Received my repertoire for Spring 2014!

[romanticpianissimo]

I  met with my professor and she assigned me these pieces for my jury. 

1. Haydn - Sonata in C Major Hob.XVI
2. Bach - Sinfonia No. 2 in c minor
3. Mendelssohn - Song without Words Op. 38 No. 2 in c minor.

I'm actually very excited. She's also assigning me an etude, but she's not sure which one yet.
All I'm doing right now is just consistently listening to these pieces so that I get a grasp of what they sound like. I find it makes it easier for me to learn quickly.

Does anyone have any tips in particular for the Haydn Sonata? I'm sorry if this question belongs in the Performance section. I'm new.

[promusician]

Which C major sonata by Haydn? Number?

[j_menz]

Which C major sonata by Haydn? Number?

1. Haydn - Sonata in C Major Hob.XVI

Good to see you're paying attention! 

@ OP - Pretty hard to give you any tips if we don't know where you're coming from. What else have you played?

[visitor]

Tip- don't go about listening to tons recordings of the works one is about to start learning as it tends to define your idea of the music on someone else's opinion.  Best to just study the score and respond to the sounds you produce when learning it to discover what the music says to you.  It is marginally helpful when you are about done with the work and have your own creative expressive ideas to compare what others did. Otherwise you are simply setting out to mimmick.  

YouTube can be a great resource but does a disservice to the original disovery Of the piece by the pianist when setting out to study it if one spends too much time listening to recordings vs struggling with the score.

[romanticpianissimo]

Good to see you're paying attention! 

@ OP - Pretty hard to give you any tips if we don't know where you're coming from. What else have you played?

Well, for about four years I was an accompanist of three choirs so I didn't have much time to expand on my own repertoire. I've learned Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in g minor and several nocturnes, Mozart Fantasia's, Rachmaninoff Preludes, Arno Babajanyan Elegie and Nocturne, so much more. I'm 19 and have been playing since I was 6. 

Oh and Hob. XVI/50! Just throwing that out there aha.

[romanticpianissimo]

Tip- don't go about listening to tons recordings of the works one is about to start learning as it tends to define your idea of the music on someone else's opinion.  Best to just study the score and respond to the sounds you produce when learning it to discover what the music says to you.  It is marginally helpful when you are about done with the work and have your own creative expressive ideas to compare what others did. Otherwise you are simply setting out to mimmick.  

YouTube can be a great resource but does a disservice to the original disovery Of the piece by the pianist when setting out to study it if one spends too much time listening to recordings vs struggling with the score.

You make a great point, thank you! I generally listen to recordings that have a very similar interpretation to the piece as I do.

[theholygideons]

You make a great point, thank you! I generally listen to recordings that have a very similar interpretation to the piece as I do.

no bro.... just don't listen to recordings when you first start learning, LOL! it will subconsciously shape your interpretation of the piece. It's like solving a problem with the answers already lying open, you'll never get that 'ahhhh' why didn't i think of that moment, in which you truly become inspired to think more creatively.

[quantum]

Will you be making any repertoire selections? 

[j_menz]

don't listen to recordings when you first start learning, LOL! it will subconsciously shape your interpretation of the piece.

I think some people are more prone to this than others. I'm fortunate in that I'm not, and find it can be useful in saving some time. I play quite enough that has either not been recorded or which I have not heard before to appreciate it's proper use.

[visitor]

I think some people are more prone to this than others. I'm fortunate in that I'm not, and find it can be useful in saving some time. I play quite enough that has either not been recorded or which I have not heard before to appreciate it's proper use.

fair, and will add the more experienced one is the less the deleterious effect on learning it may have, but I think the problem is more with younger students and also those that have always learned pieces while immersed in recordings. I think at a certain point I may become a handicap where they may have trouble grasping a pieces unless they hear it. They can't look at a score and hear in their mind what's on the page or at least imagine the possibilities which is actually quite fun to do with scores.

[romanticpianissimo]

no bro.... just don't listen to recordings when you first start learning, LOL! it will subconsciously shape your interpretation of the piece. It's like solving a problem with the answers already lying open, you'll never get that 'ahhhh' why didn't i think of that moment, in which you truly become inspired to think more creatively.

I see what you're saying, but the issue with that is, I can't practice my piano after 8:00pm unfortunately because I live in an apartment with annoying neighbors, and I like to immerse myself into my repertoire. So after 8, I usually do as much "research" as I can on my pieces, such as when the pieces were written, what the composers thoughts were, etc. (and by "research" I don't mean listening to recordings, I just happen upon recordings while I do this).

[romanticpianissimo]

Will you be making any repertoire selections? 

No, not this semester unfortunately. :/ 

[thesixthsensemusic]

Did you play these solo pieces that you mentioned, flawlessly? If so, your repertoire should pose no technical challenges but rather test your memory and comprehensive skills, especially the Bach simfonia, polyphonic stuff gets complex and harder to remember way before it starts to become technically demandng. Check out the recordings of said pieces and take notes in your score how the piece is structured. The first 2 pieces will benefit the most in case you use Urtext scores as they will probably contain the least amount of performance markings.

If in any doubt wether or not you like the stuff you encounter this way, try another recording and stick with your fav. for basing the notations upon.

Then try mapping together all the structural bits and divide them into bite-size chunks of perhaps a few bars, that you can learn in a short time even with 5 min. spent per day per section. And see, after a week you might be pretty far into them already if you spend 5 min. on every small bit every day.

also, you might want to search the forum for posts of PS member Bernard. He came up with very in-depth answers to the questions of learning new pieces.

Good luck. May the force be with you

[romanticpianissimo]

Did you play these solo pieces that you mentioned, flawlessly? If so, your repertoire should pose no technical challenges but rather test your memory and comprehensive skills, especially the Bach simfonia, polyphonic stuff gets complex and harder to remember way before it starts to become technically demandng. Check out the recordings of said pieces and take notes in your score how the piece is structured. The first 2 pieces will benefit the most in case you use Urtext scores as they will probably contain the least amount of performance markings.

If in any doubt wether or not you like the stuff you encounter this way, try another recording and stick with your fav. for basing the notations upon.

Then try mapping together all the structural bits and divide them into bite-size chunks of perhaps a few bars, that you can learn in a short time even with 5 min. spent per day per section. And see, after a week you might be pretty far into them already if you spend 5 min. on every small bit every day.

also, you might want to search the forum for posts of PS member Bernard. He came up with very in-depth answers to the questions of learning new pieces.

Good luck. May the force be with you

Thank you! Yes, all those pieces have been performed. I will definitely look for some posts of his. Once again, thank you and right back at you! Haha

[canada100]

As for any piece, you should always examine and study the score before actually playing the piece. First things first, you should go on the Internet, listen to some DESCENT RECORDINGS by some great artists, such as Gould, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Ashkenazy, Argerich, etc. NOT by a student! And definitely not Lang Lang, Yundi Li, or Yuja Wang!

When I study pieces on my own, I usually read through a score and play through the whole piece on my own. That way, I get it learned quickly. The first time playing through is usually rough, but the second time is much easier.

When working on pieces, always work on them hands separately and slowly! This is like taking apart a broken car or computer, or doing a surgery. You are cutting the piece up into tiny bits to analyze it and understand it, both technically and musically. Always remember to keep a loose wrist and arm with FIRM FINGERS!!!!!

[j_menz]

As for any piece, you should always examine and study the score before actually playing the piece.

To what end? Why not just do a read through?

First things first, you should go on the Internet, listen to some DESCENT RECORDINGS by some great artists

Firstly, this is not always possible. Not everything has been recorded, and some has not been recorded well. 

Secondly, if you are suggesting this be done so as to copy what one hears, then I must object.  Some people appear to be susceptible to have their interpretation of a piece too heavily flavoured by what they hear, and so for them such practice should best be avoided, or at least postponed until they have a reasonable grasp of it themselves.

One possible use of the internet is to get some basic information on the composer, and in some cases the specific piece, that will aid in approaching it. Not "this is how is should be played" Information, but "it was written in these circumstances or inspired by this place/story/event".

When I study pieces on my own, I usually read through a score and play through the whole piece on my own.

On your own? How else would you do it? 

When working on pieces, always work on them hands separately and slowly! This is like taking apart a broken car or computer, or doing a surgery. You are cutting the piece up into tiny bits to analyze it and understand it, both technically and musically.

The value of HS vs HT is something that is a matter of individual experience. I've never seen the point, yet others swear by it. It is a matter of horses for courses, not a strict rule.

One word of caution about breaking a piece down like that. It's fine as far as it goes, of course, but one needs to make sure that when one puts it back together again it makes sense as a whole. Indeed, some reflection on the "connectedness" of a piece should also be considered. Otherwise you have a lot of lovely moments in an incoherent mess.