senior recital selections?

[vlh1992]

I am a music education major preparing for my senior recital next semester. My teacher is allowing me to choose one of the pieces but I am not sure what piece to do. Some of the other pieces that I am doing are the Warsaw Concerto, Reinhold's Impromptu op.28 no.3, and the duet version of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody no.2 as well as another 6 pieces that have not been chosen yet. Since I only hae 5 months to learn so many pieces I would prefer if the piece was a little easier than Liszt and I have to be careful about Rachmoninoff because I have very small hands. Any suggestions?

[the89thkey]

How small are your hands exactly? Because I was going to suggest Rach

[vlh1992]

i can barely reach an octave. I usually find ways to adapt pieces. Rach just seems like a little bit to much to try to get it to fit what I can reach although I have heard that a few of his pieces have more realistic reaches

[the89thkey]

You have to reach tenth chords for a lot of Rach...you can't really roll them

[the89thkey]

You have to reach tenth chords for a lot of Rach...you can't really roll them

Things like C-G-Bflat-E, or even just C#-A-E or something...

[vlh1992]

ya. that's why I usually stay away from Rach even though he has some really cool pieces

[zezhyrule]

Scriabin's Fantasie 

Actually I have no idea how about its technical difficulties, derp. I just love it 

Maybe something not Romantic, since all the stuff you listed seems to sit in that era (or at least is very romantic-ish). Some late Debussy or or a more modern composition, some Bach? :shrug: I'm sure you'll have more than just romantic stuff once you decide on all your pieces but... I was really no help was I 

Perhaps look at Carl Vine's Bagatelles? His collection of 5 seems to be quite popular lately.

[49410enrique]

Scriabin's Fantasie 

Actually I have no idea how about its technical difficulties, derp. I just love it 

Maybe something not Romantic, since all the stuff you listed seems to sit in that era (or at least is very romantic-ish). Some late Debussy or or a more modern composition, some Bach? :shrug: I'm sure you'll have more than just romantic stuff once you decide on all your pieces but... I was really no help was I 

Perhaps look at Carl Vine's Bagatelles? His collection of 5 seems to be quite popular lately.

that fantasie is my favorite scriabin work for solo piano. it is unbelievably/insanely difficult, i sooo wanted to work on this in the spring but i did some soul searching and had to , w hesitation, shelve it for the time being until im ready for it. 

i agree w your assessment that it would be a great work to include if the op has the base and instruction to pull it off.

i would not reccommend any rachmaninoff or early/middle scriabin though as the op is already playing the warsaw concerto, so style wise i think this 'sound' is already taking a fair amount of performance time (if the op is doing the two piano reduction or w ensemble, then about 10 minutes give or take on final tempos, the solo version i believe is quite a bit shorter).

i would actually encourage the op to open with a short set of scarlatti sonatas, especially if there is not already a larger sonata already programmed.

i would also look at maybe some gottschalk and/or grainer (though heavy lean to tonal/romantic based, i think style wise they can provide some nice contrast, especially if the program opens w very early works as mentioned above).

[the89thkey]

ya. that's why I usually stay away from Rach even though he has some really cool pieces

I'll say!

[j_menz]

I'll say!

Indeed. And you have. Often. Ad nauseum, even.

[the89thkey]

Indeed. And you have. Often. Ad nauseum, even.

Don't get me started on you and Bach...

[j_menz]

Don't get me started

I can assure you, any ambitions I have in that area are quite the opposite.