My First Concerto....

[musicluvr49]

Does anyone have any suggestions on what concerto should be my first? My piano teacher wants me to do one, but she says I should pick it.  I... have absolutely no idea.

Does anyone have any suggestions. Look at the songs in my signature to see what level I am on, assuming that I play them well, because I have no idea what level I'm on.

Thanks in advance.

[becky8898]

Hi Musicluvr49. I can only give you my experience but here goes.   The Haydn in D is nice , and of course there are a ton of Mozart Concerto's . I think #9, #17, #20, #21, #23 and #26 might all be in your range.   Of course never having seen you play im only guessing, but if its your first shot at one These are a good place to start.  If I was pushed to pick one, it would be Mozart piano concerto #21. Thats my favorite.

Question are you planning to play it with a second piano, or do you have a shot of playing with a school orchestra?

Cheers, Becky

[stevebob]

Does anyone have any suggestions on what concerto should be my first? My piano teacher wants me to do one, but she says I should pick it.  I... have absolutely no idea.

Does anyone have any suggestions. Look at the songs in my signature to see what level I am on, assuming that I play them well, because I have no idea what level I'm on.

Thanks in advance.

Based on the "songs" in your sig line, it seems premature to begin a concerto at this point.  Is there a specific reason or purpose for it?  Honestly, I question your teacher's wisdom here—both for wanting you to do one and for expecting you to choose it when you admit you have "absolutely no idea."

[musicluvr49]

Thank you Becky, I'll look them up.
And yes, I'm going to play it with a second piano.


Stevebob: Well my piano teacher believes I am ready, and I respect her opinion. Not a difficult piece of course, but a nice one. They're not all hard. and btw the pieces in my sig line are not the most difficult I've played, just my favorite.
 And she's going to choose a piece for me if I can't find one, she just wants me to try and pick first.

[stevebob]

Well, the thing is that yes, they all are hard.  Concertos are by their nature vehicles for the display of technical prowess (if not full-blown virtuoso showmanship!).

I'm not familiar with the Scriabin prelude in your sig line (and he wrote several in that key), but the other pieces are of no more than intermediate difficulty.  I know our reach should exceed our grasp, and learning a concerto will certainly be a growing experience, but any concerto seems like too much of a stretch from what you've played to date.

I'm sorry if that sounds harsh (I don't mean it to be), but that's how I see it.  And given that you're unable to assess your own skill level and you're admittedly clueless about which concerto would be suitable, your teacher's expectation seems unreasonable.

[musicluvr49]

Well, the thing is that yes, they all are hard.  Concertos are by their nature vehicles for the display of technical prowess (if not full-blown virtuoso showmanship!).

I'm not familiar with the Scriabin prelude in your sig line (and he wrote several in that key), but the other pieces are of no more than intermediate difficulty.  I know our reach should exceed our grasp, and learning a concerto will certainly be a growing experience, but any concerto seems like too much of a stretch from what you've played to date.

I'm sorry if that sounds harsh (I don't mean it to be), but that's how I see it.  And given that you're unable to assess your own skill level and you're admittedly clueless about which concerto would be suitable, your teacher's expectation seems unreasonable.

I understand you're not trying to be harsh.
But I don't think the Pathetique is only an intermediate level, I'd say its harder than that.
And its not that I don't know what concertos would be suitable,  its that I don't know that concertos are out there. If I see a piece of music, I can usually tell if I'm capable of playing it or not. But I don't know of any concertos, thats why I came here.

As for my skill level, I'd say that I'm an intermediate/advanced level, but I'm not sure because I don't know what the standards are for each level.

[stevebob]

[...] But I don't know of any concertos, thats why I came here.

As for my skill level, I'd say that I'm an intermediate/advanced level, but I'm not sure because I don't know what the standards are for each level.

I agree with your point about the Pathetique, but those last two points go to the heart of why I would question your teacher's judgment here.  Your teacher (presumably) is familiar with the concerto repertoire and is able to assess your skill level.  If she has the requisite knowledge for making this decision and you do not, why is she asking you to make it?

Anyway, best wishes however you proceed with this.  (And if I knew of any "entry-level" concertos to recommend to you, I would.  )

[musicluvr49]

I agree with your point about the Pathetique, but those last two points go to the heart of why I would question your teacher's judgment here.  Your teacher (presumably) is familiar with the concerto repertoire and is able to assess your skill level.  If she has the requisite knowledge for making this decision and you do not, why is she asking you to make it?

Anyway, best wishes however you proceed with this.  (And if I knew of any "entry-level" concertos to recommend to you, I would.  )

Honestly, I'm not sure why. I guess she wants me to learn to look for music myself, and figure out if I will be able to play it. 
She'll give me a piece to play, if I can't figure it out, but I think she just wants this to be a learning experience.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Steer well clear of any of the famous big romantic concerti eg Liszt, Chopin, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov etc. In addition to the Mozart and Haydn suggestions, you might want to have a look at Shostakovich 2 or the D min Bach.

[sucom]

I think it's a great idea to begin a concerto and I tend to agree with Becky that Mozart's concerto 21 would be an excellent choice.  It's my favourite Mozart concerto too and I think you would enjoy learning it.

Attempting pieces that are a source of inspiration will lead you to greater things so I agree with your teacher that doing some research yourself, especially when it is so easy to hear pieces on youtube, and searching for pieces that you personally feel inspired to play would be excellent for your development. I don't doubt for one minute that your teacher has her own ideas of what you might play, but it may be that the whole point of the exercise would be to offer you the opportunity to choose something that inspires you personally. 

[emilye]

Does anyone have any suggestions on what concerto should be my first? My piano teacher wants me to do one, but she says I should pick it.  I... have absolutely no idea.

Does anyone have any suggestions. Look at the songs in my signature to see what level I am on, assuming that I play them well, because I have no idea what level I'm on.

Thanks in advance.

1. J. S. Bach or Mozart - Piano Concertos (you can choose)
2. L. van Beethoven - I Piano Concerto in C major op. 15



3. R. Schumann - Piano Concerto in a-minor op. 54 (but it's not easy piece)

[becky8898]

Hi Musicluvr49. Not to disagree with previous poster, but I have done several Mozart Concerto's and the Beethoven ( As a matter of fact im doing the Beethoven with the youth Orchestra im associated with in April ) and there is a huge technical difference between the Mozart concerto's and the Beethoven.  Stay away from the Beethoven if this is your first attempt at a concerto.  As far as the Schuman goes,  there is a whole thread somewhere on these boards on why people cant stand this concerto.  Im not saying that is right or wrong, but its a tricky concerto to pull off right. Not a good choice for your first effort. Again I say stick with the Mozart. 

Cheers, Becky

 

[musicluvr49]

Thank you all for your opinions, you've given me a lot to think about.

And you're right Becky, I think I'll stick with Mozart for my first concerto.... or maybe my second too. Lol.  I'd rather pick a piece that's slightly easier, than a piece that I can't do justice to because it's too hard.

[samthegreat4]

While the 21st Mozart pianoconcerto isn't as technical as other concertos, it's still tricky.
But really really doable for someone of your level (whatever that might be). The pitfall is in that it has to be tight, oh yeah.. tight and light. Anyhow, good luck

[musicluvr49]

While the 21st Mozart pianoconcerto isn't as technical as other concertos, it's still tricky.
But really really doable for someone of your level (whatever that might be). The pitfall is in that it has to be tight, oh yeah.. tight and light. Anyhow, good luck

Thanks.
I am well acqainted with Mozart's style, Lol. You're right, in some ways it is a challenge, but I think I usually manage to pull it off.

[jimbo320]

A teacher's measuring stick is the success of her students. She wants you to do well so follow her lead....

[musicluvr49]

A teacher's measuring stick is the success of her students. She wants you to do well so follow her lead....

I agree. I've always followed my teacher's advice, and she hasn't let me down yet.