exposing them to a new experience which could be very impressive.

[Hannah Joy]

If you want something less well-known than the Bach, you might look at Handel's keyboard suites.

[comme_le_vent]

exactly, i would think the judges would be impressed with lesser known composers/repertoire like medtner, alkan, godowsky etc for romantics, hummel, clementi etc for classical, and for baroque perhaps some telemann, scarlatti, or purcell?