College audition etudes?

[arianareid]

I'm looking for a romantic etude that I can play for a college audition. I'm thinking Chopin, as I can really get into the pieces and really enjoy memorizing his works. Some people were telling me Chopin was "overdone" and I should play Liszt instead. Any suggestions? What are some good etudes by each composer?

[faulty_damper]

Choping - Op.10 No.4
Liszt - La Campanella
Hanon - The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises, Nos. 1-22

[j_menz]

Choping

A different sort of "exercise" entirely. 

@ OP - Chopin is fine for auditions but some places require it to be one of the faster ones. Ignore idiots. Liszt is equally "overdone". 

If you are looking for alternatives, Alkan Op 35, Thalberg, Lyapunov, Kapustin, Bolcom, Ligeti and Hamelin are all options. So would be one of the Godowsky studies.

[chicoscalco]

Saint Saens and Scriabin also wrote wonderful etudes, have a look at them!
And if you don't want overplayed ones, stay away from Chopin and Liszt in most cases...

[classicalnhiphop]

Scriabin has some gorgeous etudes (opus 8 no 5, 12) (opus 2 no 1), Liszt's are in general harder than chopins. PE 3 (la campanella), PE 6, and TEs, 4,5,8,10,12 are harder than all of chopins. 
They are all good pieces, but some of Liszt's can be a bit show offy with not enough emotional depth.  Chopins hardest are opus 25 6, and 25 11.  Sorry to bring up difficulty, but if you are only trying to impress the judges, it will help as long as you can play them properly.  Alkan's also got some, but to me, they are just completely show off material, although I like festin d'aesop alot.  Rachmaninoff has some as well.  TONS of composers had etudes.

[faulty_damper]

TONS of composers had etudes.

Which is why going with ones that are simple and direct are the best bet.  Hanon's Etudes de virtuosite that I mentioned fit the bill.  The auditioners will be impressed that you didn't injure yourself practicing those things, and will readily admit you to their university system.  "All your bases are belongs to us."

[arianareid]

Saint Saens and Scriabin also wrote wonderful etudes, have a look at them!
And if you don't want overplayed ones, stay away from Chopin and Liszt in most cases...

Would it be bad to play them though? Would the judges mark off points or judge differently?

[chicoscalco]

Would it be bad to play them though? Would the judges mark off points or judge differently?

Everyone's gonna say no, they judge just the same way. But put yourself in their shoes... they hear these things every audition they have, by a huge amount of students. I believe it is more difficult to impress using theses etudes. They are masterpieces, and if you can play them well go for it, but it wouldn't be my pick...

[ale_ius]

A different sort of "exercise" entirely. 

@ OP - Chopin is fine for auditions but some places require it to be one of the faster ones. Ignore idiots. Liszt is equally "overdone". 

If you are looking for alternatives, Alkan Op 35, Thalberg, Lyapunov, Kapustin, Bolcom, Ligeti and Hamelin are all options. So would be one of the Godowsky studies.

+1

as for 'impressing' per a reply, you should be more concerned with meeting a particular program's standard and showing artistically appropriate originality/creativity vs. 'impressing'.  If you aim to show you are the best of the bunch that day, the impressing comes on its own...

have a looksey at Szymanowksi and Henselt also....

[arungargstl]

Most colleges are looking for a chopin etude, done tastefully and musically. Juries often like to hear the lesser played etudes, especially after sitting through hundreds of students playing the standards to hell and back. I suggest Op. 10, Nos. 7, 9, 10, or 11. For Op. 25: Nos. 3, 4, 5, 8. Playing the well known ones simply place you amongst the general crowd.

If you are set on not playing a Chopin etude, many of the Rachmaninoff Etudes-Tableaux are actually quite manageable. The scores to the hardest ones in the set may seem daunting, but one must remember that Rachmaninoff was a pianist, and wrote for the piano. Thus, many of these Etudes-Tableaux become extremely comfortable (and fun, exciting and IMPRESSIVE) within a short time after notes are fully memorized.

I myself played the Rachmaninoff Etude Op. 39, No. 6 in a minor, for my jury. The judges seemed relieved to hear something fresh from the required repertoire and all my auditions went well because of my program choice (I THINK!  ) 

Hope this helps

[canada100]

Hanon exercises are not for performing-neither are Czerny's. Remember, Czerny and Hanon are EXERCISES. They are good for working out and building good technique, but are not pieces to perform or audition with.

La Campanella is too overplayed-I do not recommend using it. You can pick the most technically showy piece and still not get in-it is important to choose repertoire that YOU enjoy playing and what YOU feel comfortable with. Liszt's Transcedental Etudes are excellent choices-however, be careful, as many of them are extremely difficult technically. Chopin Etudes are excellent choices as well-a complete performance of the 24 etudes is considered among the hardest piano repertoire. Mendelssohn wrote some Op. 104 etudes, and Moszkowski's etudes, especially the Op. 72, is something to check out.

Again, it is not only about the difficulty of the pieces you choose-it is also about how WELL you play them. I would much rather hear a Clementi sonatina played WELL rather than Rach 3 being butchered!