finished moonlight sonata, what next?

[bradengineer]

hi I'm just looking for some suggestions on what i should learn next. I just taught myself the first movement of Moonlight Sonata, I'm a beginner. It's the third song that i've actually learned. Over the past year I've taught myself to read music and play piano. I start college in the upcoming spring semester for music/piano so any advice as to what would be good to have under my belt would be appreciated.

[javacisnotrecognized]

Learn the second movement.

[bradengineer]

yeah i thought about that. the only thing is I don't think that there's any way I could learn the third, yet, so I was thinking about changing it up.

[m19834]

Well, it would be good for you to check with the school that you are planning to attend and see what their audition requirements are for the school.  If you have already been accepted, then I would talk with the teacher you are planning to be working with.

[quantum]

Maybe some Bach inventions. 

[swim4ever_22]

It depends where you are and what school you are looking into. Typically you must audition for a spot within the department, and at least from where I'm from, they require the following:

A Bach piece
A Classical Sonata movement
A romantic piece
A contemporary piece

You already have the classical sonata movement out of the way, the only problem with that is that since that sonata is so popular, during the audition, it's very possible that the judges have seen that played more than once. They really like non-popular piano music to be played instead of run-of-the-mill pieces that almost all students love to hear and learn. But anyway, if you want to go with Moonlight, go with moonlight.

As far as the romantic piece, something by Chopin or Liszt is usually hallmark of displaying virtuosity, unless you choose something not over-played, which is difficult of those two. However, do not forget that there are more composers to Romanticism than Chopin and Liszt, among them: Schumann, Mendelssohn, and others. If you're going to select a Chopin or Liszt piece, make it one that you don't hear all the time.

As for the Bach, an invention would be good, or even a simpler Prelude and Fugue. And as for the contemporary, you have plenty to choose from: Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Joplin, Messiaen, Gershwin. The list goes on.

[amypuk3y]

I just finished my first quarter as a music major with emphasis on piano performance. Boy, they WILL nail you if you don't have good technique as in connecting notes, wrist movements, certain touches and they will even gravel you on your pedal lifting. They'll also get really annoyed with you if your sight reading isn't "up to snuff." So I would suggest you quickly find some really easy pieces to see if you can sightread and that way you will get more and more quicker on finding the notes on the piano.

[richard black]

as for the contemporary, you have plenty to choose from: Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Joplin, Messiaen, Gershwin.

Ah yes, those well-known 21st-century composers Debussy (d.1918), Joplin (d.1917), Ravel (d.1937).... At least Messiaen (d.1992) lived long enough to count as contemporary, if only for a couple of years, with the generation currently considering auditioning for music college.