Repertoire suggestion

[takeo]

Hello all!

   I will play in a piano competition next year, and I don't know what to play. Here's my program:

In the first round, I will play two pieces that I can't choose. They are a Bach Prelude and Fugue, and a romantic piece. I will play Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso as romantic piece, but I don't know what prelude and fugue to play.

If I pass the first round, in the second round I will play the free piece (under 15 min. lenght).
I've thought to play a very showoff piece that isn't very difficult, something like Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu, but this is very overplayed.

I've got a year to pulish the repertoire.

So I need a Bach Prelude and Fugue, and a free showoff piece.

What do you suggest me?

Thank you in advance!

[kitty on the keys]

I would try: P & F book 2 in G major
                Debussy  Prelude from Pour le Piano
                             Gardens in the Rain--from Estampes
                 Chopin   Etude "Harp"---Op. 25 #1
                 Rachmaninoff---Polichinelle or a prelude
                  Kennon  3 Preludes

Kitty on the Keys

[pies]

a

[anda]

I've thought to play a very showoff piece that isn't very difficult, something like Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu, but this is very overplayed.

in competition, you are judged by a jury - and the people in the jury usually know a thing or two about piano playing and repertoire... so there's no way you can get away with something that looks more difficult than it is.

that being said... if you want to play chopin, i'd rather recommend andante spianato and the great polonaise (~14 minutes), or a scherzo/ballade plus something short - say a debussy prelude (i.e. feux d'artifice). or go for modern repertoire - prokofiev, or skrjabin (one of the shorter sonatas, to fit the time limit).

i don't know what kind of competition this is, or what your level is. but since you have a whole year to learn and polish the programme, i'd recommend you chose something that's just a little over your current level - so that's you'll also progress while preparing for the competition.

best luck

[takeo]

Thank you!

   Anda, the problem is that I can only play one piece in the second part. And I think that a scherzo or a ballade is too difficult and overplayed.

As I'm spanish, I've thought playing some Albeniz, but well, I'm open to suggestions. I've sight-read some Debussy preludes (cathedrale engloutie), and I don't like them. They're a bit strange, far of sweet Debussy (clair de lune).

I also think that Chopin's andante spianato and grande polonaise brillante is too difficult. I don't think I can play it at tempo.

And as a prelude and fugue, I've thought playing the nº 20 Book I. It's a very difficult prelude and fugue, but I need something as difficult as Rondo Capriccioso.

Other pieces I've played:

Liszt Valse Oubliee 1, Bach WTC II 14, Beethoven op 10/3, Granados op 39, and a bunch of Czerny op 740 and Clementi Gradus ad Parnassum.

So, what free piece (spanish or not) and what prelude and fugue do you recommend me?

[aslanov]

would definitely suggest chopin scherzo no. 2
or hungarian rhapsody no. 12, if you can manage it, something thats very underplayed, and a brilliant piece.

[thalbergmad]

As I'm spanish, I've thought playing some Albeniz, but well, I'm open to suggestions.

You could always do something with a Spanish feel to it.

Gottschalk's Souveniers D'Andalousie and Moskowski's Caprice Espagnole are brilliant and effective works, but require good repeated note technique.

Thal

[argerichfan]

Gottschalk's Souveniers D'Andalousie and Moskowski's Caprice Espagnole are brilliant and effective works, but require good repeated note technique.

And not to mention this.

OMG.

[anda]

it's pretty difficult to make repertoire suggestions to people you never heard play... i'll give it a shot though:

ravel - sonatine
       - miroirs (noctuelles, oiseaux tristes, une barque sur l'ocean)

granados - spanish dances (choose a few you can play and meet the time limit)

de falla - fantasia baetica (sounds more difficult than is)
           - pieces espagnoles

albeniz - espana (piano version by composer)
          - iberia (again, choose movements)

(that's what i can think of right now... if you are determined to play something spanish, do a search, there are many more)

best luck

[takeo]

And what do you guys think about Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies 17 and 18? I know both of them are very short, but well... they aren't easy.

About Gottschalk: I've played Souvenirs d'Andalousie, and I think it is too short and repetitive, although it has a great ending.

If I would play a spanish piece, probably I will play Albeniz's Rapsodia Cubana (www.imslp.org), and I think that Iberia, Falla's Fantasia Betica and pieces spagnoles ara too difficult.

There are three sections in the competition.

To 16 years old: you have to play a romantic piece and a P&F

From 17 to 22 years old: you have to play the first mov. of a classical sonata and a Chopin etude

From 23 to 26: you have to play a Chopin or Liszt etude, and one piece from Iberia, Navarra, La Vega (Albeniz), Fantasia Betica and pieces espagnoles (Falla), or Goyescas (Granados).

For that, I don't want to play any piece that they will play in older sections.

And it doesn't have to be necessarily a spanish piece. I've thought of playing a rachmaninoff prelude, but I don't know what.

Thank you all!

[kitty on the keys]

Get the CD's of the Preludes and Fugues---both books---and choose.

Schumann---Op 12 Fantasy Pieces---choose 2 or 3 for contrast moods
Schubert ---Impromptus
Brahms---Op.117 or 118  choose 2 or 3
Chopin Waltzes  Eb or e minor  listen to  them
          Nocturnes  listen to the ones with contrastin sections of tempo and mood

Liszt   Liberstraume


Kitty on the keys

[shasta]

I second Ravel's Sonatine

or

Sibelius' Kyllikki

[learner of liszt]

Free piece suggestions:

Rachmaninoff
   Prelude in G Minor Op. 23 No. 5
   Prelude in G# Minor Op 32 No. 12
   Polichinelle in F# Minor Op 3. No 4
   Etude Tableaux Op 39 No 6

Liszt
   Any Hungarian Rhapsody that fits into 15 minutes.
   Grand Galop Chromatique
   Paganini Etude No. 2, 4, or 6 (perhaps too difficult...?)
   Liebestraum No. 3

Chopin
   Any Etude
   Ballade No. 2
   Nocturne in E Major. Op. 62 No. 2

Alkan
   Any of the etudes (if you are exceptionally exceptional, try Op. 39 or 76, but if you're just mortal like the rest of us, I suggest Op 35 No. 3, 5, 6, 7, or 12).


Godowsky
   Etude Macabre
   A Chopin Transcription
   Star Spanled Banner Trascription

These may be to difficult, too short, or not to your liking, but these are some of the best competition pieces I can come up with for now.

[communist]

Ginastera piano sonata no.1 maybe