What's a good competition piece?

[ngo_dustin]

Im a regular student that wants to participate in a piano competition. My repertoire varies from Chopin and Debussy. I am capable of playing a few of their etudes and preludes, and i was wondering what i should play if i want to play for a competition. All comments are appreciated!

[awesom_o]

A good competition piece is one that the jury does not hear every single day that you also happen to play to the absolute best of your ability.

[quantum]

To play devils advocate: if I were in a competition jury and a competitor did a radically different interpretation (a la Gould) of a hacked-to-death piece, it would seriously interest me.

***

Back to reality.  Many jurors have difficulty putting their personal interpretations aside, especially with oft played, well-known, apotheosized pieces from the canon.  Awesom_o's, comments are ones to consider.  Even as much as we would like to wish for objective adjudication in a competition, that is not what is always delivered. 

The problem is not that music is open to a diversity of interpretive possibilities.  The problem is that certain adjudicators think that their interpretation is the only one that carries validity. 

[j_menz]

To play devils advocate: if I were in a competition jury and a competitor did a radically different interpretation (a la Gould) of a hacked-to-death piece, it would seriously interest me.

Should we start calling you Martha? 

[awesom_o]

T
The problem is not that music is open to a diversity of interpretive possibilities.  The problem is that certain adjudicators think that their interpretation is the only one that carries validity. 

Music is a subjective art, but it isn't as subjective all the time as you might think!

One cannot simply play badly and claim that this is his or her valid interpretation of a certain piece, and yet many amateurs do that frequently!

[quantum]

Should we start calling you Martha? 

I don't get it.  Is this what happens if one stays away from PS for a few days?

Music is a subjective art, but it isn't as subjective all the time as you might think!

I'd have to disagree with that.  As an accompanist, I've played many college juries and have come across some utterly horrible adjudicators that impose (read: vocally enunciate) their personal interpretation of the music upon the students after they perform.  The instrument need not matter, such attitudes are rampant across the art music spectrum.  Subjectivity is all too present, and not always in a form that is constructive to the student, conducive to the development of that student's musical voice, or applied in a manner that secures a fair academic evaluation of a student's performance. 

One cannot simply play badly and claim that this is his or her valid interpretation of a certain piece, and yet many amateurs do that frequently!

Why? Can one come to a definition of "playing badly" for the purposes of adjudication?  Are you claiming that a "professional musician" can automatically stake more validity to their interpretations?  Why would one consider the status of the performer, professional or amateur, in the evaluation of an interpretation? 

[awesom_o]

Why would one consider the status of the performer, professional or amateur, in the evaluation of an interpretation? 

I wouldn't. Each and every performance, regardless of the status of the performer, has the potential to be wonderful and/or unique.



Alas, in my experience, often the professional performances are wonderful but not unique. And frequently the amateur performances are unique but not wonderful.

I try to keep an open mind; a truly great performance has to be unique AND wonderful at the same time 

[j_menz]

I don't get it.  Is this what happens if one stays away from PS for a few days?

Martha Agerich, Ivo Pogerellich, Chopin International............ bells, ring?