Audition Repertoire!

[swenghk]

How does this sound for an audition repertoire?

Bach - Prelude and Fugue No. 2 [Book 1]

Beethoven - Tempest or Pathetique or Op. 90 [Which one is a better option?]

Chopin - Scherzo No. 1

Khachaturian - Toccata

I am auditioning in December and i just began working on these pieces a few weeks ago! Please give me your honest opinion! Thanks!

[omar_roy]

I would pick a different Prelude and Fugue.  That one is so overplayed.

As for the Beethoven, either one of them is fine.  If you keep the same Bach P&F, you may want to choose the tempest sonata simply for the sake of variety rather than having 2 works in c minor.

Other than that, the Scherzo and the Toccata are fine.

A question though: How many Beethoven sonatas have you played before?  If the answer is 1 or none, then I don't recommend attacking either of those Sonatas until you're more familiar with his works.

Where are you auditioning?

[brogers70]

I agree on picking another Prelude and Fugue. D major from WTC 1 is no harder than the C minor, and it's fun to play. The g sharp minor is also underplayed, not that much harder, and really beautiful.

[emilye]

Sonate op. 31 is harder than Pathetique. In my opinion Tempest is so beautifull especially 3 mvt Mmmm If I were in your position I would play op. 31. I suppose that is the great collation. And of course important question: How many Beethoven sonatas have you played before?

[ladypianist]

It sounds fine as an audition repertoire , but if you want a really good answer, post something you have already mastered so that a comparison can be made of your abilities. There is no problem with the music, It only remains to be scene if there are any problems with the Pianist playing them. 

Good luck with your program, Lady  Pianist.

[swenghk]

I already know the Op. 90, and I know some of the Pathetique. And I am not sure where to audition yet! ;\ Also, as an indicator of my abilities as of right now, I can play the Revolutionary Etude skillfully as well as the Toccata. I can upload audio in the near future.

[omar_roy]

I already know the Op. 90, and I know some of the Pathetique. And I am not sure where to audition yet! ;\ Also, as an indicator of my abilities as of right now, I can play the Revolutionary Etude skillfully as well as the Toccata. I can upload audio in the near future.

Having only done the Op. 90 sonata, I think you should carefully reconsider tackling the Pathetique or the Tempest.  It's not so much a matter of technique, but rather familiarity with the creative period and understanding.

Maybe the Op. 14 No. 2 in G Major?  It's a great sonata, it's not terribly difficult, nor is it "easy" by any means.  It is also, sorrowfully, neglected. 

It would be a good idea for you to figure out where you want to audition, maybe travel out to a few schools for a tour and a free lesson with the professor you would be studying with.  Where you go to school doesn't matter as much as who you want to study with/who you're compatible with.

[john11inc]

A conservatory will want a more major work from the Romantic Era than one of Chopin's Scherzi.  You could probably get away with No. 4, but definitely not No. 1.  If this is for a piano performance major at a regular college or university, the repertoire should be fine, however.  If it is for a conservatory and you want to play a piece by Chopin that's of that sort of duration, I'd suggest the Fantasy Op. 49 or the 2nd/4th Balladen, although the Balladen are very difficult pieces, as you know.  The Fantasy is very manageable, and might be more within your current range.  The first three Scherzi, Balladen 1/3, the Polonaises and the Polonaise-Fantasie are all fine for a regular college, but not a conservatory.  The Barcarolle is iffy.

The Tempest Sonata is going to be heavily favored for any audition or competition.  The Pathetique is really considered more at the tail-end of the student repertoire, as opposed to at the beginning of the professional repertoire, much like its equally-ubiquitous brother, the Moonlight.  Again, if this is for a serious conservatory, you need to select the Tempest.  If this is for a regular college, the Pathetique ought to suffice, but I'd strongly suggest the Tempest if it's not above your capabilities.  Op. 90 is fine for a regular college, however, and it might be wise to just stick with that, so you're not having to learn too much new repertoire.

The Bach is overdone and people tend to be Nazis about what the "correct" way to play Bach is; always try to avoid pieces where viewpoints on interpretation tend to be both adamant and variable.  That's just a general rule.  I'd suggest a pair of Scarlatti Sonatas or one of Handel's shorter keyboard suites.  Couperin and Clementi are also worth looking into, if you're not comfortable with the difficulties in Scarlatti's Sonatas or the length of one of Handel's Suites.

Again, as far as the Khachaturian goes, it's fine for a regular college, but not of sufficient length or difficulty for a conservatory audition.  Rzewski's North American Ballades Nos. 3 or 4 are pretty standard for the "20th/21st Century" slot, and aren't insanely demanding, although No. 4 is next to impossible if you have a smaller hand span and/or have particular difficulty with memorization.  Corigliano's Etude Fantasy is very common, Preludes by Debussy are very common, a pair from Ravel's Miroirs (usually Oiseaux Tristes + Une Barque sur l'Ocean or Alborada del Gracioso) is very common, works by Bartok are very common and etudes by Ligeti are very common.  Major works, like the sonatas of Prokofiev, Scriabin, Ginastera or Barber (or Gaspard/Petrouchka), aren't generally expected (unless you happen to be trying to get into Curtis or the Moscow Conservatory), nor are particularly Avant-Garde or contemporary-sounding works.  The Berg Sonata is not especially uncommon, however (and on the topic of the 2nd Viennese School, Schoenberg's Six Little Pieces Op. 19 is a good choice, and is not very difficult).  Avoid late Romantic composers like Rachmaninov, however; that is not what they are looking for.