"Big and loud piece"

[pianisten1989]

Hi

I played Waldszenen for my teacher today, and she said basically that I have the right "feeling" and tone for these smaller pieces, that aren't very loud.
Then she said that I should try to find something that is bigger and louder, like Rachmaninov or Liszt.

Do you have any suggestions? Don't care about the difficulty, it's only a matter of time!
Anyhow, I want them to be difficult enough for an audition to a major music academy.

Recently I've played pieces like Symphonic etudes, Mephisto waltz no 1, L'isle joyeuse...

Thx

[pianowolfi]

Prokofiev Toccata?

[quantum]

Scriabin Sonatas 1 or 3.

Ginastera - lots of stuff.  Check out the Sonatas.

Chopin - Sonata No2

Debussy - Prelude 7 - Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest

Medtner - listen to some of the Fairy Tales or Sonatas

Messiaen - Regard #12 - La parole toute-puissante

Liszt - Fantasy and Fugue on B.A.C.H.

Albeniz - Iberia Bk1 Nr3 - Fête-dieu à Seville

Prokofiev - Sonata 7

[scottmcc]

how could someone not like the waldszenen?  seriously!

but if you want something loud and difficult, why not a bit of alkan?  he's always one for big bass.

I second the suggestion of the prokofiev.  for someone as anti-modernist as myself, I'm quite taken by it--it's absolutely hypnotizing.

[pianisten1989]

Thx for the suggestions so far! Keep them coming
I've been thinking about the toccata as well, so I'll probably go with that... and maybe something more...

to Scottmcc: It's not that she doesn't like Waldszenen, but she thinks I should play something different.

[scottmcc]

oh yeah, what about some brahms?  the rhapsodies are "big and loud," as is the 3rd sonata (aside from the absolutely beautiful andante mvt), and there's lots of challenges in the intermezzi.

[pianisten1989]

Thx, but I don't think either a intermezzo or rhapsody suites very well at an audition or competition, and I'm not very familiar with his sonatat... but I will have a listen

[magio]

Why don't you try Alkan's concerto no 1?It's so big and difficult that after a few minutes it all gonna sound louder and louder,it's a promise!

[prongated]

Dutilleux Sonata
Prokofiev 7
Any Prokofiev concerto
Corigliano Etude Fantasy

oh yeah, what about some brahms?  the rhapsodies are "big and loud," as is the 3rd sonata (aside from the absolutely beautiful andante mvt), and there's lots of challenges in the intermezzi.

...what? I bet Brahms would be horrified to hear his pieces considered "big and loud"!

[scottmcc]

...what? I bet Brahms would be horrified to hear his pieces considered "big and loud"!

would he?  the sonata opens forte, quickly progresses to ff, and is marked allegro maestoso.  how much bigger and/or louder would you prefer?

[prongated]

would he?  the sonata opens forte, quickly progresses to ff, and is marked allegro maestoso.  how much bigger and/or louder would you prefer?

I'm finding it difficult to express what I think, so here are some points I consider to be true:

1. It's a big piece and it's got loud dynamic markings, but it's not a "big and loud" piece
2. Brahms' dynamics need to be considered first and foremost in their contextual expressive purpose, not in terms of level of dynamics
3. If big and loud is the aim, then you want to hunt Prokofiev's f rather than Brahms' ff

There are different kinds of louds, and I'm betting the Prokofiev kind of loud is what the OP's teacher is looking for/

[wildejagd]

Recently I've played pieces like Symphonic etudes, Mephisto waltz no 1, L'isle joyeuse...

Thx

Isn't the Mephisto Waltz considered "Big and Loud"?

[shasta]

Off the top of my head:

Jelly Roll Morton's The Finger Breaker
Stravinsky's Petrouchka
Bartok piano sonatas 1, 3
Mussorgsky-Chernov's Night on Bald Mountain
Beethoven's Rage Over a Lost Penny
Scriabin (a lot)

[ch101]

I really suggest the heroic polonaise. that i think is really suitable for the loud&big requirement.
why would you want to play one of those pieces. it is not like if it is loud then it is good or show your technical capabilities or anything.

[pbryld]

Try (by Liszt) many of the Hungarian Rhapsodies (12th is both big, loud, calm and quiet - absolutely stunning) or a Mephisto Waltz.

[lisztomaniac]

rachmaninov
piano concerti
piano sonatas
polichinelle
preludes
etc.

[pianisten1989]

Ha! Totally forgot about this thread, but thx anyway

[nataliethepianist]

I am thinking of more late romantic and modern composers. Take a look at Rachmaninoff's preludes. His prelude Op. 23 No. 2 is full of explosive energy. Prokofiev sonata's, like No. 6 are very "loud".

I have to agree with Pbryld, the Liszt sonata are loud as well. Scriabin, as well, has some pieces you might be looking for.

[nanabush]

If you've played the Mephisto Waltz... I'd stick with it.  How long do you want the selection to be?  If it can be longer, I'd cast another vote for Prokofiev's 6th Sonata.

What about one of Liszt's paraphrases?  Don Juan or Rigoletto or something?

[lelle]

Rachmaninovs sonata no. 1 in d minor is very big, and sometimes very loud

[oxy60]

Big and loud was the rule for the piece before the intermission. It always brings them back for the second half. Even with endless thunder we still need to make it coherent.