Play To Impress

[100mm]

Lets say you're playing to impress somebody. The setting doesn't matter. Your teacher, that girl, the impromptu audience at the coffee shop or the hotel loby that has a piano... What would you play?

I'm trying to get an idea about what you find impressive among the things you play. A friend of mine is a much better pianist than me and we got stuck trying to pick a couple pieces for her recital because she plays a lot of things and I thought I would get your opinion.

Not too heavy, still looking impressive and able to capture attention. What would you choose?

[visitor]

[hfmadopter]

What I find most interesting about this is around here any piano in public worth playing is locked and has a sign, do not touch. They are usually display items advertising a piano store. Lounges and such don't have pianos any more and what ever entertainment comes in will have their own keyboard. We have two churches in town with grand pianos, one the piano is locked the other the church is locked except when they have an event going on.

As to what to play ? Anything she loves and does well. If she loves it she probably will deliver the music accordingly. I wouldn't play to impress, just do it well and the rest comes on its own.

[visitor]

What I find most interesting about this is around here any piano in public worth playing is locked and has a sign, do not touch. They are usually display items advertising a piano store. Lounges and such don't have pianos any more and what ever entertainment comes in will have their own keyboard. We have two churches in town with grand pianos, one the piano is locked the other the church is locked except when they have an event going on.

As to what to play ? Anything she loves and does well. If she loves it she probably will deliver the music accordingly. I wouldn't play to impress, just do it well and the rest comes on its own.

i agree, the 'no playing the piano' rules are annoying and don't make sense. i don't want to play with the piano, i want to use the instrument properly for what it was designed to do. i was recently told by a hotel that i had to prove to them i had a special individual insurance policy that would cover the cost of replacing the steinway d (it was a junk D by the way) w a brand new one before i would even be allowed to touch it (never mind the abuse it was receiving by those 'allowed' to....).

good grief.

[100mm]

i agree, the 'no playing the piano' rules are annoying and don't make sense.

What I find most interesting about this is around here any piano in public worth playing is locked and has a sign, do not touch.

That's bad.. I mean I haven't seen many pianos around either but there is a coffee shop here that has one and hotels (if they have the piano in a public place) mostly give permission to play. Though the results wouldn't be as nice if you messed it up I guess.

[quantum]

i agree, the 'no playing the piano' rules are annoying and don't make sense.

Indeed.  Many people probably don't realize that a concert pianist playing "properly" or a piano tech doing their job can put far more stress on an instrument then a bunch of kids doodling around. 

i was recently told by a hotel that i had to prove to them i had a special individual insurance policy that would cover the cost of replacing the steinway d (it was a junk D by the way) w a brand new one before i would even be allowed to touch it (never mind the abuse it was receiving by those 'allowed' to....).

I'm wondering if such hotel also allows (encourages?) guests to freely place their wine glasses and coffee mugs on the piano, and otherwise use it as a piece of furniture. 

[future_maestro]

i agree, the 'no playing the piano' rules are annoying and don't make sense. i don't want to play with the piano, i want to use the instrument properly for what it was designed to do. i was recently told by a hotel that i had to prove to them i had a special individual insurance policy that would cover the cost of replacing the steinway d (it was a junk D by the way) w a brand new one before i would even be allowed to touch it (never mind the abuse it was receiving by those 'allowed' to....).

good grief.

LOL!

[vansh]

At my university (Texas A&M) there is a large room with tables and couches and a Steinway Model B in the corner, open for anyone to play. Called the Flag Room, it usually has lots of students in it, studying or napping or whatever but also to hear people play the piano. I'll play whatever's in my repertoire that I can comfortably handle on it. Usually what's the most well-received is Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu. For more showy pieces, it depends on the audience; some people like Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody 2, but others feel it's too loud (some people nap there after all...though there are a hundred lounges on campus but only one with a Steinway which is by nature noisy). I think the students prefer lighter, quieter classical music, more like background or elevator music as opposed to being the center of attention.

By far the most well-received music is the Frozen soundtrack. Oh well.

Anyway, for a non-pianist "lay" audience, I actually think what are considered overplayed on these forums are actually pretty good, like the Fantaisie Impromptu or Clair de Lune, etc. After all, they're overplayed for a reason -- they're highly attractive pieces that sound good for their skill level. It's probably better if you give your friend's repertoire so we know what to choose from, unless your friend is going to learn a piece based on our suggestions.

Yeah many hotels have all sorts of stupid legal stuff, basically they want the piano there to show class but don't want anyone to actually, you know, use it. Also I assume the number of people who think what they play sounds good is greater than the number of people who actually sound good, and hotels may not want to have their staff bothering to figure it out for everyone. On the other hand, some airports nowadays will have pianos in the terminals for people to play (or at least, for people to play until the airport staff kicks them out).

[visitor]

At my university (Texas A&M) there is a large room with tables and couches and a Steinway Model B in the corner, open for anyone to play. Called the Flag Room, it usually has lots of students in it, studying or napping or whatever but also to hear people play the piano. I'll play whatever's in my repertoire that I can comfortably handle on it. Usually what's the most well-received is Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu. For more showy pieces, it depends on the audience; some people like Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody 2, but others feel it's too loud (some people nap there after all...though there are a hundred lounges on campus but only one with a Steinway which is by nature noisy). I think the students prefer lighter, quieter classical music, more like background or elevator music as opposed to being the center of attention.

By far the most well-received music is the Frozen soundtrack. Oh well.

Anyway, for a non-pianist "lay" audience, I actually think what are considered overplayed on these forums are actually pretty good, like the Fantaisie Impromptu or Clair de Lune, etc. After all, they're overplayed for a reason -- they're highly attractive pieces that sound good for their skill level. It's probably better if you give your friend's repertoire so we know what to choose from, unless your friend is going to learn a piece based on our suggestions.

Yeah many hotels have all sorts of stupid legal stuff, basically they want the piano there to show class but don't want anyone to actually, you know, use it. Also I assume the number of people who think what they play sounds good is greater than the number of people who actually sound good, and hotels may not want to have their staff bothering to figure it out for everyone. On the other hand, some airports nowadays will have pianos in the terminals for people to play (or at least, for people to play until the airport staff kicks them out).

Frozen.  Really?!  I can see a few dumb chicks going gaga for frozen bit if dudes are applauding that crap....

[vultron]

The only time I really feel I have played to impress is when I feel like I am playing to impress both myself and the audience, or just myself.

[pytheamateur]

Liebestraum No3 works well.