competition program

[imbetter]

I'll be entering a local piano competition. I was thinking about entering with the following program and I was wondering if anybody had any suggestions on one that will better increase my chances of winning.

round 1
Bach-Prelude and Fugue no.22 from WTC book I
Beethoven-either Waldstein mov.1 or appassionata mov.1
Chopin-etude op.10 no.5
Chopin-Ballade no.3 or Brahms Rhapsody op.79 no.1
Barber-Ballade op.46 or maybe some Alistair Hinton 

round 2
Beethoven concerto no.3 mov.1 or Grieg mov.1

[furtwaengler]

Confession: I really don't know much about competitions, nor do I care a thing about them. Music, however I love, and so the only value I see in competitions is the opportunity to perform and hear performances. There would be the noble attempt of the competition, to give exposure to an up and coming artist...but is this the outcome? (maybe it is...I've prejudices!) Competitions can be so competitive and anti-musical. (See!)

This opens up a pet peeve. The two Beethoven sonatas you've listed are both very well conceived as a whole, and to not perform them as a whole leaves us hanging, and is a disservice to the piece. Can you start the opening movement of the Appassionata without the fateful final chord of the finale firmly in your sights?

I'll stop with the irritation. My personal preference is that I'd always want to hear Beethoven's 3rd concerto over Grieg's concerto. Always. (Isn't that competitive? You lose, Grieg! ) H-o-w-e-v-e-r, if you were to play Hinton's Grieg Variations it might be entirely appropriate to include the Grieg concerto. Other than that, you're dealing with light and dark balance...If you choose the Waldstein, then choose the Brahms Rhapsody; if you choose the Appassionata, then choose the Chopin Ballade (note the key relationships if that's important to you - the Bach and the Appassionata work well together...great mood transfer). The Barber is a great piece and would fit either way I think.

I'm afraid I don't know Mr. Hinton's music, but has there ever been a composer in history to give so much quality time to a random message board in cyberspace? 

[faulty_damper]

There are two different kind of piano competitions: Ones that reward pianism; the other musicianship.  (No indication on what the Warsaw Chopin Competition rewards because at least the last two winners were terrible musicians whom duped me into purchasing their CDs, which were very disappointing.  I rarely remove CDs from the stereo system because I couldn't listen to them anymore but these last two... )

Anyway, you can usually tell the two apart from this simple repertoire requirement: a "virtuosic etude by Chopin or Liszt".

Since your stated repertoire only indicates one etude, you can bet that the judges are more interested in musicianship.  And considering that you even have to ask, I doubt you are confident about your own abilities.

[faulty_damper]

Which competition is it?

[diabola]

I think between the Chopin-Ballade no.3 and Brahms Rhapsody op.79 no.1, I will choose the brahms instead since chopin is overly played at times. Brahms will be a refreshing choice for the adjudicators. But it also depends on you, which piece can you connect with more?

[mad_max2024]

At least you're not adding islamey anymore... 

[thierry13]

round 1
Bach-Prelude and Fugue no.22 from WTC book I
Beethoven-either Waldstein mov.1 or appassionata mov.1
Chopin-etude op.10 no.5
Chopin-Ballade no.3 or Brahms Rhapsody op.79 no.1
Barber-Ballade op.46 or maybe some Alistair Hinton 

round 2
Beethoven concerto no.3 mov.1 or Grieg mov.1

For your uncertainties, I'd do Waldstein, the Brahms Rhapsody (because it's AMAZING and never played, and that it is at least as great a piece as the chopin ballade), the Barber ballade looks fine to me (I don't know Ahinton's music) and I'd play Beethoven 3rd, but the concerto is a personnal thing.