ARCT Repertoire Help!

[ilikepie]

As the title simply states.. Help please ;o;
The total performance time requirement is not more than one hour.

List A- Works of J.S. Bach(I may just choose DWK I P&F in C+ if I'm too lazy)

Chromatic Fantasia and fugue
English Suite no.1,2,3,5,6(choose one and play Prelude, Sarabande and Gigue)
Fantasia Fugue in A minor BWV904
Italian Concerto BWV971
Partita no.1,2,3,4,5(with specific requirements in each)
Suite in A minor BWV818
Toccata in f#- BWV910
Toccata in c- BWV911
Toccata in D+ BWV912
Toccata in d- BWV913
Toccata in e- BWV914
Toccata in g- BWV915
DWK Book I (choose one of C+, C#+, c#-, Eb+, d#-, f-, G+, f-, G+, A+, a-, bb-, b-)
DWK Book II (choose one of c#-, D+, F+, F#+, f#-, g-, Ab+, g#-, Bb+, B+)

List B: Sonatas(I only listed Beethoven Sonatas as my teacher wants me to choose a Beethoven sonata)
op2 no.2
op2 no.3
op7
op10 no.2
op10 no.3 (Teacher Recommendation, he told me maybe a late sonata may also work)
op22
op26
op27 no.2
op28
op31 no.1
op31 no.2
op31 no.3
op53
op54
op57
op78
op81a
op90
op101
op106(HAHAHAHA!)
op109
op110
op111

List C - Romantic Repertoire
Hungarian Rhapsody no.11[fixed]

List D- 20th Century Repertoire(I'm only listing those I'm willing to consider)

Debussy
Estampes(La soiree dans Grenade) (Teacher Recommendation)
L'isle joyeuse

Ravel
Jeux D'eau
Gaspard de la nuit( any of the three) (AHAHAHAHAHA, though Le Gibet may be possible...)
Miroirs (any of the six, I prefer Une Barque sur l'ocean and Alborada del gracioso)

List E- 20th century Repertoire
Prokofiev Sonata no.2(complete)[fixed]

Concert Etude-
Scriabin op42 no.5[fixed]

[phil13]

That's a helluva lot to choose from. 

Perhaps we can narrow it down a bit. Do you want something flashy or introspective? Challenging or simple? Or are you only looking for something that will contrast w/ the fixed pieces? As it stands, there are probably literally thousands of combinations amongst the choices you listed.

Phil

[nanabush]

Ummm are you allowed to play the 2nd Prokofiev sonata :S


For list A... I would not recommend the Italian Concerto... I learnt it but it is such a large piece... you already have your prok sonata, and a sonata for list B... save the trouble and stick to a P/F.... I'm playing the G#- book two one and it's good....


I would suggest either that one, or the C# + book 1, which is very nice, or the A minor book1, which is hella hard IMO.

... unless you have alot of time, don't do the IC or the Chromatic F/F... both works are very long, and require a TON of work to prepare up to standard.



As for a beethoven sonata, can't help you there (PLAY THE GRIEG)


List D:  Don't pick something OVERLY difficult, but don't pick something overplayed, ppl genearally go towards common pieces... Barque sur l'ocean would be a good choice, not sure about Alborada, I've heard that it's a beast... lol I'm leaving it at that.
For this, I'd recommend L'isle Joyeuse, because it's such an astonishing piece, in my top list for Debussy for sure... I'd go with that one





....as for the not more than an hour... another reason not to choose a long bach piece... get one that makes for a good warmup. 

Prelude/Fugue 3-6 minutes

List B... ~20 minutes?

List C... no idea

List D... 4-10 minutes generally

List E... no clue, if it's a sonata by prok, im guessin 10 minutes for the 2nd one?

Etude... like 2 minutes?

If you've got two sonatas, might wanna watch you're time for the rest... remember you'll be taking like 15 second breaks b/w movements...







...if you understood anything in that structureless ramble, then great... if not then meh.

[ilikepie]

That's a helluva lot to choose from. 

Perhaps we can narrow it down a bit. Do you want something flashy or introspective? Challenging or simple? Or are you only looking for something that will contrast w/ the fixed pieces? As it stands, there are probably literally thousands of combinations amongst the choices you listed.

Phil

As requested, bold=my favorites(don't have to choose it though, italicized(I'm okay with them), slashed(not even thinking of choosing it).

Ummm are you allowed to play the 2nd Prokofiev sonata :S

My teacher says it meets the difficulty requirement and should somehow be allowed( I think  you need a note or something).

For list A... I would not recommend the Italian Concerto... I learnt it but it is such a large piece... you already have your prok sonata, and a sonata for list B... save the trouble and stick to a P/F.... I'm playing the G#- book two one and it's good....


I would suggest either that one, or the C# + book 1, which is very nice, or the A minor book1, which is hella hard IMO.

... unless you have alot of time, don't do the IC or the Chromatic F/F... both works are very long, and require a TON of work to prepare up to standard.

I don't care much for Bach anyway so anything will do as long as it isn't hard.

As for a beethoven sonata, can't help you there (PLAY THE GRIEG)

nooooo ;o; Not really my choice of composer; my teacher seems to limit me to Beethoven for the sonatas.

List D:  Don't pick something OVERLY difficult, but don't pick something overplayed, ppl genearally go towards common pieces... Barque sur l'ocean would be a good choice, not sure about Alborada, I've heard that it's a beast... lol I'm leaving it at that.
For this, I'd recommend L'isle Joyeuse, because it's such an astonishing piece, in my top list for Debussy for sure... I'd go with that one Cheesy

I was thinking L'isle Joyeuse,  Le Gibet, Une Barque sur l'ocean, or Alborada.... Toughest decision so far..

...as for the not more than an hour... another reason not to choose a long bach piece... get one that makes for a good warmup.

Prelude/Fugue 3-6 minutes

List B... ~20 minutes?

List C... no idea

List D... 4-10 minutes generally

List E... no clue, if it's a sonata by prok, im guessin 10 minutes for the 2nd one?

Etude... like 2 minutes?

If you've got two sonatas, might wanna watch you're time for the rest... remember you'll be taking like 15 second breaks b/w movements...

Prokofiev Sonata no.2 is around 18 minutes(It has 4 movements, unlike sonatas 1 and 3)
HR no.11 is 5 something minutes.
The Etude should be like 3~4 minutes probably(haven't started learning it so I wouldn't remember)
I guess the Beethoven op10 no.3 would be an okay choice since the prok sonata is exhausting... might save it for last.

[thorn]

umm, i dont know Bach very well so cant help there

out of the Beethoven Sonatas i would stay away from Moonlight and Appassionata unless you can play them amazingly. but at the same time you could still use a well known one such as op 31 nr 2 or op 81a to show that you're not scared of playing that kind of stuff.

La soiree dans Grenade is an amazing piece, i would definately go with that. or why not look at Pagodes (also from Estampes)- it's harder than La soiree, but if you're considering Jeux d'eau as an option i would say its definately not out of your league. otherwise Jeux d'eau is an amazing piece if you think you can pull it off. and if you can manage Jeux d'eau you could also manage Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit.

out of all of those 20th century ones though i would personally go with Pagodes.

[pita bread]

List A - I'm strongly biased towards WTK Book II, and from your list, especially the c minor, f# minor and g minor. Surprised that the C major isn't on that list though...

List D - suck it up and play Gaspard  Une Barque and Jeux d'eau are excellent choices too.

[nanabush]

If you want an EASY bach piece, take the first p/f from book 1... the prelude is the easiest without a doubt... the fugue is pretty intricate, but it is much shorter than the other ones.. in my edition this entire p/f is 3 pages, while the others mentioned are 4+ pages.... lol it really is just the fugue you'd need to work on.

[dnephi]

My Rec:

List A- Works of J.S. Bach(I may just choose DWK I P&F in C+ if I'm too lazy)

Chromatic Fantasia and fugue
Toccata in e- BWV914

List B: Sonatas(I only listed Beethoven Sonatas as my teacher wants me to choose a Beethoven sonata)
op2 no.3 - great technical work.. phil knows what I'm talking about.
(BTw-111 is about as hard as 106.  106 really is only famous for its initial leaps.)
List C - Romantic Repertoire
Hungarian Rhapsody no.11[fixed] (If you must)

List D- 20th Century Repertoire(I'm only listing those I'm willing to consider)

Debussy
Estampes(La soiree dans Grenade) (Teacher Recommendation) (GOod piece- go with it.  Work atmospherically.)
L'isle joyeuse (Too angry :p.  Very hard.  Don't recommend.)

Any of that Ravel is extremely hard.

List E- 20th century Repertoire
Prokofiev Sonata no.2(complete)[fixed] (If you must)

Concert Etude-
Scriabin op42 no.5[fixed] (If you must)

[phil13]

Okay, afer a second review...

For Beethoven, don't do the Appasionata (because you'd have to do a spectactular job of it to impress anybody) or Waldstein (because, although I haven't played either, according to my teacher the Waldstein is even more musically difficult than the Appassionata.)

Your teacher has good taste. Op.10 No.3 is one of the best sonatas to do this kind of thing with. If it's not as much to your taste, though, go with Op.90 in E minor. Short, sweet, not as difficult as any of the other late sonatas. 

For Bach, I agree with doing a prelude and fugue. The easiest one on the list you gave is the A major from Book I. However, if you want a greater challenge, I'm partial to the F minor from Book I, which is a lot of fun to play. Either the C# major or C# minor from Book I would suffice, too, although the C#+'s fugue is very tricky, and the C#- is no better, with 5 voices and 3 different subjects.  If you need something even harder, the best of the most difficult are the Book II B major and G minor, IMO.

Phil

[viking]

Just some suggestions:

List A
Bach P&F Bk 1 in C#- (Incredible piece)

List B
Beethoven Sonata Op.31/3 very fun
Clementi Sonata Op.40 No.2 in B minor (Seriously listen to it, it sounds just like beethoven, and yes, it's on the ARCT list)

List D
If I remember correctly, Rachmaninoff Preludes are included in this list.  There are plenty to choose from. 

I hope any of this helps, and good luck on your exam.

[nanabush]

Hmm Rach preludes:

I'd suggest:


(sry dont know opus numbers offhand, but there's one for every key so if you have a book handy, just flip through)


D major, G major, both are really beautiful

Also the E major which is such a stunning showpiece, my favorite from all the preludes
... I wouldn't do the G minor or G# minor, wayyyy overplayed

from those I suggested, from top to last choice

E major
G major
D major... although all three are amazing, LOOK THEM UP!!!! TRUST ME

[ilikepie]

Well, thanks for all your replies.
So far, my choices have narrowed down to:

List A-
A Prelude and Fugue from somewhere in DWK I or II... Tough choice. I'm not choosing Italian Concerto or Chromatic F&F.

List B- Sorry I'm limited to Beethoven sonatas, really.
op10 no.3(the only  reason I don't want to play this is because I have to buy the book.... I already have the volume 2 of Beethoven sonatas and don't want to buy another one if I can help it.)
op31 no.2
op31 no.3
op90

List C- Hungarian Rhapsody no.11(6 minutes)

List D -
L'isle Joyeuse
Une Barque sur l'ocean
Soiree dans Grenade
*Concerning the Rachmaninoff preludes, I don't really want to play a prelude for this, I'd prefer something more substantial. I *have* played a Rach prelude for my grade 10 though(op.32 no.12, yes the g#- one).  I studied op.23 no.5, op.32 no.5 but have no intention of playing them for this one, since I actually don't like them very much; not to mention op.32 no.5 seems too easy, for me at least.

List E- Prokofiev Sonata no.2(18~20 min.)

Concert Etude - Scriabin op42 no.5(3 min.)

It would be nice though if the works contrast and compliment each other. So a certain combination would be appreciated, thanks.

[lagin]

Hey, just a word of warning, but you might be in trouble time wise.  Are those YOUR speeds or the c.d.'s speeds when you list the time it takes to play them?  I have approx. 40 minutes of c.d. time for my ARCT repertoire that I am working on, HOWEVER, it takes me an hour to play them at my tempos (yes, they're almost all at the speed that I intend to perform them at).  With your List C, Prokofiev, and Etude you are already at 27 - 29 minutes.  Round it up to thirty since you have to factor in pauses/rests between those pieces.  That is already HALF of your time and you haven't even picked your big pointer works yet - Sonata at 25%, and Bach at 20% of your final grade.  I looked for one of the shortest sonatas I could find when I picked mine.  (I went with Schubert, btw).  But the shortest Beethoven one was op. 90 wich is only 11 minutes on this recording.  op. 10, no. 2 is only 12 minutes, op. 54 is also 11 minutes, oh, and op. 78 is 10 minutes.  Your op. 31 sonatas are both OVER 20 minutes long.  They are actually both 21 minutes.  So if you pick them you will only have 9 minutes left to squeeze in a Bach piece (which aren't usually super short), and a list D.  You would probably need to have a 2 minute list D if there is one, and a six minute Bach.  Then if you play everything as fast as the c.d.s and NO SLOWER and only have about 3 seconds rest between pieces (which isn't exactly musical), you would JUST make it!  That was a long way of saying you better do the op. 90 sonata to have enough time !!

So with that sonata you are at 40 minutes (approx. 43 with rests between pieces and movements).  Then you could pick the shortest Bach you can find.  I'm doing p/f in f# minor from book 2.  Very slow, very easy, and about 6 - 7 minutes.  If you did that or something around the same length you would still have 10 minutes for List D.  I would still pick a 3 minute piece if possible there so that you have 5 minutes grace in case you are not as fast as the recordings of your pieces. 

Classical music archives.  If you google that you can look up your pieces and see how long they are.  Make sure you look at a live recording time and not a midi file, though.  They might have your list D times there, maybe. 

[nanabush]

I agree w/ Lagin, the sonata will make up a large part of your performance, but don't cut back to the short sonatas... I'm using a ~20-22 minute sonata, and I have two three mvmt works for my list D and E... I cut back my list A, which was three mvmts, because my other two were stronger, and I went to bk 2 PF G# minor, which (I haven't completed the fugue) is less than 5 minutes.  My program is around 50 minutes, and I know I will not be taking ten minutes in breaks... Make sure just the playing isn't an hour, but I don't think it has to be as short as 30 minutes :p  I may be pushing it with 50 minutes, but typically about 45 minutes is a safe way to set it up

[ilikepie]

I actually haven't really thought about the time... >>;
I don't really like op90 that much though....

Probable Teacher's Recommendation
List A- Bach P&F(C+?)*He hasn't given me a choice at all, so I'm not sure what else might be possible.*
List B- op10 no.3
List C- HR no.11
List D- Soiree dans Grenade(More likely...)/ Une Barque sur l'ocean
List E- Prokofiev Sonata no.2
Etude- Scriabin op42 no.5

I like squeezing all the time I can get... <<; I guess I can still learn other pieces as "auxillary" pieces. There's no harm learning more than you need. I guess  can sacrifice the other longer Beethoven sonatas after I complete my ARCT repertoire. I mean, I have a whole year dedicated to piano, so I can still learn other pieces. I guess I should think this over clearly and decide once and for all.

[amelialw]

umm correct me if i'm wrong, but my teacher who is a concert pianist/RCM examiner told me that they will let you have more then 1 hour if u really need it...so yeah

[ilikepie]

umm correct me if i'm wrong, but my teacher who is a concert pianist/RCM examiner told me that they will let you have more then 1 hour if u really need it...so yeah

Coincidentally, my teacher says the same(or rather him not hearing about the one hour thing[?])... so I'm confused.

[tradge]

Ondine from Gaspard isn't actually too difficult to learn, it's a lush piece, and once you get your head around the notes, easy to play

[amelialw]

besides, the whole point of a ARCT performers dip exam is to showcase a students talent and work, so what is the point of even having that exam if they have a time-limit of 40 mins and besides that, most of the pieces are around 10-20 pages so how can you fit that all in....