Another college audition

[Mellbell57]

Hello, I'm a high school junior, and right now I'm thinking about the college auditions for next year. I don't plan on majoring in piano performance, or have it as a career, but I intend to minor in it and perhaps make some money on the side.

My technique is terrible, and I can't do an etude.

Baroque:
Bach WTC Prelude and Fugue in D minor

Classical:
Beethoven's Pathetique OR
Another Beethoven sonata (less well known) OR
A Mozart Sonata (less well known)
I can't remember the op. numbers off the top of my head...

Romantic
Chopin's Ballade No. 1 OR
Brahms Rhapsody No. 2 OR
Schubert's Impromptu Op. 90 No.2

Contemporary
Ravel's Sonatine

What do you guys think? Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

-Melody

[donjuan]

What are these pieces you are listing off?  do you intend to learn them?  Have you learned them and you want to know which ones would be best for an audition?  Give me a hand here..
donjuan

[A.C.]

Um...seems that you have a limited repetoire, but you do have one more year to prepare for the audition.

The D minor? I think you mean the D minor of Book I coz it is overplayed. Well, as I just said, it is overplayed, but perhaps you may stand out with it.

Pathetique is again overplayed. The other sonata? which one do u mean? Anyway, any one of the Beethoven's sonata would be a masterpiece. I dun suggest you doing any Mozart's sonata, coz it is very hard to be interpretated.

Oops...if u have a bad technique, I dun suggest you doing Chopin Ballade No.1 (it is anyway not a good audition piece) and Brahms Rhapsody (No.2? Which one?). Schubert Impromptu could be better, lol

For contemporary, I have no idea which Ravel's Sonatine, but I do suggest you playing Debussy. It is because you can have an excuse to play on top of the keys, rofl!

Well, goodluck

[Mellbell57]

I've already learned or in process of learning these pieces (the bach, the chopin), so I'd like some time to polish them. I'm pretty much looking at what best would fit an audition.

The Bach Prelude and Fugue is from WTCII (I'm fairly certain). And to clarify, the other Beethoven sonanta is Op.14 No. 1, and the Mozart is K. 280 in F major. The Brahms Rhapsody is Op. 79, No. 2, in G minor.

I do take piano lessons, but it ranges from once every two weeks to once per 3 months, so we go very, very, slow, and I don't know if I'll be able to learn a substantial work. Perhaps a smaller work, though.

My technique isn't great- I can't do a Chopin etude satisfactorily (sp), but I haven't encountered too many technical problems in the pieces listed above.

AC, what do you recommend from Debussy?

-Melody

[A.C.]

omg, I think before you decide what pieces you choose for the audition, you should plan about your lesson arrangements. If you have a lesson per 3 months, you'll have exactly 4 lessons before your audition. Do you think you can still refine the pieces under your teacher's guidance? Well, if you have more regular lessons, I think it is too early to decide which piece to be played. You should build your repetoire during this time, and then choose some pieces from your repetoire to refine. If you feel insecure, you can choose your pieces half year earlier. In my opinion. 1 year will be too much time.

Well, you can play one of the preludes of Debussy. Talk about this to your teacher. Try to start and learn one now. No matter you choose it as an audition piece or not, it is good for your repetoire.

[Mellbell57]

Yeah- the lessons are very random. I can't really do anything about it, since it's more of a financial issue than anything else.

I could probably refine the pieces without too much of guidance from my teacher- I've learned them all before, and my musicality is far more developed than my technique. It's frustrating, at times.

Hmm....Debussy preludes sound fun. I think I'll start one.

I know more pieces, but I don't think they're appropriate for audition. Chopin waltzes, preludes, nocturnes, a beethoven rondo, Rachmaninoff serenade, prelude, moment musical, etc.

-Melody

[Logar]

If you want a Debussy prelude try: Préludes - Livre 1: Voiles, La cathedrale enloutie or Minstrels. They are "less" technique and more tonal balance