college auditions

[franklindriessen]

im a junior in high school and starting to think about college auditiobns and the required music.  Most schools i have looked at require a beethoven sonata (at the least one movement), a bach prelude and fugue, and other contrasting pieces(romantic, modern, contemporary).  Any suggestions?

[ludwig]

hi franklindriessen,

    I think a good audition repetoire will show your best qualities and understanding in all different kinds of music. So here are some hints, hope you find them helpful.

 1) Choose pieces which are contrasting, like the requirements in historical styles, but also contrasting in their characteristics, such as tempo, articulation, range of expressions etc...

 2) Arrange repetoire so you don't have 2 very technical and furiously fast skillful (and tiring pieces) together, have a serene change in between.

 3) Choose a piece that you think you will like to perform and know that you will do a good job at it, sounds silly, but musicians all have different intepretations on different works, choose a piece that you think you could intepret well, which means having the composers intentions as well as some originality in personality of the piece.

 4) Don't over-work yourself...hehe, the audition doesn't depend on how long pieces are, just like an essay I suppose, choose efficiently yet thoughtfully. (if that makes sense, if it doesn't, tell me.)


  So you have to play 5 pieces I gather, a bach, beethoven sonata (at least one mvt), a romantic, a more contemporary, then a more contemporary one to the contemporary. I also did an audition similar to yours for university around 3 years ago. I played a bach p+f and beethoven sonata (either 3rd of appassionata or a very early work, can't remember). For romantic I played a Liszt etude, then a Debussy for a change, then prokofiev. I can't tell ya what pieces you should play, have you got any that you're particularly impressed about? Listen to more music and i'm sure you'll find pieces you'll like. Goodluck.

[franklindriessen]

hey thanks for the tip ludwig... i was also wondering if the difficulty of the pieces is very important.  Right now im playing Brahms rhapsody op79 no. 2, mozart fantasy in d minor, bach p & f in b flat, and a chopin mazurka.  i also know several chopins waltzs and rachs prelude op 3 no2.  is any of that sound good? you mentioned a lizst etude but i dont think im there yet  .  

pieces i am impressed about...now theres a problem, im impressed with just about everyithing i listen to!  

[ludwig]

  I think that difficulty of pieces depends on their requirements and your level, the pieces you mentioned sounds good, I have played the 2 Brahms(es) and a few preludes and fugues, including the one you've mentioned, Chopin's mazurkas, polonaise, a fantasy, and some etudes and preludes, and scherzi [I play alot of Beethoven (especially sonatas and concertos) and Chopin cos they are so cool]. These were pieces for my past exams while I was in university, its really difficult to find time to practice while I'm in uni, and to make it more difficult, it is important to have a good selection of pieces to play. What degree are you trying out for college anyways? I'm not very familiar with the US college systems, or aren't you in the US?

 I think that choose a level of difficulty you're comfortable with, do you know more contemporary pieces than Rach? It might be good to play one, something Russian perhaps? If you like it, or some French composers? Like I said, it is a good thing to have a well-balanced program that you can play well and in character of that piece. And trust me, Liszt is really nice, not too difficulty, just a lot of hand and finger flexibility, I think that's the word for it. Also, ask your teacher about the program perhaps? I'm sure people on this forum will be helpful with lots of questions, check with the repetoire sub-section on the main page. Goodluck =)

p.s geez I blabbbb...