Most Impressive Pgrogram

[stevenpn]

Can you describe your ideal vision for a "Most Impressive Program" of piano music 80 of music in length.  Divided into two halfs.  Piano solo.  All repertoire is fair game.  The criteria for impressive are: 1) technically very awesome and stunning to hear and behold.  2) It should look & sound hard.  3) the pieces should only the most worthy, profound, artistically challenging and meaningful works conceivable.  I was thinking a program that included a few Transcendental Etudes will satisfy those criteria, as would The 4th Chopin Ballade.  I guess we should add a 4th criterion such that the repertoire can't be all the big warhorses--the usual top 40.  Some of those pieces would be great, but surrounded by other great weighty, highly impressive works that are less well known.  It was also be great if the difficulties contrasted.  The hardest music by Mozart as one of the piece perhpas.  Then, the hardest and showiest piece using tone clusters, or one using octaves, etc.

Thank you so much!

Steven

[nyiregyhazi]

Can you describe your ideal vision for a "Most Impressive Program" of piano music 80 of music in length.  Divided into two halfs.  Piano solo.  All repertoire is fair game.  The criteria for impressive are: 1) technically very awesome and stunning to hear and behold.  2) It should look & sound hard.  3) the pieces should only the most worthy, profound, artistically challenging and meaningful works conceivable.  I was thinking a program that included a few Transcendental Etudes will satisfy those criteria, as would The 4th Chopin Ballade.  I guess we should add a 4th criterion such that the repertoire can't be all the big warhorses--the usual top 40.  Some of those pieces would be great, but surrounded by other great weighty, highly impressive works that are less well known.  It was also be great if the difficulties contrasted.  The hardest music by Mozart as one of the piece perhpas.  Then, the hardest and showiest piece using tone clusters, or one using octaves, etc.

Thank you so much!

Steven

This style of programme is typically rather dull. It's by contrasting difficult repertoire against simpler pieces that it stands out as something special. The kind of stupid programme featuring nothing but difficult music does not make for an interesting whole-especially as those who are of the mindset to do it are usually rather uninteresting musicians. Interesting musicians typically relish technically easier repertoire as much as difficult- so they rarely construct programmes around the idea of deliberately avoiding it. Why put Mozart's hardest music alongside a big Liszt work? Why not contrast it against his Adagio in B minor, say?

[sevencircles]

This style of programme is typically rather dull. It's by contrasting difficult repertoire against simpler pieces that it stands out as something special. The kind of stupid programme featuring nothing but difficult music does not make for an interesting whole-especially as those who are of the mindset to do it are usually rather uninteresting musicians. Interesting musicians typically relish technically easier repertoire as much as difficult- so they rarely construct programmes around the idea of deliberately avoiding it. Why put Mozart's hardest music alongside a big Liszt work? Why not contrast it against his Adagio in B minor, say?

I agree to some degree. Pollini had recitals in the 80:s where he played both Hammerklavier and Boulez 2. Extremely demanding for both the performer and listener but simply too much for one recital.

[jmanpno]

Hi Stevenpn,

These can be fun scenarios to indulge in.  A great pianist will find the contrast between even two works of great virtuosity, so do not feel that your question will generate a "lame" or "stupid" program. 

I'm suggesting the following, although it is somewhat limited stylistically and not all of the utmost difficulty....

Debussy Image Book 1
            Masques
            L'isle joyeux

Ravel Gaspard de la nuit

<Intermission>

Liszt:  Les jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este
         Funerailles
         Mephisto Waltz 1


OR:

Beethoven Op 101
Schumann Symphonic Etudes

Intermission

Ravel Gaspard
Barber Sonata

I would go hear a great artist play either!

Thanks for the fun question!

[stevenpn]

This style of programme is typically rather dull. It's by contrasting difficult repertoire against simpler pieces that it stands out as something special. The kind of stupid programme featuring nothing but difficult music does not make for an interesting whole-especially as those who are of the mindset to do it are usually rather uninteresting musicians.

All true.  You guys have no idea why I'm asking this question.  I have no intention of playing an all flashy program--only of challenging myself by learning one.  You make a good point about the architecture of good programs.   

[stevenpn]

Hi Stevenpn,

These can be fun scenarios to indulge in.  A great pianist will find the contrast between even two works of great virtuosity, so do not feel that your question will generate a "lame" or "stupid" program. 

I'm suggesting the following, although it is somewhat limited stylistically and not all of the utmost difficulty....

Debussy Image Book 1
            Masques
            L'isle joyeux

Ravel Gaspard de la nuit

<Intermission>

Liszt:  Les jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este
         Funerailles
         Mephisto Waltz 1


OR:

Beethoven Op 101
Schumann Symphonic Etudes

Intermission

Ravel Gaspard
Barber Sonata

I would go hear a great artist play either!

Thanks for the fun question!

Thank you so much jmanpno!  This is the kind of answer I was really hoping to start getting.

I'd like to next ask, can we up the ante?   I actually don't think the pieces you mentioned, outside of Gaspard and the Fugue of the Barber, are all that fiendish.  Can we get even more finger-busting? I'm not interested in music that's just difficult to learn, like the Boulez sonatas (for purposes of this question at least), but in music that's difficult to master at the highest levels and is extremely impressive, like the Winter Wind, op. 25 no. 6, Mazeppa, Moment Musical No. 4 (Rachmaninoff's), etc.  I've studied those (and still have work left to do on them--for life) but am planning my next programs.

Thank you so much and keep the thoughts coming.

[drkilroy]

Toccata from Le Tombeau de Couperin by Ravel is quite difficult, as are his Miroirs (I mean mainly the third and fourth part).

Best regards, Dr

[nyiregyhazi]

All true.  You guys have no idea why I'm asking this question.  I have no intention of playing an all flashy program--only of challenging myself by learning one.  You make a good point about the architecture of good programs.    

? I don't follow what you mean. What's the point in learning a whole programme of flashy music if you don't intend to use it anyway? Why not simply plan out a few balanced programmes over a longer period of time, including some very difficult pieces in each. Why judge what pieces to learn from an imaginary programme that you have no intention of using- rather than what would make for a balanced one? It would not make for very balanced learning either, to play nothing but insanely hard music. It's all very easy to imagine a programme like

Bach/Tausig- Toccata and Fugue
Brahms- Paganini Variations, both books
Alkan Quasi Faust
Rachmaninoff Sonata no 2 original version
Balakirev Islamei

It wouldn't be terribly productive to learn however, and it wouldn't make a good concert either. Real programmes take way more imagination- and allow way more talent to be conveyed by a serious musician.  If the goal is for every piece to be flashy, that in itself basically writes off any chance for a sense of progression, contrast or long-term development- all at the very outset.

[jmanpno]

Thank you so much jmanpno!  This is the kind of answer I was really hoping to start getting.

I'd like to next ask, can we up the ante?   I actually don't think the pieces you mentioned, outside of Gaspard and the Fugue of the Barber, are all that fiendish.  Can we get even more finger-busting? I'm not interested in music that's just difficult to learn, like the Boulez sonatas (for purposes of this question at least), but in music that's difficult to master at the highest levels and is extremely impressive, like the Winter Wind, op. 25 no. 6, Mazeppa, Moment Musical No. 4 (Rachmaninoff's), etc.  I've studied those (and still have work left to do on them--for life) but am planning my next programs.

Thank you so much and keep the thoughts coming.

Hello!  Well I was trying to merge your requests with a sense of good programming.  In many ways the etude like pieces you mentioned are not particularly difficult to master at the highest level... It comes down to essentially whacking the write notes at the right time.  Nevertheless,

How about:

Scriabin Sonatas 4 and 5
Gaspard

Intermission

Prokofiev: A Major Sonata
Stravinsky: Petrouchka