Sorry for asking this again.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Okay so I managed to tell my teacher about my recital program.

He was like, 'dude your program is waay too long!  That's gonna be way over an hour'.

And this was my program:

Beethoven sonata 8.  "pathetique" is such a stupid name...

rach prelude 32 10
Chopin nocturne 20
La Campanella

5 minute break

Appassionata


He said either do both Beethoven sonatas, or do the three romantic pieces and the appassionata.

Dude is it really gonna be that long?  Cause he said the time between pieces is a lot longer than I think it is.

But I really wanna do the whole thing!

What should I do?  My goal is about an hour.  A little over couldn't hurt.

[j_menz]

He's right about the break between pieces being longer than you think.

You're kidding yourself if you think there's such a thing as a 5 minute break.

So yeah, it's well over an hour I would think.  But I don't see that as a problem.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

He's right about the break between pieces being longer than you think.

You're kidding yourself if you think there's such a thing as a 5 minute break.

So yeah, it's well over an hour I would think.  But I don't see that as a problem.

What's wrong with a 5 minute break?

How about...

Beethoven sonata 8

Rachmaninoff prelude

Appassionata

La Campanella

Would that still be over an hour?

[ajspiano]

What's wrong with a 5 minute break?

For you probably nothing.. but if you are going to exit the stage and your audience is going to start talking to each other its going to go for longer than 5 minutes.

..unless you're hiring armed guards to shut them up and strap them to the seats when you come back on.

[j_menz]

What's wrong with a 5 minute break?

Nothing except it just won't happen. Break - audience gets up, bathroom, smoke break, yacketty yack, shuffles back to seats. Five minute break = 15 minutes.

How about...

Beethoven sonata 8

Rachmaninoff prelude

Appassionata

La Campanella

Would that still be over an hour?

Probably just.  What's so special about the hour limit?

[rik_key]

Think of what Mozart did when in the same situation.

Do what you want.

[outin]

What's wrong with a 5 minute break?

How about...

Beethoven sonata 8

Rachmaninoff prelude

Appassionata

La Campanella

Would that still be over an hour?

Leaving out the only piece I would like to hear? I am not coming 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Leaving out the only piece I would like to hear? I am not coming 

The Chopin?

[outin]

The Chopin?

Did you leave out something else?

Seriously, if all the pieces are more on the dramatic side or large works, don't you think the audience will be a bit taxed (assuming they are not all piano players themselves, who would be interested in your technique).

[j_menz]

assuming they are not all piano players themselves, who would be interested in your technique

If they're thinking about your technique, you've lost them. Pianists or not.

[outin]

If they're thinking about your technique, you've lost them. Pianists or not.

I guess I meant people who can appreciate and enjoy technically good playing and know something about the music.

I think the Nocturne would be easier to enjoy for someone who does not understand the greatness of Rach, Liszt or Beethoven.

[j_menz]

I guess I meant people who can appreciate and enjoy technically good playing and know something about the music.

I think the Nocturne would be easier to enjoy for someone who does not understand the greatness of Rach, Liszt or Beethoven.

I agree that the Nocturne is a good crowd pleaser, but so is Campanella.

I do not agree that one has to "understand the greatness of Rach, Liszt or Beethoven" to enjoy them.  All the works are relatively accessible so should be enjoyed by pretty much anyone turning up (if played well).   The idea that you have to be a pianist, music scholar or have otherwise read up on them is frankly nonsense.

There are pieces by all four composers that are not as accessible to a newbie audience, but all of them knew how to please a crowd and the selections here are perfect examples of that skill.

[outin]

I agree that the Nocturne is a good crowd pleaser, but so is Campanella.

I do not agree that one has to "understand the greatness of Rach, Liszt or Beethoven" to enjoy them.  All the works are relatively accessible so should be enjoyed by pretty much anyone turning up (if played well).   The idea that you have to be a pianist, music scholar or have otherwise read up on them is frankly nonsense.

Which was not what I meant at all, just tried to be brief and obviously failed to make myself understood.

If I could not sit through that program, then I assume many people who are not into these composers would also. One really needs a break between two full Beethoven sonatas, a Rach prelude that is not one of his more accessible ones and la Campanella which you either like or not, but if not is quite annoying.

I disagree about the accessibility by anyone turning up. And I am probably much closer to that "anyone" turning up than most of the people on this forum

EDIT:
Of course it also depends on whether the purpose of the event is to make the audience feel good or to showcase the ability of the performer. In the former case Chopin is a safer choice, since it's rare to find someone who cannot enjoy a Nocturne to at least some level.

[j_menz]

And I am probably much closer to that "anyone" turning up than most of the people on this forum

The relative popularity of Domenico vs Wolfie and Ludwig might suggest otherwise.

[outin]

The relative popularity of Domenico vs Wolfie and Ludwig might suggest otherwise.

Popularity comes from exposure

In my experience a lot of people who say they like Beethoven actually  like the first movement of the Moonlight and a few other snippets of his works... not many of them actually want to listen through a whole work.

[outin]

@R4
Do you really need leave something out? You cannot leave out one of the sonatas obviously. If you have to, I'd leave out the Rach, but that I guess is not an option... Then IMO you should leave out Campanella instead of the Nocturne, but I assume you want to play that because you can...

[j_menz]

BTW, what's your encore going to be?

[maitea]

If you strongly don't want to cut out any of your pieces.. then, here's a cheaky piece of advice.

Don't announce the break in the programme. (An hour is doable for an audience), and just walk after the applause half way the recital, have a bit of water etc. Maybe don't push it to 5 "long" minutes, but you can get a bit of a rest there, and when you go back on stage, the audience will still be sitted where you left them

[rachmaninoff_forever]

BTW, what's your encore going to be?

A Chopin nocturne or prelude.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Did you leave out something else?

Bach?!

[outin]

Bach?!

Good boy

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Good boy

That'll loose the audience right away!

[thalbergmad]

Perhaps a Bach transcription instead.

Far better than the originals.

Thal

[j_menz]

Perhaps a Bach transcription instead.

Far better than the originals.

Thal

They are good, though I doubt Vivaldi would agree that he'd been improved on.

[perprocrastinate]

Perhaps a Bach transcription instead.

Chaconne in D minor!

[lilla]

Please o please, no longer than an hour.  No matter what you play.  I've recently sat through two performances that went over an hour - one an hour and a half.  It was excruciating to sit for that long.  Butt was sore.  Legs stiff, back hurting.  And I don't usually have that problem.  There were others in attendance with health issues (we are an aging audience, we classical types) and all were complaining.  Even program sponsors who stated "never again".  So do consider the audience.  Thanks.