New Repertoire Picking help

[artsyalchemist]

So..I just graduated from college, and as I was a piano major, I never imagined now that I'm on my own, I'd have so much trouble picking new pieces.  But indeed this is the case.  I hope to start taking lessons again in the next few months, but I want some pieces to challenge me and give me something to do.  To give you an idea of where I am, here was my senior repertoire.

Bach: English Suite no. 3 in g minor
Beethoven: Sonata in E-flat, op. 31 no. 3
Chopin: Etudes op. 10/5, 25/11, Nouvelle Etude in A-flat
Shostakovitch: Prelude and fugue in e minor

Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks!!! 

[skorpius]

Do the winter wind etude (op. 25 no. 11) XP

[birba]

Ahhhhhhh!  to be just out of school.   To know what I know now and have all that time before me!
Anyway, I think you should look at some contemporary stuff.  At least from the last 50 years.  Listen to LOTS of music.  And LOT of types of music.  Even heavy metal.   chamber music, choral music, opera, etc. I'm sure you have a composer or period you're already particularly partial to.  Go ahead with him or it, but maybe just a piece or two.  Adventure into other expressions.  Don't get bogged down into a particular period or piece.  Sleep around.   You're going to have a blast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  At your age, you've really got to see the whole world.  And, by the way, that may not be a bad idea.  Go to some international masterclasses.  There are lots in Europe.

[artsyalchemist]

Do the winter wind etude (op. 25 no. 11) XP

Haha. I already played that one. 
But thanks.

[communist]

Weber Konzerstuck in F minor is great and challenging. Also some Scriabin would be good, maybe the fantasy in B minor or one of the sonatas.

[ara9100]

You seem to have played a lot of chopin. Why dont you try one of is ballades or scherzos.

[imbetter]

I'll just give you a list of some challenging repertoire

Bach-Goldberg Variations
Beethoven-Diabelli Variations, last 5 sonatas
Schubert- Wanderer Fantasy, last 3 sonatas
Brahms-Paganini Variations
Liszt-Sonata, Don Juan Fantasy, Dante Fantasy, Spanish Rhapsody, and many many others
Schumann-Carnaval op.9, Toccata op.7, Sonatas 1 and 2, Carnival Jest op.26
Mendelssohn-Variations Seriuses
Alkan-Grande Sonata, Symphony and Concerto for solo piano, Aesops Feast
Moussourgsky-Pictures at an Exhibition
Stravinsky-3 Movements from Petrouschka
Ravel-Gaspard de la Nuit, La Valse, mirrors,
Rachmaninoff-Sonatas 1 and 2, Corelli Variations,
Prokofiev-Sonatas 6,7, and 8

Hope I helped

[nanabush]

What are you planning on doing now that you're out of college?  I'm just starting a performance major this fall

I really enjoy the Handel Suite in G minor HWV 432.  The last movement is really cool.

I'd agree with modern/contemporary stuff!  I'm using my RCM syllabus as a sort of catalogue and am finding new stuff every day.

Check out Liebermann Gargoyles (something I tried starting last year, but gave up lol).  One of the few sets of pieces that actually creates a vivid image of the title.

Ligeti's stuff is very interesting.  Nothing I'd consider playing just yet, but you might like to take a look at some of his etudes.

Scriabin's got some great stuff too.  His Op 12 and Op 42 etudes are amazing as are all of his sonatas (I like #2 and #5 the best).

Brahms has some beast pieces: his Capriccio Op 76 #1 is insane!  His Scherzo Op 4 is really cool too.

I'm trying to list some small scale stuff; Gaspard and Petrouchka are undoubtedly challenging, but they're like 40+ pages lol.

[ara9100]

You seem to have played a lot of chopin. Why dont you try one of his ballades or scherzos. If you dont want to play any more chopin just yet you could try some of liszts etudes because you have played all of chopins.

[birba]

How do you deduce that she's done all of them?  That's some feat to have done all the etudes by senior year.  I still think she should get out of the Chopin rut and try some contemporary stuff.  From what I gather she has to broaden her horizons.   (Why am I assuming it's a "she"...?)

[artsyalchemist]

How do you deduce that she's done all of them?  That's some feat to have done all the etudes by senior year.  I still think she should get out of the Chopin rut and try some contemporary stuff.  From what I gather she has to broaden her horizons.   (Why am I assuming it's a "she"...?)

Don't worry..I am a girl, lol.  I haven't done all of the Chopin etudes either, but that and Liszt etudes were pretty much all I did in college, so a break from those would be nice.

[artsyalchemist]

And on that note, I guess I have a lot to look at now.  Thanks for all your suggestions so far!

[artsyalchemist]

Alright, I've done some narrowing down...

anything else would be lovely

Beethoven: Sonata in A Major, op. 101
Scriabin: one of his sonatas (I was working on 9, but I might try something more tonal first..I'm debating between 4 and 5..which one is better?)
Rachmaninoff: Etude-Tableaux in d minor, op. 39 no. 8 (I strangely came across this piece today and have fallen in love with it)
Maybe something Impressionistic, since I haven't done that in a while (have never done Ravel) 

Any other ideas?

[imbetter]

Alright, I've done some narrowing down...

anything else would be lovely

Beethoven: Sonata in A Major, op. 101
Scriabin: one of his sonatas (I was working on 9, but I might try something more tonal first..I'm debating between 4 and 5..which one is better?)
Rachmaninoff: Etude-Tableaux in d minor, op. 39 no. 8 (I strangely came across this piece today and have fallen in love with it)
Maybe something Impressionistic, since I haven't done that in a while (have never done Ravel) 

Any other ideas?

If you were asking for an opinion I personally much prefer the 5th Sonata of Scriabin. And for something impressionistic I would look at: Debussy, Pour le Piano, Estampes, Suite Burgmasque, Images Books I and II, Ravel Sonatine, Valses Nobeles et Sentiminteles (or something), La Valse, Gaspard de la Nuite, or Mirors.

[thetamman]

hello artsyalchemist,

may i ask from which conservatory you graduated? 

I love giving repertoire suggestions - it makes me feel like I haven't wasted my life:D here are my suggestions:

(keeping in mind you are a 'she', I feel these pieces work better in general for the fairer sex: hey that's just me though)


Poulenc - Theme Varie;

Chopin: Ballade No. 3 A flat major

Ravel - Miroirs/ Gaspard de la nuit/ La Valse

That should be more than enough to keep you occupied! All excellent competition pieces, highly accessible, and can be broken up to suit the occasion.

Happy playing:)

thetamman

[artsyalchemist]

hello artsyalchemist,

may i ask from which conservatory you graduated? 

I love giving repertoire suggestions - it makes me feel like I haven't wasted my life:D here are my suggestions:

(keeping in mind you are a 'she', I feel these pieces work better in general for the fairer sex: hey that's just me though)


Poulenc - Theme Varie;

Chopin: Ballade No. 3 A flat major

Ravel - Miroirs/ Gaspard de la nuit/ La Valse

That should be more than enough to keep you occupied! All excellent competition pieces, highly accessible, and can be broken up to suit the occasion.

Happy playing:)

thetamman

I didn't graduate from a conservatory; it was a college. 
I may be a woman, but I actually love playing meaty stuff..that's just me however.
But thanks though.  I was leaning towards playing some Ravel, since I haven't played any of his works yet.

[lontano]

While there are many fine, challenging works recommended here, I see an awful lot of dare I say "warhorses" listed. Maybe I'm a bit jaded, after seeing many fine piano majors graduate from a fine music program at the college I worked in for 16 years, but all too often I saw many students playing a lot of the same thing every year (that's maybe a bit exagerated). But you are young and have sooooo much ahead to discover.

I can simply recommend looking at suggestions from all the other posters and add something like Prokofiev's "Visions Fugitives" (20 short pieces ranging in difficulty from simple to demanding, and can easily be performed separately or as a whole, something like Chopin's Preludes, op.28, but shorter overall).

A lot of people have suggested Scriabin Sonatas, but there many smaller, wonderful works of his that tend to be sidelined by perusing the more commonly played works.

Ravel's "Le Tombeau de Couperin" is a difficult, but very rewarding, work that you might consider along your path of development.

Bartok rarely gets mentioned these days, but I was raised on his music (despite my Scottish background). Works like "Out of Doors" and Bagatelles, Sz.38 could use some better representation these days, and are great works.

Earnst Bloch wrote a very beautiful piano sonata that is rarely heard, but should be. And if you want to get more adventuresome, look into some of the shorter works of Charles Ives. Or Olivier Messiaen's Preludes.

So there's my offering. Best of luck to you.

Lontano