College audition, the beethoven sonata?

[werq34ac]

Most college auditions require a (complete) classical sonata and a few of them (namely Indiana University Jacobs School of Music) specify Beethoven. Personally, I was looking at Op. 28 in D pastoral, Op. 7, and Op. 78. However, my teacher was hesitant about Pastorale and op. 7. I'm not sure why for Pastorale, but op. 7 is "huge" so probably a bit over my level. He said Op. 78 was okay, but a friend said that some colleges don't accept it due to it's length. My teacher recommended Appassionata (which I thought was huge too). So which Beethoven Sonata should I go with? Or something totally different?

[philb]

Anything should do fine, if you can play it at a high level. I would stay away from sonatas that are Hackneyed though (I.e. Appassionata,  Waldstein, les adieux, etc.) I'm sure they will be more impressed if you played something smaller and less played at a very high level than a Major Beethoven sonata at an average level. It's somewhat hard to recommend something that would be nice for an audition as I don't know what level you are at. If your teacher recommends that you try the Appassionata then you probably have a large amount of sonatas to pick from. I've always liked the op 31 sonatas (1,3) and the op 14 sonatas, maybe something from OP 2. It's ultimately your decision, but I would advise against using overplayed sonatas.

[mike_lang]

I'm boggled at the thought of your teacher rejecting the Pastorale sonata and op. 7, but not op. 57.  In any case, if he is suggesting the Appassionata, why not take his advice?  It is a good piece with which to be familiar anyway.

Mike

P.S.  With whom are you planning to study at IU?  I did my undergrad there.

[werq34ac]

I'm boggled at the thought of your teacher rejecting the Pastorale sonata and op. 7, but not op. 57.  In any case, if he is suggesting the Appassionata, why not take his advice?  It is a good piece with which to be familiar anyway.

Mike

P.S.  With whom are you planning to study at IU?  I did my undergrad there.

Again, I'm not sure about why he rejected the Pastorale, perhaps he thinks it's a bit of a step down from the pieces I'm currently playing? He mentioned that Op. 7 was a bit huge. He didn't completely reject it, but probably he doesn't think I have the ability to perform it at a really solid level. He mentioned he felt I could play the Appasionata really well.

Personally, I was shying away from the Appasionata since I heard it was very controversial and not a particularly good piece to audition with unless one is absolutely confident they can play it well. I wasn't really sure I can play it well, but if my teacher thinks so, then I probably should go with it.


And actually I picked IU since I live very close by and I go there very often for lessons and practice.

[49410enrique]

you didn't specify what program you are auditioning for which can help in further narrowing the field, i.e. graduate? undergrad? performance track or pedagogy? artist's diploma (post grad)?

a great one to show folks what you're made of? maybe, Op 2 No. 3
i think this is one of if not the most difficult on many levels of the early ones.

[werq34ac]

I'm going to be auditioning for undergrad in 2013. I still have time, but it's good to start thinking about these things early.

As for Op. 2/3, I played the 1st movement, considered going with it, but decided I really didn't like it enough to really polish the piece.

[precipitato]

omg haha though appassionata may be overplayed by pianists, theres no use. out of 1000 i'll only say 1 has the true standard inside it, its quality that really matters a lot. quite surprised to see someone saying op.7 is too hard but yet asking to play appassionata, because appassionata is really much more harder than op.7.

and about playing smaller scale works, i don't know but if everybody's around a lower standard won't they all be playing smaller scale works? its all up to you actually, to really outstand and shine from them play something huge and really well.

les adieux is a good choice i'll say. between op.7 and appassionata

[scott13]

I would recommend Op 101 .

Very difficult musically, yet technically not so much, exception to the 4th movement. But this piece can show a huge range of playing styles (march, fugue, etc) and it is also not often performed. However if you choose this work, be sure to read up on Beethoven's life around this time, as it will give you the insight and knowledge to do this work justice.

I would also advise against the "over-played" sonatas as well. Op 7 in my opinion would be a good choice, although it is the second longest sonata, chances are they will stop you anyway and request only snippets from each movement. Besides that, this is another sonata that is for some reason neglected in favour of the more common sonatas, and i would imagine it would be far better to give a great interpretation of a less familiar sonata.

Perhaps take a look at Op 109 as well, another beautiful sonata. Personally i feel late Beethoven (Op 101 to Op 111) shows a much more mature and developed sense of musicality and expression. These works tend to be very personal in nature (Due to Beethoven's writing style) and giving a good interpretation of one of them, i think would leave the audition panel with a much greater respect for you as a musician, and most importantly it will show them you have the potential to play these types of works and interpret them very well.

May i ask what else is on your programme?

Best of luck

[werq34ac]

Ah, but Pressler may be among the audition panel. And I've heard he's thrown kids out of masterclasses for playing late Beethoven Sonatas without the musical maturity required. Someone once told me that Beethoven Sonatas and Schubert Sonatas are incredibly difficult and one does not reach the maturity required to play them until their 30s. Due to my inexperience, I want to avoid the late Beethoven Sonatas.

Current repertoire
Ravel Alborada del Gracioso
Bach Partita 1
Beethoven Concerto 1
Rachmaninoff 2nd concerto

Last year's repertoire
Chopin Ballade 3
Liszt La Leggierezza
Albeniz Rondena from Iberia
various etudes

[mike_lang]

Ah, but Pressler may be among the audition panel. And I've heard he's thrown kids out of masterclasses for playing late Beethoven Sonatas without the musical maturity required. Someone once told me that Beethoven Sonatas and Schubert Sonatas are incredibly difficult and one does not reach the maturity required to play them until their 30s. Due to my inexperience, I want to avoid the late Beethoven Sonatas.

Not only is that story about Mr. Pressler most likely apocryphal, but this bit about not being able to play late Beethoven and Schubert until one's 30's is nonsense.

[werq34ac]

That only is that story about Mr. Pressler most likely apocryphal, but this bit about not being able to play late Beethoven and Schubert until one's 30's is nonsense.

Well of course, it's possible to play these pieces before one is 30, but truly understanding them takes a bit more than just thousands of hours in a practice room and natural talent. He told me that these sonatas are far more difficult than any Liszt etude or Rachmaninoff or Prokofiev Concerto.

[mike_lang]

Well of course, it's possible to play these pieces before one is 30, but truly understanding them takes a bit more than just thousands of hours in a practice room and natural talent. He told me that these sonatas are far more difficult than any Liszt etude or Rachmaninoff or Prokofiev Concerto.

Yes, in a sense, they are much more difficult, but they really just require a keen and inquisitive mind that is willing to discover who Beethoven and who Schubert are.  I'm sure he also said (it sounds like you played for him either in a lesson or master class?) that an understanding of Beethoven is informed by his symphonies and string quartets; Schubert, his art song.  The point is that largely, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev can be approached directly; late Schubert and Beethoven require a certain understanding of their personalities and where their path in music took them over the course of their lives (but enough of this understanding can be reached well before 30, I assure you). 

That having been said, the playing of these composers (and many others!) gets better with age.

[werq34ac]

Actually it was a family friend who came over for dinner. He studied under Pressler and got his doctorate at IU. He was planning on hearing me play but ran out of time so yeah. He told me some interesting things that night. He told me to look beyond just his other works like the String quartets, symphonies, etc. Instead he told me to read the literature of the time and read the letters that Beethoven himself wrote. He mentioned a teacher in New York who at lessons instead of hearing his students play piano, he tells them to go watch a play/movie or read a book and then they write a review of what they just saw or read. Cellist Hanna Chang is currently attending Harvard studying not music, but philosophy. Not for bragging rights, but to become a better musician.

Also mentioned that technique means absolutely nothing when it comes down to it. What is truly difficult is not technique but making meaning out of music.