Rachmaninoff or Totentanz?

[learner of liszt]

There is a young musicians competition in my town, and my piano teacher would like me to learn a concerto and compete. He has started me working on Liszt's Totentanz, a piece which I love. However, I also love the Rachmaninoff concertos. My question is: should I stick with Totentanz or try a Rachmaninoff Concerto (most likely the first movement of #1 or #3)? Totentanz comes very easily to me: In one week of study, I am able to play (somewhat inaccurately, I'll admit) through all but the beginning of Variation 5. Based on this, do you think the aforementioned concerto movements would be too difficult for me? Time is not an issue, as there is about a year until the competition. If it helps any, I can stretch an 11th in my right hand and a 10th in my left hand.

[aslanov]

if your going to do rachmaninoff i'd say the first or last movement of the second concerto, any movements of the third concerto i'd say.......are far to advanced for "young" pianists. granted the last movement of the second is very difficult, but....the third is....much much more demanding, just the notes alone are overwhelming, then there's the technique and the complex musicality.

[iroveashe]

Can't say I know both pieces as good as I'd like to, but seeing how Rachmaninov's concertos are always mentioned and played, I'd say you should go for Totentanz, which is amazing.

[learner of liszt]

I just looked at the Rach 3 score on IMSLP. It kind of scared me. So I think I'll stick with Totentanz, and maybe next year go for his (Rachmaninoff's) 1st concerto.

[mikey6]

I just looked at the Rach 3 score on IMSLP. It kind of scared me. So I think I'll stick with Totentanz, and maybe next year go for his (Rachmaninoff's) 1st concerto.

if Rach 3 scares you, I'd liek to know whether or not you have a simplified version of Totentanz coz it's not exactly a walk in the park!

[learner of liszt]

I'm playing the version on IMSLP, piano duet, edited by Emil von Sauer. The Rach 3 startled me so much because of the long passages involving incredibly intricate fingerwork, such as the one that begins after the first statement of the main theme in mov. I. Totentanz doesn't seem all that difficult.

[thierry13]

I'm playing the version on IMSLP, piano duet, edited by Emil von Sauer. The Rach 3 startled me so much because of the long passages involving incredibly intricate fingerwork, such as the one that begins after the first statement of the main theme in mov.

Hrm. We're talking about the easiest passage in the whole concerto here ... if that scared you, even totentaz is unmanageable.

[learner of liszt]

That wasn't one of the passages that scared me, but passages like that, where you have to keep up constant intricate finger work for extended periods of time. Besides, I would have thought that the actual first statement of the main theme would be the easiest thing in the whole concerto.

[thierry13]

Besides, I would have thought that the actual first statement of the main theme would be the easiest thing in the whole concerto.

Well that's a tought you will have to forget. The main theme is much harder than some little fingerwork. That said, it's also far from being the hardest part of the concerto. Jorge Bolet said that you know the first slow theme in the first movement, the one's that's taken back after the cadenza ? Well he says it's the hardest part of the whole concerto. Gives you an idea.

[arensky]

Do the Totentanz

(the new dance craze)


Seriously it takes a lot less brainpower than the Rachmaninov 3rd Concerto and will build your technique, and will let you justify your screen name