Piano Forum

Topic: Impressionistic repertorie suggestions?  (Read 2279 times)

Offline cubsfan334

  • PS Silver Member
  • Newbie
  • ***
  • Posts: 19
Impressionistic repertorie suggestions?
on: February 21, 2010, 01:55:10 AM
So I'd like to learn something by Ravel or Debussy, but not being overly familiar with their works, I was wondering if someone here could make a few suggestions that would be possible for me to play (i.e. not overly difficult).

Right now, I'd consider myself advanced, but not overly advanced: I currently play the Pathetique, Rhapsody in Blue, and black keys etude at performance level, and Chopin's etude 10 4 and the Appassionata are nearly there.

I really like Une Barque Sur L'ocean, but I think that's too difficult for me right now.  I was thinking Reflets Dans L'eau?  That might be too difficult too, though.  Thanks guys!

Offline orangesodaking

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 405
Re: Impressionistic repertorie suggestions?
Reply #1 on: February 21, 2010, 02:12:30 AM
Roman Sketches by Charles Griffes would be great.

White Peacock

Nightfall
&feature=related
The Fountain of Acqua Paola
&feature=related
Clouds
(recording is a tad fast.)

Online lostinidlewonder

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 7855
Re: Impressionistic repertorie suggestions?
Reply #2 on: February 21, 2010, 02:38:06 AM
Debussy Reflects dans l'eau is not too difficult if you have good grasp of whole tone scale forms, Ravel's water pieces pose more challenge. I like Debussy's Preludes and I think they are a great place for the advanced pianist who wants to explore Debussy further, his Estampes are also important to learn if you want to get to know Debussy. There are of course all of those standard pieces from Debussy which you should learn to play such as Clair de Lune, Reverie, Arabesque, Girl with the Flaxen Hair and Golliwog's Cakewalk which are amongst the most popular.

For Ravel, Sonatine, Pavane pour une infante defunte, Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn and Menuet Antique are good places for someone who doesn't want to try things too difficult but still advanced. I love Ravel's Une Barque sur l'ocean but it is not as hard as the Ondine, his Jeax d'eau is probably the easier of the three water pieces.
"The biggest risk in life is to take no risk at all."
www.pianovision.com

Offline john11inc

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 550
Re: Impressionistic repertorie suggestions?
Reply #3 on: February 21, 2010, 04:01:40 AM
I'd just sift through some of Debussy's Preludes.  The Ce qu'a vu le Vient d'Ouest is very hard to play like, incredibly well, but not super impossible to play passingly.  And if you're just going to use it as an encore, that would probably be fine.  I dunno, man.  Impressionism + Encore piece doesn't really mix, typically.

If this work is so threatening, it is not because it's simply strange, but competent, rigorously argued and carrying conviction.

-Jacques Derrida


https://www.youtube.com/user/john11inch

Offline ahinton

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 12149
Re: Impressionistic repertorie suggestions?
Reply #4 on: February 21, 2010, 05:03:57 PM
I'd just sift through some of Debussy's Preludes.  The Ce qu'a vu le Vient d'Ouest is very hard to play like, incredibly well, but not super impossible to play passingly.  And if you're just going to use it as an encore, that would probably be fine.  I dunno, man.  Impressionism + Encore piece doesn't really mix, typically.


I rather fear that playing it as Pollini does here is an achievement that very few could hope to approach, let alone surpass; thank you for posting this.

Best,

Alistair
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline nanabush

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2081
Re: Impressionistic repertorie suggestions?
Reply #5 on: February 21, 2010, 05:39:38 PM
Some Debussy that could work:

Preludes: brouillards, le vent dans la plaine, la puerta del vino, minstrels, tierces alternees, bruyeres, cathedrale engloutie
Images: reflets dans l'eau, movement, cloches a travers les feuilles,
Estampes: jardins sous la pluie
Suite Pour le Piano: prelude

His 'Nocturne', 'Ballade', and 'Masques' are severely underplayed (and barely discussed on the forum) but are INCREDIBLE pieces.  If you are thinking of a 'water piece' based on the Barque sur l'Ocean mention, Debussy has tons of water pieces, that might be a bit easier but just as rewarding as the Ravel.  I've mentioned a bunch :P

I'm sure if you are playing the Chopin and Beethoven stuff that you said then you can probably tackle any of Debussy's stuff.

Some Ravel that could work:

Sonatine (great choice for starting Ravel; it was my first piece by him)

Tombeau de Couperin: Prelude, Rigaudon,
Valses Nobles et Sentimentales

'Miroirs' might be a pretty crazy starting Ravel... even the slow ones wouldn't really seem to available as a 'starter' Ravel piece.


...Of the ones I suggested, most of those could be an 'encore' although I don't see the original poster mentioning an encore (unless I skipped through it several times).

Griffes also has really cool music (I was thinking of the Roman Sketches, as also mentioned earlier)

Interested in discussing:

-Prokofiev Toccata
-Scriabin Sonata 2
For more information about this topic, click search below!
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert