your thoughts for my audition progam pleez!

[berniano]

Well, finally I've got my auditions almost completely lined up, and here's my program:

Bach Prelude and Fugue in G# minor, WTC II, BWV 887

Beethoven Sonata No. 30, Op. 109

Rachmaninov Etude Tableau No. 3 in C minor, Op. 33

Debussy L'isle d'Joyeuse

Kapustin Etude No. 3, Toccatina, from his "Eight Concert Etudes"

Any advice, tips, etc. for technique and esp. artistry would be greatly, greatly appreciated since I've got about a month left to prepare!!

Thanks. Berniano

[nanabush]

Holy crap!  That's an insane audition program.  A lot of technical stuff 

Where are you auditioning?

Really cool stuff you've chosen;  I still have to learn the Debussy (one of those by him that I'm going to learn at one point), and I've played the Bach prelude and Fugue before (was actually one of my choices for my university audition).

Don't over pedal the Rachmaninoff in some sections; I've heard (and seen) loads of recordings/videos of people playing this.  Sometimes, you can't even make out what the left hand is playing if it's completely blurred out (especially in the octaves when the first theme comes back)... I've never played this one, but I can see how people would want to use the pedal to hide some flubbed notes 

[tea cup]

I've only played Op. 109. Don't rush the development section in the first movement, and don't hurry the crescendi before the second adagio part. It should "glow", but not sound pompous.

Also, don't ritardare (I think that is the verb) too much in the last variation of the third movement, in the last few measures before the restatement of the theme. The piece ends after the restatement, and not after the trills.

I also recommend not diminishing too much during the trills. Otherwise the contrast of the theme, from the ppp of the trill to the pp or p of the theme, sounds odd. The end of the trill and the entrance of the restatement should both be in pp, without too much contrast between both.

Good luck. Ü

[perfect_pitch]

Beethoven Sonata No. 30, Op. 109

sh*t - you're doing it too??? Man - It was a sonata I'd never heard before till I'd started studying it.

Best of luck - would love to hear a recording - I've got a post here with my rough version of it (still got 8 more months left to work on it)

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=35913.0

[tsaij]

sh*t - you're doing it too??? Man - It was a sonata I'd never heard before till I'd started studying it.

it's a pretty popular piece -- at one of my grad school auditions last year both of the pianists before me were playing it. (and both offered the first movement!) that's why i try to avoid the warhorses for auditions...

[tea cup]

It's a Beethoven sonata.

[avguste]

Well, finally I've got my auditions almost completely lined up, and here's my program:

Bach Prelude and Fugue in G# minor, WTC II, BWV 887

Beethoven Sonata No. 30, Op. 109

Rachmaninov Etude Tableau No. 3 in C minor, Op. 33

Debussy L'isle d'Joyeuse

Kapustin Etude No. 3, Toccatina, from his "Eight Concert Etudes"

Any advice, tips, etc. for technique and esp. artistry would be greatly, greatly appreciated since I've got about a month left to prepare!!

Thanks. Berniano

Interesting program.
I dont know anything about the Kapustin etude, however if you are able to make a recording and post it, I could help you.
The other pieces, I have played them , and if you can post recordings of your playing them, I would help you as well.

On a side note, you may be interested to know that sometime this weekend(or as soon as my new computer gets here), I will officially start to teach using Skype. So you could play for me live, while I comment and give you advice.

Where are you auditioning? And please tell me you are not starting to prepare such a program just now.
-----
On another note, I really cant understand current students(high school and others).I have a bunch that come to me for lessons and ask for me to help them get ready for auditions, and they come 1 month before.
I teach them with pleasure and do whatever I can to get them ready, but 1 month before......
And generally

[berniano]

Where are you auditioning? And please tell me you are not starting to prepare such a program just now.
-----
On another note, I really cant understand current students(high school and others). I have a bunch that come to me for lessons and ask for me to help them get ready for auditions, and they come 1 month before.
I teach them with pleasure and do whatever I can to get them ready, but 1 month before......

Definitely not starting this program now!!!!!!!!!!!! I would be insane by now if that were the case  . But yeah, this program is made up of selections from the programs I've learned since starting highschool. For example, each year from competitions, my teacher made me learn a 4-5 pieces, each from a different time period, and now I can pick and choose from my strongest and favorite pieces, which is GREAT!! The only thing that is kindof new is the last movement of the Beethoven 109, but I've had it since November, and it shoud be ready by my audition at U of Michigan later next month.

But anyway, my first audition is this coming Saturday at Texas Christian University for an undergrad scholarship. I'm playing my Bach, Beethoven, and Debussy. Later, also auditioning at Rice, Bowling Green Sate University, U of Denver (Lamont School of Music), Houghton College, and (hopefully!!) Princeton if I can get the blasted audition scheduled (can't seem to get in touch with the audition coordinator).

Hey, if anyone has any info and experience, good or bad, about these schools, I'd appreciate it.

And Avguste: I might be interested in the Skype lesson, and hope to get the chance to post some of pieces mp3 on here soon.

thanx again, Berniano

[avguste]

Texas Christian?
I was a student there with Professor Ungar for 2 years. It is a very good school and the teachers are very good.
I also auditioned at Rice back in 2006 and didnt go very well for me.

Dont know much about the other schools on your list, except for U of Michigan. They have one of the top teachers in Professor Greene

Good choices!!!
Obviously I cannot help you much for the TCU audition, however I would be more than happy to help you for the other auditions on Skype.
My fees are:

1 hour $20
2 hours $40

All is to be paid by PayPal. My PayPal email is avguste@gmail.com.
For details about the Skype lessons, check here

Contact me on my msn messenger(kcchiefs20@hotmail.com) so that we can schedule those Skype lessons.

[avguste]

any updates about your auditions?

Also, if you would like an outside opinion/advice, check out the Skype lessons I am offering

[jamie0168]

Sounds like a good program. I'm performing that Kapustin right now. It's so much fun to play! Of course, it takes ALOT of slow practice to get it down. But once it's there, it just kind of "stays" in your fingers.

Those etudes rock!

[orangesodaking]

If you can play Beethoven Op. 109 well with musical maturity, then that will be a HUGE help to your auditions. However, if not, it could drag it down. That's the only thing that sticks out to me here... Other than that, you have a very strong audition program and I hope you go to the school of your choice!