good piece for peforming for people who does not really understand music?

[diabola]

I was wondering if people can give me suggestions on which piece to play that can easily rile up audience's emotions easily, ie a piece for people who does not really understand classical music can enjoy. I have to choose a piece for my year end high school concert! I was thinking of Beethoven's first or third movement of the Appassionata, but they are both kind of too long.

Thank you in advance

[pianowolfi]

Good old Rach op2,3 would do the job, I guess.

[imbetter]

fantasy impromtpu, rach op.23 no.5

[tanman]

Chopin ballade 1

[mad_max2024]

Rach op39 no5 puts up quite a show if you want an unknown piece.

If you can manage it, Liszt's HR2 is both popular and acrobatic enough to impress people, though a bit long.
Liebestraum 3(?) is usually a favorite too, or a Chopin nocturne.

Depends on what you want to do really. People usually like tremendously overplayed pieces that are easy to listen.
Do you want that?
Do you want to impress them with flare and acrobatics?
Do you want a moving and heartwarming piece?
Several ways to go.

[shasta]

When I was in high school there was always someone would perform one of these 3 pieces and it always brought down the house and the entire audience would give a standing ovation:
-Fur Elise
-Rondo Alla Turca
-Solfeggietto

*sigh*

So, in that vein, I agree the Rach 2/3, Rach 23/5, HR, and FI would work.  Maybe consider Chopin's 10/12, Rach's 16/4, Lecuona's Malaguena, Flight of the Bumblebee, Rage over a lost penny (maybe too long?), and Albeniz' Leyenda.

Also that little glissando waltz of Mozart's.  <--For a high school audience, glissandos would blow Solfeggietto out of the water. 

[tanman]

Also that little glissando waltz of Mozart's.  <--For a high school audience, glissandos would blow Solfeggietto out of the water. 

haha
I was playing piano in my school during my lunch period, and I did a glissando and everyone stared at me like I was a genius.   

[0range]

In my experience, people who are not knowledgeable in music don't really have the nuance to distinguish really difficult repertoire and stuff that is just flashy, so I wouldn't waste my time with anything really impressive, because it will probably be lost on them.

Stuff of an intermediate level like Dr. Gradus, Fur Elise, FI, etc... are good.

You could also do some sappy mood music and make eyes at the girls (or boys) in the audience.

Let's not forget Sorabji too.

[shasta]

haha
I was playing piano in my school during my lunch period, and I did a glissando and everyone stared at me like I was a genius.   

HAHAHAHA!  Maybe he should just do a bunch of glissandos.  Randomly.  He'll have roses thrown at him.   

[mad_max2024]

HAHAHAHA!  Maybe he should just do a bunch of glissandos.  Randomly.  He'll have roses thrown at him.   

Crossing hands sometimes does that too.

[arensky]

HAHAHAHA!  Maybe he should just do a bunch of glissandos.  Randomly.  He'll have roses thrown at him.   

Great Balls of Fire 

[Petter]

I donīt think it would be a good idea to play anything to people who donīt understand music as they obviously wouldnīt understand it...

[pies]

Alkan op. 39 no. 7

[tanman]

Crossing hands sometimes does that too.

haha
yeah, that also.

Let's not forget Sorabji too.

 
I second this. 

[cloches_de_geneve]

Debussy, arabesque 1.

[j.s. bach the 534th]

Debussy, arabesque 1.

that would work. The first time I heard this piece I fell in love with it and decided to learn it right then. Though near the beginning the part with triplets in one hand and normal eighth notes in the other hand was really hard for me.

Chopin Etude Op. 25 No. 11 would probably have a huge effect on any audience, classical-music-trained or not, but of course that is really hard