The minimal DMA repertoire

[cygnusdei]

Let's play! What would be the minimal repertoire one can get away with and still be "a DMA worth his salt" ?

(No offense to the feminine gender - next time I'll use 'her', I promise)

I go first:


The Minimal DMA Repertoire

Beethoven
Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique"

[thierry13]

I don't think you could get away with one single piece. I think you could play pieces not so hard like the pathetique, but more and with more variation in style!

[cygnusdei]

Sorry if not clear - I meant let's brainstorm together!

[kyliec]

What's DMA?
Kylie

[amelialw]

I'm pretty sure DMA is a Doctorates degree.

commonly these pieces are all learnt

complete 48 preludes and fugues
complete 32 beethoven sonatas

[thalberg]

I'm pretty sure DMA is a Doctorates degree.

commonly these pieces are all learnt

complete 48 preludes and fugues
complete 32 beethoven sonatas

I have a DMA in piano and I have about 10 friends who have DMAs in piano.  None of us has played the complete 48 preludes and fugues, and only 2 have played the complete Beethoven sonatas.  The only friend of mine who has played the complete 48 preludes and fugues does not have a DMA--he has an artist diploma.  He's amazing--he literally played Carnegie Hall a few times while I knew him. 

I am not trying to argue, I'm just offering what my experience is.

 The piano literature is so vast that all my friends and I had such incredibly different repertoire lists.  I was surprised in grad school to learn that my repertoire list barely overlapped with my friends at all.

In general, I think most DMAs have smaller repertoire lists than you might imagine.  But a few particularly bright friends of mine had pretty fat rep lists. 

[sharon_f]

Bach: at least 3 or 4 Preludes & Fugues from the WTC, a Partita or Toccata and/or either an English or French Suite.

Mozart: a couple of sonatas and a couple of piano concertos.

Beethoven: at least 4 or 5 sonatas, including the major piano sonatas, "Waldstein", "Appassionata", Op. 109, 110 or 111
2 or 3 of the concertos.

Schubert, at least one sonata

Schumann: One or two of the major works Carnival, Kreisleriana, Davidsbundlertanze, Fantasia or Symphonic Etudes, the piano concerto

Chopin, one of the sonatas, at least 6 or 7 of the etudes, and a selection of the scherzi and ballades, at least one of the piano concertos.

Liszt, a selection (at least 3 or 4) of the various etudes, one of the piano concertos.

Brahms, one of the sonatas, at least one complete set of the later solo piano works.

Debussy, a selection ( 3 or 4) of the Preludes

Prokofiev at least one of the piano sonatas and one of the concertos

Rachmaninoff, at least 3 or 4 of the preludes and etudes, and one of the concerted works

At at least 3 or 4 major works of a 20th century composer. (Berg Sonata, Barber Sonata, Copland Variations, Corigliano Etude Fantasty, Messiaen Regards)

I think that this would be a pretty standard rep list for most pianist who have a DMA in piano performance.

[thierry13]

I'm pretty sure DMA is a Doctorates degree.

commonly these pieces are all learnt

complete 48 preludes and fugues
complete 32 beethoven sonatas

Sorry but this post was pure ignorance. I can see the usefullness of learning those pieces, but VERY VERY VERY few of even the best DMAs/professional pianists have learnt all this, espacially the complete Beethoven sonatas (are you crazy ?!?).  And the question of this post was the MINIMAL DMA ... your suggestion sounds more like maximal DMA to me!

[amelialw]

Sorry but this post was pure ignorance. I can see the usefullness of learning those pieces, but VERY VERY VERY few of even the best DMAs/professional pianists have learnt all this, espacially the complete Beethoven sonatas (are you crazy ?!?). And the question of this post was the MINIMAL DMA ... your suggestion sounds more like maximal DMA to me!

I guess it depends where you study then.

I know my teacher studied in Germany and she had to finish learning all 24 chopin etudes, all 32 beethoven sonatas and it was'nt even for a master's degree.

it all depends on the individual in the end. probably...

Bach: at least 3 or 4 Preludes & Fugues from the WTC, a Partita or Toccata and/or either an English or French Suite.

Mozart: a couple of sonatas and a couple of piano concertos.

Beethoven: at least 4 or 5 sonatas, including the major piano sonatas, "Waldstein", "Appassionata", Op. 109, 110 or 111
2 or 3 of the concertos.

Schubert, at least one sonata

Schumann: One or two of the major works Carnival, Kreisleriana, Davidsbundlertanze, Fantasia or Symphonic Etudes, the piano concerto

Chopin, one of the sonatas, at least 6 or 7 of the etudes, and a selection of the scherzi and ballades, at least one of the piano concertos.

Liszt, a selection (at least 3 or 4) of the various etudes, one of the piano concertos.

Brahms, one of the sonatas, at least one complete set of the later solo piano works.

Debussy, a selection ( 3 or 4) of the Preludes

Prokofiev at least one of the piano sonatas and one of the concertos

Rachmaninoff, at least 3 or 4 of the preludes and etudes, and one of the concerted works

At at least 3 or 4 major works of a 20th century composer. (Berg Sonata, Barber Sonata, Copland Variations, Corigliano Etude Fantasty, Messiaen Regards)

I think that this would be a pretty standard rep list for most pianist who have a DMA in piano performance.

to add to the list a few sonatas by each Mozart and Haydn

[thierry13]

I guess it depends where you study then.

I know my teacher studied in Germany and she had to finish learning all 24 chopin etudes, all 32 beethoven sonatas and it was'nt even for a master's degree.

it all depends on the individual in the end. probably...

Of course some people do! And when they do it is seldom to get a DMA ... the point is that the topic here was the minimum to obtain a DMA wich is absolutely NOT doing what you suggested. For a DMA you rather be good and studying thoroughly more different things rather than wasting years to get the 32 beethoven sonatas perfect and playable in concert !

[timothy.werts]

I don't think anyone really answered your question.

Minimal would be:

Bach Prelude and Fugue
Beethoven Sonata (some schools except Haydn or Mozart)
Major Romantic Work
20th Century/Impressionistic
At least one Etude (chopin, debussy, Liszt,  scriabin etc)

[jabbz]

We're not talking about a Ph.D here, are we?

[thierry13]

We're not talking about a Ph.D here, are we?

I think Ph.D is for other disciplines ... or maybe not? I don't know, but we're talking about a doctor in music.

[jabbz]

At my University they offer a Ph.D in performance studies (I.E, whatever your instrument it), which makes you a Dr.

At this kinda level they expect a huge amount. P&Fs, Sonatas, TEs, I'm just glad I'm not majoring in performance.