Major International Piano Competition repertoire!! HELP!?!?

[lisztarian]

  Hello Friends,,,


       I am seriously thinking of participating in the "Hilton Head International Piano Competition" Which is coming next March 2012 in South Carolina. I have around 10 months to prepare but I am counting only 8 months so that  I can play within the last to months before the competition my repertoire in concerts and get used to playing it in public. The program they require is 100 minutes solo repertoire + a concerto. I have been thinking of the program and I would like to see what the majority thinks. The Jury is consisted of 7 pianists and professors, their chairman is Arie Vardi "The famous professor of Clair Huangci, and if I'm not mistaken Yundi Li".


  Here you are my program:




  1st stage: (25 minutes maximum)

1- Chopin Mazurka Op.67, No.4

2- Chopin Ballade #2

3- Rachmaninoff Prelude Op.23, No.5

4- Liszt Transcendental Etude #7

2nd stage: (30 minutes maximum)

1- Scarlatti Sonata in D minor * (k.9) “pastorale”

2- Beethoven Sonata Op.2, No.3 ** (1st, 2nd finished, 3rd, 4th unfinished)

3rd stage: (50 minutes maximum)

Choice A                   -                    Choice B

1- Chopin Etude Op.10, No.1             1- Chopin Polonaise Op.40, No.1

2- Chopin Etude Op.10, No.9             2- Chopin Waltz Op.18*

3- Chopin Polonaise Op.40, No.1        3 Chopin Scherzo #1

4- Chopin Waltz Op.18*                   4- Chopin Mazurkas Op.24 *

5- Chopin Scherzo #1                      5- Debussy Prelude #1 from Book II*

6- Chopin Mazurkas Op.24*               6- Liszt La Campanella

7- Chopin Nocturne Op.48, No.1 *      7- Liszt Orage*

4th stage:

Chopin F minor Concerto Op.21  "1st & 2nd movements done"




    I would be glad to have as many opinions as possible. I know the program might have too much Chopin, but I have not been playing piano for a very long time....Around 5 years. So, This is a very positive step I am making. I have participated in three International piano competitions so far and one reached the semi-final, one won 3rd prize+ distinction, and one 1st prize plus all of the special prizes. So, this competition so far is the most difficult of them all.



     Thanks alot for having the time to read this post, and in case you replied thanks a million in advance!


PS= * means not finished yet

[scott13]

Just by looking at the program seems to be a large imbalance of musical periods being represented. Almost everything is Romantic period except Scarlatti and Beethoven, which i would venture would be a bad thing in an international competition as i would assume they would like to hear pieces from all 4 periods so as to gauge the interpretative skills of the pianist.

Though i could well be wrong on that point.

Also it does seem to be far to much Chopin (unless it was for the Chopin piano competition). I really would advise making sure each stage's program is balanced has represents all 4 musical periods. Maybe start to stack your preferred music into later rounds, but for the 1st and 2nd at least, make sure all periods get representation.

Just my two cents.

[pianisten1989]

Basically you've got 1 scarlatti and 1 Beethoven then a billion Chopin and liszt, then 1 Rach and 1 Debussy. I don't want to tell you what to play, but you do see that there is a bad balance here, right? Think about how you can correct that balance, with more different composers from different time periods.

[iratior]

Why not do the entire Vision fugitives of Prokofieff?  This would give you something modern in your displayed repertoire, and at the rate you've done Chopin and Lizst, you certainly wouldn't have any problem with the technical demands of it.  And for a classical number, as I commented to someone a while ago, Mozart K. 284 is just waiting for a pianist to make the most of it.

[contrapunctus]

This is the most boring program ever.
All judges will have very 'solid' ideas of how each piece will sound. You will most likely not play it the way they like, and so they won't like you.

Play something from Roslavets, Mosolov, or Lourie.
Play 2nd Vienna Schoenberg or Webern
and find something from the latter half of the 20th century for the love of god.

[lisztarian]

Thank you very much everyone! This was just an idea I had about the program. Luckily, now I realize the disaster I was about to make. After getting so many suggestions "also from other music professionals", I have been thinking of the other Choice of  repertoire, most of it will be the same except the main semi-final. So it would generally look like this:

1st stage:

1- Scarlatti Sonata in d minor K.9 *
2- Chopin Ballade #2
3- Rachmaninoff Prelude Op.23, No.5
4- Liszt Transcendental Etude #7


2nd stage:

1- Debussy Prelude #1 from Book II
2- Beethoven Piano Sonata Op.2, No.3 *



semi-final:

1- Chopin Polonaise Op.40, No.1
2- Chopin Waltz Op.18 *
3- Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody #7
4- Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody #8
5- Liszt Orage "The Storm"
6- Prokofiev Diabolic Suggestions *
7- Ginastiras - Danzas Argentinas "All three movements" *

Final:


Chopin f minor concerto*


*= pieces not completely finished.



By the way, in case you would like suggest a piece, I'd like to tell you of my "best techniques" that represent me  the best....simply they are "Octaves, thrids, and arpeggios". Let you take a look at this video to get an idea of my technique on the piano. By the way, this was totally improvised.

 Thank you for this wonderful forum! Its really helpful!

[pianisten1989]

I would strongly suggest that you add some Mozart, and more scarlatti. One sonata of scarlatti is really nothing. Two is still not that much, but at least shows something more.

I would also suggest that you take a look at other competitions, and look what repertoire of the competitors.

[cmg]

You have extraordinary facility!  And only been studying for five years?  Best of luck at Hilton Head. 

[lisztarian]

 Thanks for the lovely comments...as to you Mr. "cmg". I actually started to "have fun with the piano in 2005. Funny enough, the first piece I ever played on piano before anything else was Liszt's La Campanella! I kept playing Liszt for around 3 years and I have no idea how I was capable of doing so, I still have no idea. Liszt seems somewhat "easier" than every other composer to me. I cannot explain how. People still do not believe the fact that until 2009 I had no music professor, teacher or even a musical friend. That year I went to Poland for a piano masterclass and then Pr. Stefan Kutrzeba, possibly the greatest piano pedagogue I ever met, had "discovered" the real me. I never took music theory completely, however, I do know the basic elements of music theory now thanks to him with the counterpoints and all of these MAJOR elements into making a musician. I still do not study music professionally. I go to Pr. Kutrzeba every 6 months for about a three-weeks-stay to study the music I prepared. He strongly believes that my stronger side is Romantic music, especially Chopin and Liszt. That is why I was planning to put MORE of them into the program because I can "control" such pieces MUCH stronger than the other musical periods, and give a greater image with many different colors .
 
       In case you are wondering why I am not studying music. Well, I study English Literature and I'm a third year undergraduate. I am planning to study in Poland once I finish this English studies which I was forced to take for "cultural" reasons. The only sad part of it is that I barely have time to practice. I never have more than 2 hours per day. Except during weekends, which goes up to 4 hours.


      During the summer, that is where the BIG REPERTOIRE MAKING comes into place. I have at least 7 hours of practice, and I finish a large set of pieces in a very short time. For Example, during just ONE WEEK of the summer, I managed the Liszt Transcendental Etude #7 + Chopin Polonaise Op.40, No.1 + entire Beethoven's Moonlight sonata. During the summer I manage at least 50 minutes of new repertoire. That is why I am planning this competition VERY carefully.



    Again, thanks everyone for the great comments. I am still looking for more suggestions, because more and more I am getting excellent remarks. Mr. cmg, thanks for your wonderful words.