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Topic: Difficulty of Bach Italian concerto (Read 20259 times)

schubertiad

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Difficulty of Bach Italian concerto

on: July 23, 2007, 05:16:06 PM

I need to prepare a bach piece for an audition in a few months, and have a number of candidates:
a P+F
english suite no.2 prelude
italian concerto 1st mvt
fantasia in c minor
1st mvt of one of the sonatas.
I do like the italian concerto, but haven't played through it yet. How difficult is it? how does it compare to the english suite above?
Thanks in advance

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dutch_pianist

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Re: Difficulty of Bach Italian concerto

Reply #1 on: July 23, 2007, 07:48:12 PM

if you can play the prelude of the english suite, the italian concerto shouldn't be such a problem. it's a little more difficult. the movements can be played very fast but also slow because of the counterpoint. I studied the italian concerto in the same period when I played the impromptus of Schubert and the waltzes of Chopin, so I guess they are more or less the of the same difficulty.

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nanabush

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Re: Difficulty of Bach Italian concerto

Reply #2 on: July 24, 2007, 06:57:17 PM

I played this last year; I had a very difficult time getting some big jumps in the third movement down... jumping from a run of several white notes to several more white notes an octave higher at that speed isn't easy. The notes are not hard to get down, it's just getting them up to speed without making it sound 'gallopy'; I had no trouble with the first movement, or the second technique wise, but it was the third part that took alot of work.

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Interested in discussing:

-Prokofiev Toccata
-Scriabin Sonata 2

invictious

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Re: Difficulty of Bach Italian concerto

Reply #3 on: July 25, 2007, 09:09:57 AM

The Italian Concerto is DipABRSM difficulty, and it would have been my choice for a baroque piece. I, however, chose to the Toccata No.5 in E minor, because I was not exactly a Bach person, and the Italian Concerto might just kill me in the process.
The toccata isn't any easier, but well, it just isn't my style. Get over it. :p

I wouldn't recommend a P+F personally.
I'd go for the Fantasia or the concerto, depending on your personal style and the rest of the program for the audition.

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Bach - Partita No.2
Scriabin - Etude 8/12
Debussy - L'isle Joyeuse
Liszt - Un Sospiro

Goal:
Prokofiev - Toccata

>LISTEN<

schubertiad

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Re: Difficulty of Bach Italian concerto

Reply #4 on: July 25, 2007, 01:13:50 PM

I would really like to do the first movement, but i'm not sure it will fit with the rest of my programme. Of my other 4 pieces, all bar the chopin etude are in major keys, so i probably should choose something minor to balance it out. There is a nice c minor fantasia, but i'm wondering whether it's too short/easy. Also, most of my pieces are on the fast side, so it might be nice to find some slower bach to offset the rest. Do you think it would be acceptable to take a slow movement from one of the suites or sonatas? Anything else that anyone can suggest?

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“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.” Leonard Bernstein

mcgillcomposer

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Re: Difficulty of Bach Italian concerto

Reply #5 on: August 03, 2007, 11:06:33 AM

I would go with the fantasia given the fact that you'd like a piece in the minor mode. In my opinion, it is the same level of difficulty as the first movement of the Italian concerto.

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