What's your level 8 repertoire??

[lousyplayer]

I wanna do something original, what you gona play or played when you did level 8?

[ceapaire]

Assuming you're looking at a system that goes 1-8 not 1-10, why not have a look at the repertoire list for ABRSM Grade 8?

From it, I'm working on Bach's Prelude & Fugue in Bb (no 21 from WTC 1), Beethoven's Pathétique 3rd movement (though I'm learning them all anyway, so I might do the op 26 Ab one instead) and either Chopin's Nocturne in B major (Op 32 no 1) or Débussy's Valse Romantique.

If you're not preparing for an exam, why not just listen to lots of music and pick your favourites to learn? At the moment I'm working on some of Schumann's music from the Kinderszenen and Waldszenen for fun. They're easy enough, and very rewarding

EDIT: If you want some different ideas for pieces, here's the grade 8 selection for the Royal Irish Acadamy of Music (also a 1-8 system). Some of it's the same, but there's a few different ones in there.

LIST A
JS Bach Fugue in B flat BWV 866 Das Wohltemperierte Klavier Book I (Henle)
Scarlatti Sonata in D minor K1Scarlatti Sonatas Book I (Editio Musica Budapest)
JS Bach Prelude in C minor BWV871 Das Wohltemperierte Klavier Book II (Henle)
Handel Sonatina in D minor HWV 581Easy Piano Pieces and Dances (Bärenreiter)
Telemann Vivace from Fantaisie in G minor Keyboard Anthology Third Series Book II (Associated Board)
Handel Prelude from Suite no 3 in D minor HWV 428 Klaviersuiten (Henle)
JS Bach Two-Part Invention no 14 in B flat BWV 785 Inventions and Sinfonias (Henle)

LIST B
Haydn Allegro moderato from Sonata in B minor Hob XVI: no 32: first movement Sonatas Band II (Henle)
Mozart Presto from Sonata in F KV280: third movement Sonatas Band I (Henle)
Schubert Scherzo in B flat D593 Leichte Klaviermusik: eighteenth and nineteenth century Band I (Henle)
Schubert Moment Musical no 5 in F minor D780 Impromptus and Moments Musicaux (Wiener Urtext)
Mozart Andante Amoroso from Sonata in B flat KV281: second movement Sonatas Band I (Henle)
Beethoven Presto alla tedesca from Sonata in G Op 79: first movement Sonatas Band II (Henle)
Schubert Andante from Sonata in A D664: second movement Sonatas Band I (Henle)
Beethoven Bagatelle op 33 no 7 in A flat Bagatelles (Henle)

LIST C
Smetana Polka Poetique op 8 no 2 Leichte Klaviermusik:: eighteenth and nineteenth Century Band II (Henle)
Chopin Nocturne op 9 no 2 in E flat Nocturnes (Henle)
Debussy Dr Gradus ad Parnassum Children’s Corner (Henle)
Ibert Le Petit Ane Blanc (The Little White Donkey) (Alphonse Leduc)
Granados Oriental from Danzas Espagnolas Danzas Espagnolas (Union Musical Ediciones)
Messiaen La Colombe Preludes (Durand Edition)
Shostakovich Allegro Vivace from Prelude op 34 no 5 Twenty-four Preludes Op 34 (Boosey and Hawkes)
Turina Clowns from Circus Suite op 68 Circus Suite op 68 (Schott)

[lousyplayer]

)

well, for group B, I know I will do the Mozart Sonata cause that's what played most and is set and go. Group A, I listened to the Scarlatti sonatas and I thought they were lovely, just not sure if they're too unchallenging and wont impress the judges. Never played Handel, so may be i'll go for Bach. Group C, that's the real issue for me. I thought Chopin nocturne too. Most people in my school play Rachmaninoff, but I think thats too heavy for me. So may be Chopin or Albeniz. They're the most challenging pieces so need to work a lot on this one. Loads of fast scales and octaves in both...

[ceapaire]

Handel also wrote some beautiful Baroque music so don't rule him out! Bach is pretty amazing though.

For List C why not try the Messain? You don't hear him being played much, and since his piece isn't in the Grade 8 book (*shudder*) it probably is played less frequently in the exams.

Just be careful if you're only selecting pieces now - the syllabus changes for 2013/2014. We won't know the new repertoire list until July.

[lousyplayer]

Handel also wrote some beautiful Baroque music so don't rule him out! Bach is pretty amazing though.

For List C why not try the Messain? You don't hear him being played much, and since his piece isn't in the Grade 8 book (*shudder*) it probably is played less frequently in the exams.

Just be careful if you're only selecting pieces now - the syllabus changes for 2013/2014. We won't know the new repertoire list until July.

really, do they change a lot? because Rachmaninoff is always there and I think chopin too cause I saw loads of people playing it on youtube! o, and Bach too. even in Spain they have the prelude and fugue in Bb....

[ceapaire]

The piano syllabus for ABRSM changes every 2 years, though some of the pieces are often the same (the Pathétique has been on there for years). Just make sure when the new syllabus is released that your exam pieces are still on there!

[lousyplayer]

The piano syllabus for ABRSM changes every 2 years, though some of the pieces are often the same (the Pathétique has been on there for years). Just make sure when the new syllabus is released that your exam pieces are still on there!

Wait, I'm gona ditch the Chopin and play this:

this one is a killer!

[ceapaire]

Wait, I'm gona ditch the Chopin and play this:

this one is a killer!

Wow, nice choice! I think I'll stick with the Chopin or Debussy - that one sounds like it might be a bit too difficult for me to make any sense from it