Is it Ok to program a recital consisting primarily/solely of slow pieces?

[leonidas]

I heard Angela Hewitt perform Chopin's complete nocturnes in a recital, it was a revelation.

What do you think of this idea?

[retrouvailles]

The pieces had better be interesting and varied, or else you'll bore a lot of people, and you'll get some walkouts.

[leonidas]

Variety is subjective.

Have you noticed the incredible variety Chopin creates with his nocturnes, they are all largely slow and soft, but each one is of a different character.

I'm thinking, why not carry the nocturne vibe over the whole concert?

It is generally assumed that great music is interesting..

[counterpoint]

I heard Angela Hewitt perform Chopin's complete nocturnes in a recital, it was a revelation.

   lol

I doubt, the Nocturnes are overall slow enough for a program with slow-only pieces  

But I like the idea of a concert with only very, very slow music.

[leonidas]

Name some better shining examples of slowness.

[counterpoint]

Name some better shining examples of slowness.

All slow movements of Mozarts Piano Sonatas for example 

[leonidas]

They aren't that much slower, and quite difficult to program together...

[mike_lang]

I heard Angela Hewitt perform Chopin's complete nocturnes in a recital, it was a revelation.

What do you think of this idea?

I don't see why not - my teacher performed the complete Fauré nocturnes in recital here. (Though admittedly, this is a bit different than a concert of Chopin nocturnes...)

[pianowolfi]

I heard Angela Hewitt perform Chopin's complete nocturnes in a recital, it was a revelation.

What do you think of this idea?

Interesting Da Comme respec's da zl*wness

[counterpoint]

Interesting Da Comme respec's da zl*wness

Do you think, he's serious...? 

[dan101]

If the concert is being advertised as such, there is no problem. At least your target audience knows what they're getting. By the way, nocturnes by Chopin have a lot of variety and some very quick passage work. There are also passionate, loud moments. Make sure that your "slow concert" has this type of variety as well. Good luck.

[ahinton]

It's all a matter of the extent to which the individual items on the programme, the programme as a whole and the way in which the pieces are played can succed in maintaining audience interest throughout. Although it's not quite the same thing, consider for a moment Shostakovich's 15th and final string quartet, which comprises five slow movements followed by an even slower one - and does it work? You bet it does!

Best,

Alistair

[Nightscape]

I've listened to the complete nocturnes in a sitting and never got bored - they might be 'slow' but they are not any less interesting.  It's all about variety and not about tempo.  If every nocturne was the same, that would be boring but they are all different.

[quantum]

I have this CD.  It is not boring:
https://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Immortal-Adagios-Ludwig-van/dp/B000003D2Z

[slobone]

I think there's a modern tendency to play a lot of pieces too slow anyway, especially Chopin. I notice that the metronome marking for the Bb Nocture is quarter note = 116. I call that downright zippy.

And Hewitt specifically has said that she intends to honor Chopin's metronome markings for the pieces that have them.

[stringoverstrung]

At least it will be difficult to beat the slowest concert:

https://www.john-cage.halberstadt.de/new/index.php?seite=dasprojekt&l=e

piece:
ORGAN2/ASLSP As Slow aS Possible