Year 12 repetoire

[pianochick93]

I am doing year 12 music this year, and I need some repetoire - about 15 minutes total.

I have already got:

Rachmaninoff Prelude in c# minor, 3:2

Aaand that's about all that's definite, and then only if my hands can handle the last bit. I've already got that learnt.

I'm tossing up between three Chopin Nocturnes:
Op 9 No. 1 in B minor
Op 72 No. 1
Op 37 No. 1

Op 72 is my favourite. I love it to pieces, and I play it well. However, someone who also played it really well (better than me) played it last year. There's the possibility for bias, which I don't really want to allow.
I like Op 9, however, it is slightly too discordant in parts for my taste. I've only played it once though, so tell me if you get used to it.
Op 37 I also like, but I find that it drags on. For me, yes. For an audience and a moderator, no.

I'm wondering whether one of Mendelssohn's Venetian Gondolas would be too easy. I'm not sure which one.

I'd like some suggestions on nice pieces that wouldn't be too hard to pick up in about 4-6 months. I love Debussy, however have played him continuously for about three years, and I think my teacher and my school teacher are both a little sick of him.
I dislike playing baroque. Please don't suggest any.
Classical is alright.
Modern is good, as long as it isn't atonal. I really don't like atonal stuff if it doesn't sound good (which is completely objective, of course.)

I'll welcome any and all suggestions. If possible, can you provide a link to some online sheet music so I can check it out.

Thanks

PC

[prongated]

...are you based in NSW? If so, I'm guessing you're taking music 1 since you don't need to play an Australian piece? Actually, isn't what you play determined by what modules you take at school? You may want to check with your teacher about that...and until then any repertoire suggestion is not very useful I think...

But in general, honestly, most of the juries are clueless (I mean CLUELESS!) about music, so for maximum marks I strongly recommend you play the most impressive pieces that you can manage (because obviously everyone will know if you play a Chopin Etude badly). By impressive I mean something that sounds fast and looks busy. As such, the Rach prelude is a good idea. Chopin Nocturne is generally a bad idea unless you play a difficult one like op. 62 no. 2 or op. 48 no. 1 (and Op. 72 no. 1 is a definite no for me).

[pianochick93]

I'm based in SA

As far as I know, there are no restrictions on what we play, as long as it is level-appropriate. The pianist last year player pretty much AMEB 7 for leisure pieces.

The impressiveness is the reason I'm keeping the Rach piece. However, I'm not good with fast pieces. At all. My hands just freeze up and get uneven, and I find them difficult to learn.

I'll have a look at the Nocturnes you mentioned.

[weissenberg2]

I agree that the Chopin's nocturnes are not a great idea. Pieces I think that may work are:

Haydn sonatas (any of them that you have control over, the earlier ones are easy technically but they would be impressive if you played them well)

Many Mozart sonatas (if you can play them well)

A Brahms intermezzo (perhaps op.116 no.4,5 or 6, perhaps you can pair 2 up)

Schumann arabesque or Blumenstuck

A few Grieg lyrical pieces

[prongated]

Yes, the Schumann Arabesque is a pretty good idea...if played very well, it'll sucker the examiners right in! Classical sonatas are good if played very well, but if you do get shaky as you say, then they're actually not the safest impressive choice you can have. Actually, if you can manage something like Gordon Kerry's Figured in the Drift of Stars, you will have a kick-ass program with the Schumann and Rachmaninoff!

...Brahms op. 116 is not a great idea with these examiners though I think...and more importantly, these are rather mature works that I don't think is suitable for pretty much any year 12 student. And Grieg lyrical pieces are probably headed down the same path as the Chopin Nocturnes...maybe worse actually.

[pianochick93]

Thanks for the suggestions

I'm having a look at the Schumann. I listened to the Haydn, and it sounded a bit...classical. As in not the style of classical I enjoy classical.

But generally I like Haydn, so I dunno.

May I ask why the Grieg and Chopin aren't a good idea? Overplayingness?

[pianochick93]

Ok, so whilst looking through my pieces, I had a thought. Or rather, I found a piece.

Would Op 40 No. 2 (Chanson Triste), by Tchaikovsky, be an appropriate choice. I like it, and it sounds cool, and I believe it's of the expected difficulty level. It's also a nice contrast to the Rachmaninoff.

[prongated]

...actually, it all depends on what sort of marks you are aiming for. Basically, playing the Grieg and Chopin beautifully will never get you full marks because the examiners don't appreciate them as much as pieces that look fast and busy. However, if you play that Chopin e minor Nocturne really well, you will no doubt get good marks! The Chanson Triste? Not as good to do as the Chopin Nocturne - it's simply not hard.

It's probably best to talk to your teacher(s) in this light. Ideally, you want to play at least 1 piece that is hard for you, but will not make you sound like you are a try-hard. Your teacher should know best what you can realistically do.

Just to give you an idea, this program gave me full marks 5 years ago:
Carl Vine: selection from 5 Bagatelles (3-5 I think - Australian work was compulsory in NSW then)
Liszt: Paganini Etude in a minor no. 6 (this was that hard piece for me)
Beethoven: 1st movt. of Sonata in e minor op. 90 (not an impressive piece, but it is not something you hear every year. Executed well, it gives the impression you are a serious musician - I wasn't then - and thus are more inclined to give you top marks ^^)

Friend of mine did the following that year and got 90s:
Debussy: Passepied from Suite Bergamasque
Liszt: Un Sospiro from 3 Concert Studies
Nigel Sabin: Another Look at Autumn (Australian work - beautiful work actually! Very much in the romantic style)

This program was my student's last year, and it got her mid 80s:
Ravel: Minuet from Le Tombeau de Couperin [actually, this one you may want to look at, if you don't like the Schumann Arabesque. Or if you can manage no. 1, I'd put it together with the Schumann and Rachmaninoff]
Beethoven: 2nd movt. from Sonata in c minor op. 13 (Pathetique - she's learned it when I got her the year before, so...)
Fazil Say: Jazz Fantasy on Mozart (Turkish March - party piece!)

[weissenberg2]

Perhaps something else by Tchaikovsky? Maybe something from Les Saisons or a set of morceaux?

[pianochick93]

...actually, it all depends on what sort of marks you are aiming for.

Good ones. I'm aiming to get full marks in music, because I know I can. If that fails, then 90% or more.

It's probably best to talk to your teacher(s) in this light. Ideally, you want to play at least 1 piece that is hard for you, but will not make you sound like you are a try-hard. Your teacher should know best what you can realistically do.

The Rachmaninoff is my hard piece. I have small hands.

Friend of mine did the following that year and got 90s:
Debussy: Passepied from Suite Bergamasque
Liszt: Un Sospiro from 3 Concert Studies
Nigel Sabin: Another Look at Autumn (Australian work - beautiful work actually! Very much in the romantic style)

I would like to do the Prelude from Suite Bergamasque, but alas, I did it last year. I'll check with my teacher to see whether it would be alright to repeat it, seeing as the moderator doesn't know.

Ravel: Minuet from Le Tombeau de Couperin [actually, this one you may want to look at, if you don't like the Schumann Arabesque.

I do like Ravel. I was considering Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte, but decided against it, because of the small hands thing.

Beethoven: 2nd movt. from Sonata in c minor op. 13 (Pathetique - she's learned it when I got her the year before, so...)

Oooh. I could do that. I know it, and it just needs polishing.


I sorted out my music folder last night, and came across a new one.

Golliwog's Cakewalk, by Debussy. It's Debussy, which my teacher is no doubt sick of, but it's not the same as the other Debussy pieces I've played (except Le Petit Negro). It's also not my normal style, and is fairly difficult.


Weiss: I'll have a look at some more Tchaikovsky as well. I like his pieces.

Thankyou both for all you help ^^

[weissenberg2]

Don't repeat the Debussy,you should learn new repertoire.

[prongated]

Perhaps something else by Tchaikovsky? Maybe something from Les Saisons or a set of morceaux?

Oh, I missed this suggestion...I think one of the Seasons is a better idea, yep...

Don't repeat the Debussy,you should learn new repertoire.

Seconded.

Good ones. I'm aiming to get full marks in music, because I know I can. If that fails, then 90% or more.

Great! Then you really do need to forget playing pieces like Chanson Triste and even Golliwog's Cake Walk. As a guide, for that sort of mark, you want to look at pieces of typically around AMusA difficulty, minimum. So...Debussy's Prelude from Suite Bergamasque... it's a good piece (I happen to be working on it right now ), but not sure how far that will take you...could be a good idea though. Beethoven: no. Not for that kind of goal.

So ideally, I think the Rachmaninoff + (Debussy Prelude or Schumann Arabesque or from Tchaikovsky Seasons or Ravel Tombeau de Couperin) + another piece (preferably fast, but at the very least not slow like the Beethoven Pathetique 2nd movt).

[pianochick93]

Hey guys...updating you on my final repetoire.

Teacher has indicated that she'd rather we repeat a piece from last year and play it well, rather than learning a new one and stuffing it up.

Over the year, I've played:

Rachmaninoff Prelude 3:2
Debussy Prelude from Suite Bergamasque
Chopin Nocturne in C# Minor Op. Posthumous
Ravel A La Maniere de Borodin
Grieg Wedding Day at Troldhaugen
Mussorgsky Old Castle.

There were a few rough bits in the Ravel and the Grieg, so I've dropped them from my program.

So my final program is:
Debussy Prelude
Mussorgsky Old Castle
Chopin Nocturne
Rachmaninoff Prelude

The total time is 16 minutes, which is 4 minutes more than the max...I'm thinking of cutting out the Chopin, because I can't really do the runs at the end very well.

The Rach isn't proving as much as a hassle for my hands as I thought it would. There are two chords that give me trouble, and I've worked with them until I can get them right.

Thanks for your input, though I didn't end up going with any of the suggested pieces.

[steviesteps]

I think the chopin is a good idea. The op 32 no1 isn't discordant and the end is a great surprise for listeners! I wouldn't play the one someone else did, I'm never at rest with a piece unless I feel like it's my own.  Classical sonatas aren't worth the hassel- they take too much control to do well (unless it's beethoven becuase he is the one and its all worth it).    Why don't you try something modern like the ginastera danzas argentinas or bartok's dances in bulgarian rhythm?  They shouldn't be too difficult to get your hands around and would provide a good contrast to the rach

[pianochick93]

I think the chopin is a good idea. The op 32 no1 isn't discordant and the end is a great surprise for listeners! I wouldn't play the one someone else did, I'm never at rest with a piece unless I feel like it's my own.  Classical sonatas aren't worth the hassel- they take too much control to do well (unless it's beethoven becuase he is the one and its all worth it).    Why don't you try something modern like the ginastera danzas argentinas or bartok's dances in bulgarian rhythm?  They shouldn't be too difficult to get your hands around and would provide a good contrast to the rach

Thanks for suggestions, but the performance is today 

My program is too long, so I'm cutting out the Chopin, as I don't believe I can play it as well.

[ch101]

a few chopin preludes can do the job

[thalbergmad]

Try answering some 2001 posts.

That would be really funny.

Thal

[stevebob]

Try answering some 2001 posts.

That would be really funny.

Thal

Be careful what you wish for, Thal.  At his rate of dispatching vacuous one-line replies, his post count would soon overtake even your own.