conseratory requirments

[mirgold]

I am curious about the learning requirements of conservatory students in the US and other countries.

How many and what kind of pieces does an undergraduate piano performance conservatory student learn in a semester?

How many do they have to perfrom?

How are the studants graded?

[jlh]

I'm in the US, so I can give a little bit of info based on the 2 universities I attended.

Usually at least 3-5 pieces are learned from different periods/styles every semester.  In the case of larger works like sonatas or concerti, it is expected that it take no longer than 2 semesters to learn it.  These pieces are performed in student recitals/convocations and the occasional competition.  The grading is based on the level of preparedness and productivity during lessons each semester and also based on the jury performance at the end of each semester.  During my undergrad juries I was also required to play on command any scale in octaves, thirds and sixths in any key... and also any arpeggio.  Juries were 20 minutes.  During semesters where one is preparing and giving a junior/senior recital, obviously there would be more pieces worked on, and usually a jury was not required, unless the recital was early in the semester.  Then a shorter jury would still be required.

[kriskicksass]

I'm going to Cornell for music this fall, and I'm not prepared for a work load like that yet! I play about 3-5 pieces at once, but I take much longer than a semester (about 12 weeks, right?) to learn them all. Is it usual for freshmen to be slower workers?

[mirgold]

3-4 compositions; could you write which ones they were. Could you give examples of semesters.
Also, who chooses those compositions, you, the teacher, or the university?

Thanks,

[elevateme_returns]

my friend is ending his first year at royal college in london, and for his final exam hes playing bach partita no 2, beethoven les adieux, chopin ballade 3 and a debussy prelude from book 2.

[amelialw]

I think for the music schools here in canada, you have to learn 1 of each Baroque,Classical,Romantic,20th C and an etude. You learn pieces like Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu and etudes, mozart's Concerto's, beethoven sonatas and so on....

[mcgillcomposer]

[elevateme_returns]

theres some bloody hard stuff in there. lol good job.

is the grieg a nice piece? i dont know it.

[mcgillcomposer]

theres some bloody hard stuff in there. lol good job.

is the grieg a nice piece? i dont know it.

I think it is beautiful and underplayed. It is a definitely a piece that will get you a nice ovation if it is played well. Both the first and final movements end with a real bang...something to make the general audience happy .

Formally, the piece is quite straight forward and easy to understand (in other words...we're not talking about a Mahler symphony here! )

The second movement (the only slow one) is quite meditative, with one wonderful (and typical) romantic explosion in the middle. What makes it atypical is the beautifully placed subito pianissimo section that comes right after. It's a great place to use to una corda to change the colour.

As for difficulty...the first movement contains alberti bass in 10ths (something you see a lot in the Beethoven sonatas). This might be difficult for someone who has small hands (the section is marked piano which makes it even more difficult...someone with small hands my accent the note after the leap unwantingly). Also, the coda marked Allegro molto has some awkward hand positions, and if played quite fast, can be difficult.

There is nothing particularly difficult in the third movement...unless one has difficulty with 3 against 2, or in 9/8 time playing a group of 4 eighth notes in the time of 3 (it's easier than it sounds in this piece because there is a held note in the bass...thus there is no played 3 against 4 to confuse you).

The final movement is the most technically challenging. It must move at quite a clip, and there is some fancy passage work (but on the bright side, a lot of it is strictly chromatic. So if you have your chromatic scales down pat...all the better).

Anyway, certain people find different types of technical problems difficult than others, so you really need to look at the score yourself to judge. Overall, I would say that the difficulty is analogous, among others, to the following:

Scriabin's first sonata
Chopin's 3rd ballade
Beethoven's Op. 90 sonata
Brahms rhapsodies Op. 79 (just longer)

I hope this helps.

[vlhorowitz]

Have you by any chance heard the girl who won the MSO competition in 2006 ? I believe she was doing her undergrad. with Richard Raymond at Mcgill. I've never heard her play and I'm a bit curious about the standard at that university.

Btw, did you do your undergrad in performance or composition ? It sounds like a lot of piano for a composition major lol.

[mcgillcomposer]

Btw, did you do your undergrad in performance or composition ? It sounds like a lot of piano for a composition major lol.

Composition. I think it's extremely important to be able to play well in order to compose (even for other mediums). I can only think of a few examples in history where a great composer was not a great instrumentalist (Berlioz comes to mind at the moment)...not that I am aspiring to be a great composer of course 

[mcgillcomposer]

Have you by any chance heard the girl who won the MSO competition in 2006 ? I believe she was doing her undergrad. with Richard Raymond at Mcgill. I've never heard her play and I'm a bit curious about the standard at that university.

I heard her play the Rachmaninoff 2nd. Very nice tone quality and fabulous technique. Her phrasing was a bit odd at times, but I think she did it on purpose...her own interpretation I guess (although I don't think one should take those kind of liberties against the composer's markings). Nonetheless, a very good pianist.

[pianowelsh]

I attended a UK conservatory.. I believe from friends who are still there that they have increased the requirements but we did a technical, a short performance exam and a Recital each year.  In addition students could elect to do performance options attached to each of their projects (circa 2 - 3 per year) ...ie if you were studying modernism you play circa 10-12 mins of music from this era etc as demonstration to support your academic work. There were also concerto competitions, Beethoven competiton, Chopin competition, accompaniment and chamber music prizes as well as a recitalists prize..which students were encouraged to take (strongly) - in addition.  There was also the option of doing orchestral piano for the symphony concerts. Not to mention contemporary music ensembles which you could be involved in and at the other end of the spectrum early music ensembles.
Year 1 semester 1 was technical(compulsary) all scales and 2 etudes.
           semester 2 short performance own choice solo work 10 - 12 mins
           semester 3 end of year recital 25-30 mins p&fg, classical work and a romantic/
                                     20th c
year 2 semester 1 technical..advanced scales...2 transcendental level etudes
           semester 2 short perf own choice 15 - 18 mins
           semester 3 end of year recital 30 - 35 mins - inc a virtuoso etude and maj rom work,
                              work written since 1970.   
year 3 semester 1 technical 2 virtuoso etudes (usu Rach etc) and a concerto cadenza or 
                              virtuoso extract
           semester 2 short performance own choice 20 - 22 mins
           semester 3 end of year recital 35 - 45 mins
year 4 semester 1 technical exam 2 virtuoso etudes of 20th c - ie ligeti, debussy, prokofiev etc
           semester 2 short performance 25 - 30 mins
           semester 3 end of year recital 45 - 55 mins

That was the compulsary list. As I mentioned there was actually MUCH more to do playing wise - just non exam. Then the academic work. 
Not for the faint hearted!
All 4 years were assessed so counted to your degree so the pressure never let up - rather like real life!

I chuckle at your how are students graded bit - at this level there are very few objectives in the mark criterior...Right notes and rhythm, well memorised and a generally convincing performance MAY get you a bare pass - but is not guarenteed. To Pass never mind do well they look for signs of artistry and that you are an informed musician able to make choices and convey your personality and the intentions of the composer VERY clearly to the audience. Many colleges now make you present formal programmes notes for the audiences and also in addition give verbal introcuctions/interaction with the audience.  As a general rule we were told that you should always aim for recording quality when preparing an exam.

As for whether you are ready for this kind of training - there is only one way to find out! Very few are when they walk in - the learning curb is STEEP!