Piano Competition Repertoire Advice

[hoohah2]

I am planning on playing in a major piano competition and 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.

Here is what I plan on playing:

Round 1: (Max 10 min)
J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in D minor WTC 2 No. 6
Rachmaninoff Prelude in D op.23 no. 4


Round 2: (Max 15 min)
Beethoven - Piano Sonata Op. 10 No.3 Movement 1
Liszt -  Les jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este - Années de pèlerinage


Round 3: (20-25 min)
Scarlatti - Sonata K517
Mozart - Sonata K283 Movement 1
Ravel - La vallée des cloches - Miroirs
Chopin - Nocturne Op. 27 no.1
Chopin - Prelude op.28 no. 8
Prokofiev - Visions Fugitives no.1, 4 and 14

Final Round: (Concerto)
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 2 (Complete)


I would be glad to have as many opinions as possible.
Are any of the pieces overplayed, do you think?
Does my programme meet this criteria?

Musicianship and virtuosity
Musical expressiveness and interpretative ability
Contrasts in tempo and character
Represents many music styles and periods


Thanks in advance!

[49410enrique]

that is a lot of very good music, it sounds like an exciting and well thought out/balanced collection of works, it'd be hard to say more than that without knowing exactly what the competition calls for (i.e. specific repertoire guidelines) but I assume at your level you're keenly aware of what to choose vs what is allowed.  the only thing i see 'missing' (and that's used losely since it' prob just more your personal choice than anything) is an etude of some kind.  i see you have two preludes so perhaps subsituting the rachmaninoff prelude with one of his etudes (or the chopin etude vs. the prelude, or even a kapustin concert etude from op 40 i've seen videos of these at competitions)? then again if he prelude really speaks to you and draws you in that'd be the better one to perform.

on the 'romantic' etude side, i think this is a really nice seldom heard piece by a familar composer, even if you don't choose this i just wanted to share with you and anyone that reads this as a lovely work, who knows maybe you will perform it someday if you're weren't aware of it till now

[hoohah2]

Thanks for your piece of advice.
Fair enough, what you say does make sense.
The Chopin Prelude.. I can drop that certainly for an etude.
That etude, which I have never heard, is certainly very interesting. I like it very much actually. I'll put some thought into it.

What I was thinking of was perhaps a Moszkowski etude (Virtuosic Etudes op.72) or a Scriabin (8 Etudes op. 42).

Moszkowski - Études de Virtuosité, Op. 72, No. 6

Scriabin - Etude Op.42 No.5

Or maybe perhaps a toccata of some sort?

[prongated]

Is there elimination in the 1st round? If so, I also recommend considering swapping the Rachmaninoff Prelude for an Etude of a sort. Scriabin 42/5 is certainly a good choice. Perhaps something that's already in your repertoire. If not, I think I like your Round 1 plus Round 2 program.

Round 3 seems rather too scattered to me (comprising of so many small pieces for 20-25 minutes). Do you play any of the other Miroirs? I'd certainly do another one (the boat or alborada preferably) rather than the Prokofiev.

As well, you definitely want something more virtuosic here. I wouldn't touch the 2 Chopins - I think they are nice. But, just 1 movt. of a Mozart sonata? Do you play Liszt's Rigoletto paraphrase? That's one of the most effective competition pieces, ever.

In short, depending on time, in Round 3 I'd take out Prokofiev and Mozart and put in either another Miroirs or the Liszt, or have something like both.

[hoohah2]

I do know the first Miroir - Noctuelles. Maybe it could substitute the Mozart.

The Rigoletto Paraphrase? Tough work ..  Give me maybe another year or so for that..
However, I do have L'isle Joyeuse - Debussy in my reportoire. I think it would work instead of the Prokofiev?

[pytheamateur]

I am planning on playing in a major piano competition and 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.

Here is what I plan on playing:

Round 1: (Max 10 min)
J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in D minor WTC 2 No. 6
Rachmaninoff Prelude in D op.23 no. 4


Round 2: (Max 15 min)
Beethoven - Piano Sonata Op. 10 No.3 Movement 1
Liszt -  Les jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este - Années de pèlerinage


Round 3: (20-25 min)
Scarlatti - Sonata K517
Mozart - Sonata K283 Movement 1
Ravel - La vallée des cloches - Miroirs
Chopin - Nocturne Op. 27 no.1
Chopin - Prelude op.28 no. 8
Prokofiev - Visions Fugitives no.1, 4 and 14

Final Round: (Concerto)
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 2 (Complete)


I would be glad to have as many opinions as possible.
Are any of the pieces overplayed, do you think?
Does my programme meet this criteria?

Musicianship and virtuosity
Musical expressiveness and interpretative ability
Contrasts in tempo and character
Represents many music styles and periods


Thanks in advance!

I think it will help if you let people know which competition you are entering.  Is it the Leeds Piano Competition?  I can't think of any other major competitions held in 2012.