making it as a classical pianist without performing any standard works?

[sevencircles]

I think itīs time to move on from performing the same old standard repertoire all the time but it seems like the classical community is very narrowminded still 

It seems extremely difficult to make it as classical pianist without performing any works by wellknown composers.

Do you think there is any hope of a new era in classical piano where works by unknown and upcoming composers will be be the dominating repertoire?

 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Well my second piano teacher is a professional pianist and he never played any ravel before.

[j_menz]

Whoah! Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater here. I'm all for playing new or rarely performed pieces, but there is a lot of good stuff in the "standard repertoire" too. Whay make it either/or; there's room to do both.

And at times when piano composition was in its "golden age", all the best played a mixture of old and new.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Whoah! Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater here. I'm all for playing new or rarely performed pieces, but there is a lot of good stuff in the "standard repertoire" too. Whay make it either/or; there's room to do both.

And at times when piano composition was in its "golden age", all the best played a mixture of old and new.

That proves it...

[ajspiano]

That proves it....

If I offer a contradictory opinion will you stop saying we are the same person?

...

There was a post years ago that discussed the idea that popular classical repertoire is defined by established pianists. As in there will probably always be a set of accepted standard repertoire, but that what fills that list can be molded by well known performing pianists who choose to play unknown works on a big enough stage.

[j_menz]

There was a post years ago that discussed the idea that popular classical repertoire is defined by established pianists. As in there will probably always be a set of accepted standard repertoire, but that what fills that list can be molded by well known performing pianists who choose to play unknown works on a big enough stage.

Moulded, perhaps, but not defined. Ultimately, it is the audience that determines what is and isn't "standard" in the repertoire. Bums on seats. You can't be a "well known" pianist if you only play to empty halls, and you can't influence an audience if there isn't one there to start with.

[ajspiano]

Moulded, perhaps, but not defined. Ultimately, it is the audience that determines what is and isn't "standard" in the repertoire. Bums on seats. You can't be a "well known" pianist if you only play to empty halls, and you can't influence an audience if there isn't one there to start with.

Thats why it has to be established pianists, moulded probably is a better word. I suspect even the most respected pianists would lose their audience if they played exclusively unknown works. Such an endeavour would have to be done gradually over time and likely by numerous performers given how the classical performance world works now.

Its a different world from when it would've been expected that soloists perform their own compositions.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

If I offer a contradictory opinion will you stop saying we are the same person?

I'll think about it. 

Because if you go against your beliefs just to try and prove me wrong, then that doesn't count.

If you're really not J Menz, the truth will come out eventually.  Let life run its course.

[j_menz]

If you're really not J Menz, the truth will come out eventually.  Let life run its course.

The truth is already out there. Though there are none so blind as they that will not see.

[sevencircles]

Thats why it has to be established pianists, moulded probably is a better word. I suspect even the most respected pianists would lose their audience if they played exclusively unknown works.

I think it depends on what works they play, they could propably play modern tonal works based on famous themes and still keep most of their audience.

There are so many great works by modern composers that donīt sound anything like for instance Xenakis.

Some of them are more musically interesting then anything from the standard repertoire.

The situation in Classical music today is pretty terrible but I hope we will see a new era soon.