Preparing for a Competition!

[jasontongflute]

I'm entering a competition that my School is entering. The winner gets a nice sum of money which I wish to use to buy myself a new Piccolo (The Flute). As you can see I'm primarily a Flautist... but I also have 7 years experience in Piano... After my 6 month hiatus from Piano I've forgotten most of my pieces, but thankfully we only have to play two pieces/movements. One for each round.

Because of this, I'm choosing to play Mozart's Piano Sonata k545/16/Facile/Whatever else you wish to call it for the 2nd round. I still need to decide what I should play for the 1st round but I have no time to learn a difficult piece! What should I play that is stylistically pleasing, not too technically difficult (Not anymore than this) and will sound perfect with this? I've considered the Second movement of this Sonata.

Please, any advice for playing this piece will be extremely appreciated!

At the moment I'm having trouble with this left hand passage at 1:38

My hand always gets tied around the Bb Key and slows down... I can play the following parts relatively easier though.

I also have somewhat difficulty with the quick trills in the secondary themes at 0:29 and 1:55. I tend to trill too long or too short and I can't seem to shake this away!

The passage at 2:15 also sometimes destroys me...

Please help me to fix these nitpicky sections!

And would we repeat to the Primary Theme after we finish? Would it be wise to play with or without repeats? I tend to repeat the 1st theme and finish after the 2nd theme.

What tempo do you suggest I play this at? I've heard recordings of it being blazingly fast.. I mean, it is Allegro, but I feel it sounds more emotional just above allegro, (For reference, I play slightly slower than the attached recording, and I may post a recording of myself later) rather than at the extremities of Allegro.

Other than the above technical issues, I am fine apart from adding the shiny bits. I need to know how I should best express the piece... At the moment, I play the accents extremely strongly, and exaggerate the dynamics to create greater contrast. (I have slight difficulty in maintaining mp at sections such as 0:10, however)

And any other general advice, eg. How to succeed well in competitions, giving a good impression, and anything else you will find useful!

Thank you sincerely very much for reading my extremely long barrage of questions! As you can see I really want that new Piccolo! And I have a bit over 3 months to make this piece Perfect. If I work hard enough I know I can win!

Best wishes,

Jason.

[kitty on the keys]

Jason,  Best of luck too you!!!! Why are you choosing a Mozart Sonata? The classical Sonata will show every strenght....and weakness you have. You have to be absolutley prepared and flawless.....that's why most pianist will avoid Mozart in a competition. How about a Haydn or the Beethoven Op. 49 # 2  or Op. 79. Practice slowly...record alot......and listen ...listen ....listen to yourself all the time......there is nothing easy about this Sonata.

Kitty on the Keys

[jasontongflute]

Jason,  Best of luck too you!!!! Why are you choosing a Mozart Sonata? The classical Sonata will show every strenght....and weakness you have. You have to be absolutley prepared and flawless.....that's why most pianist will avoid Mozart in a competition. How about a Haydn or the Beethoven Op. 49 # 2  or Op. 79. Practice slowly...record alot......and listen ...listen ....listen to yourself all the time......there is nothing easy about this Sonata.

Kitty on the Keys

I absolutely must play Mozart... Flute playing has made me love Mozart absolutely and I've resolved that I must play this piece. I've also loved it as a child so it has some sentimental value... This will be the first competition I've ever entered. I'm prepared to work crazily hard to make Mozart perfect - I'm aware how well I have to play if I choose Mozart.

I still need to decide what I should play for the 1st round but I have no time to learn a difficult piece! What should I play that is stylistically pleasing, not too technically difficult (Not anymore than this) and will sound perfect with this? I've considered the Second movement of this Sonata... Also, as I like Chopin I've considered Nocturne, but will need advice on how to learn it. I could also play Fur Elise in the 1st round but I'm not sure that's a good idea because I would have to play it really well to make an impression... I already know the technical components of Fur Elise, I just have to pour some emotion into it... But I'm not sure it's good because I suspect many will play this and I don't want to be one of the, "Fur Elise" guys...

How can I practice these difficult passages? I replay them over and over but this just seems to be fruitless...

Thank you!

Best wishes,

Jason

[scott13]

I have to agree with Kitty, Mozart in competitions requires flawless technique. To play Mozart well one needs to have a very light and delicate touch (Don't mean to offend you here, but after your 6 month break i doubt you would have this).

I would also advise you against the advice to use any of Beethoven's Sonatas. Although Op 79 is easier than  most of the others, it is far from easy to get perfect, and the tempo is motoring, around 80 dotted minims if i remember correctly. Also the mood of Op 79 is unique amongst the other Beethoven Sonatas, this work has a very bouncy playful character, which is not really expressed in any of the other sonatas, so musically this one is tricky too.

I think your best bet would be to use one of Haydn's many Sonatas, as they are often in 2 movements and it is not technically or musically challenging to play a large number of them.

[jasontongflute]

I have retained my Light touch from my Flute playing so technique isn't too much of a problem - it's something that I'm working on perfecting at the moment.. especially for that trill in Measure 37.. The AGAG F#F#...

Thank you for your suggestion of the Haydn Sonatas! Which one do you think would best go with this Sonata? Or even contrast?

Many thanks,

Jason

[scott13]

I actually do not like Haydn's or Mozart's sonatas, i'm much more a Clementi and Beethoven fan. What i would recommend is to youtube some different Haydn sonatas, and perhaps find one you like? But make sure you try to listen to good players playing it. Not little kids.

[jasontongflute]

Yeah, it's really difficult trying to find a good person playing it..

The closest I came to finding someone professional playing k545 was a Child-Version of Yuja Wang..

Thanks for your advice! I'll listen to them!

Best Regards,

Jason

[scott13]

You may also like Clementi's sonatas too, however these have a real passion and energy (not to dis-similar) from Beethoven, and tend to be fairly difficult but there are some easier ones.

Best of luck for competition

[kitty on the keys]

I have to agree with Scott! Sonatas and some of the more challanging Sonatinas would be an excellent choice. Also look at the Kuhlau Sonatinas......not easy and the passage work can be tricky.
    Jason, I play the flute too ! Working on the Mozart D concerto, Honegger...Goat Dance and the Bach E minor Sonata.

[jasontongflute]

I have to agree with Scott! Sonatas and some of the more challanging Sonatinas would be an excellent choice. Also look at the Kuhlau Sonatinas......not easy and the passage work can be tricky.
    Jason, I play the flute too ! Working on the Mozart D concerto, Honegger...Goat Dance and the Bach E minor Sonata.

Thank you! I like the Clementi Sonatas but not too much, however...

Thank you for the suggestion, I'll listen to it now!

Ooh that's nice to know! The Mozart D Concerto is very nice, I love it!

Best Regards,

Jason

[pianovlad1996]

Mozart is a hard composer.  Some people on this forum consider the same, some consider him one of the easiest. Here's my point of view: Mozart is hard to articulate. Have you ever think why are great pianists choosing Chopin,Liszt, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff and other 'big' romantics instead of Mozart? Let's say that they make a couple of mistakes. In a Mozart piece, let's say sonata k545, the public knows immediately that the pianist made a mistake. In a Rachmaninoff sonata or Liszt etude, there are so much notes that nobody will notice as in Mozart. And the real legato/staccato is found in classical music where you don't use so much pedal. In romantic pieces you keep the pedal a measure or more and good luck. You need some technique, imagination, phrasing, fingerings (in some of the hardest Chopin/Liszt etudes, fingerings are the key to 'the right' interpretation). If you want to play Mozart it's your own choice but you will need to practice a lot. I can give you a list of easy pieces/sonatas technical: Chopin-Prelude Op.28 No.4,6,7,9,20; Waltz in A minor; Mazurkas Op.6 No.1,2 and Op.7 No.1,2,3,4,5; Chopin Largo, Cantabile; Debussy The Little Negro, Prelude Book I No.8; AND Beethoven any of the sonatinas, Sonata Op.49 No.2, Sonata Op.79, Sonata Op.106 (just kidding ) aaaah  ; Haydn easier sonatas, Kuhlau Sonatinas, Clementi Sonatinas/Sonatas. Good luck at your competition.
PS:Excuse me for my bad english. I'm russian.

[jasontongflute]

That's an excellent point you made about Mozart... that's what really worries me...

But I really love Mozart, and I'm hoping if I play it perfectly it would create a better impression than an equally well played Rachmaninoff or Liszt... Is this wishful thinking?

Best Regards,

Jason

[pianovlad1996]

Yes, you are very right. Rachmaninoff and Liszt are difficult and if you don't have 3 or 4 hours of practice/ day you can't play right their pieces, even the easier ones like the Op.3 pieces by Rachmaninoff or The consolations by Liszt and you will not impress. On the other side, romantic composers are easy to 'digest' for the public, rather than Mozart. Sometimes, (sorry I say this), but Mozart is quite boring, even the beautiful k545 sonata. It's structure is simple. In Rachmaninoff or other romantics, the complexity, structure, dynamics make the whole piece sound magnificent. And if you play a 'big' romantic piece right, be sure you'll impress.Playing Mozart in a competition is a self-distruct because the jury is looking for originality, style - you need to get into the style of the piece (Mozart is playful, full of joy) and finally touch (if you are not smooth enough, your Mozart will be rigid and not impressing/interesting at all). I took the first place at the piano olympics and I played: Rachmaninoff-Etude Op.39 No.1, Bach Prelude Book II No.21, Chopin Variations Op.2 and Mozart Sonata k 576. My marks were: for Rachmaninoff -10, for Chopin- 10, for Bach- 10 and for Mozart- 8,50. One of the members of the jury said: 'I would love to see you playing Beethoven. Mozart is too much for me.' Next year I performed ( for the olympics) Beethoven Sonata Op.53 'Waldstein' and I took 10 for the whole program. I performed many mozart sonatas and concertos and the result was the same, mediocre or not impressive for the jury. I also like Mozart, but it's, in my opinion, hard and not rewarding as other composers. You can play a Beethoven sonata, but one of the easier and earlier, definetly not the cliches like Moonlight, Pathetique, Tempest (Tempest is hard) or the harder like Waldstein, Appassionata or Hammerklavier. I am sure you will like Beethoven,Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Scriabin, Schumann, Schubert and other composers. Just find one you 'match' with.
Hope you will win,
Vladimir.