Competition Repertoire

[lisztmusicfan]

Hello all,
I am now planning for a competition for next February (I want to start practicing for it now so that I have a good chance at placing or winning) and I was wondering how this program sounded. The requirements say that you just need three different pieces from different periods and one movement of a classical sonata, so here's what I'm planning to play.
Schubert Sonata in a Minor D. 784
Chopin Etude no 12 op 25 "Ocean"
Bach Prelude (or) Fugue in F minor WTC bk 2 no 12 (I think)
Let me know your thoughts and if I have a good chance at placing with these pieces!

[pianist1976]

Hello all,
I am now planning for a competition for next February (I want to start practicing for it now so that I have a good chance at placing or winning) and I was wondering how this program sounded. The requirements say that you just need three different pieces from different periods and one movement of a classical sonata, so here's what I'm planning to play.
Schubert Sonata in a Minor D. 784
Chopin Etude no 12 op 25 "Ocean"
Bach Prelude (or) Fugue in F minor WTC bk 2 no 12 (I think)
Let me know your thoughts and if I have a good chance at placing with these pieces!

In my humble opinion, it's not as important what one plays as how one plays it. I think you have a nice program.

[pianoman53]

It depends on very many things.

Though, I can't say that your program looks great, honestly.
I assume you have like 20 minutes free repertoire, that has to include a first movement of a  classical sonata?
 The sonata is fine, I guess.
But to then pick a chopin study and a bach prelude and fugue is not great.

I'd go for a much bigger romantic piece, and probably a 20th piece.
In competitions, you, sadly, wont go long with Bach. And a Chopin study is not good simply because you need to nail every single note, and beat someone playing pieces like Mephisto waltx or Prokofiev sonatas, and they wont...

[lisztmusicfan]

Ahhh, I understand what you're saying pianoman. I was thinking about switching out the Bach for Debussy Estampes (either Pagodes or dans Grenade) but I don't know what to do for the romantic... Any suggestions?

[isyriel]

for romantics:
Andante spinato and grande polonaise for romantic pièce.  But it is rather long. 
The 2nd ballade by chopin is around 7 minutes and about as hard as fantasie impromptu.
Brahms raphsody op 79 no 2 in g minor is really nice and only about 6-7 minutes
liszt ballade no 1 in D flat.  i personally like this but some dont so, have a listen

Hungarian rhapsodies boy list id suggest 2,6,10 and 11

id stick with thé sonata cause honestly all sonatas are thé same in thé end

For thé éther contrasting work you could go for impressionistic like
debussy as you suggested.  I think Ravel would be nice too. 

thé le tombeau de couperin suite is good.  i dont know what standard of playing you need though but i would assume it to be RCM ARCT level (im in canada) so thé toccata in that suite should be good

Une barque sur l'océan and aborada del grazioso. I LOVE thèse works.  Ive learned The boat on thé océan already and am doing that for my ARCT exam on thé 18th of this month and vie started learning aborada.  They are a bit hard though so id watch out 

Griffes also wrote some nice works.  I like his roman sketches. 

a réal weird pièce would be Goodbye Mr Rachmaninoff by katsariss ( i think thats how you spell his name)  its short and showoffy-ish

if your looking for more 20th Century stuff thé prokovfiev sonates no 1, and 3 i personally like.
Prokovfiev étude no 1 is quite substantial.   
You could go for messine reflet dans vents. 

theres also mozetich thé three pièces for piano i dont know thé détail of its name but i had thé score somewhere and those are nice pièces

THere are MANYYYYYYY other works out there so dont limait your self.  Just go on youtube and search up random music. 

best of luck on your choices and whatever you decide to learn

 
 

[j_menz]

honestly all sonatas are thé same in thé end

 

This is something I seem to have missed.

[pianoman53]

The second balladen is not the same difficulty as fantasie impromptu. It's far more difficult.

[lisztmusicfan]

Thanks isyriel for all of your suggestions! I will have a listen to some of them. And I agree, the ballade is FAAAAUUURRREEEEE more difficult than FI (see what I did there??) but I'm completely in love with all of his ballades and they're all so out of my league.

[j_menz]

FAAAAUUURRREEEEE

(see what I did there??)

What's Gabriel to do with it? 

Or to use you style GAAAABBRRIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.

[isyriel]

I personally thought thé ballade was thé same difficulté as FI
maybe its just my RACH-lessness and habit or RAVELing in my technical abilities ...

just kidding i suck

my reason for it being same level is that its musically pretty straight forward and thé codas are easy to get under your fingers,  once you get the notes down. then again everyone has their definition of hard ( i can't play jumps or chords if my life depended on it) 

[lisztmusicfan]

Yeah, I understand. But once you start on it, you just can't go BACH.

[nyonyo]

Be different from other contestants.
You should be able to say something different with your pieces.
The pieces themselves are not that important.
If you play just like regular way of performing, the judges will not be impressed.

I just competed last month, my pieces were easy compared to other contestants, but I was able to beat them, because I was able to say something different with my pieces.

Your pieces are good enough...just work on the qualities.

[beethovensonata]

Hello all,
I am now planning for a competition for next February (I want to start practicing for it now so that I have a good chance at placing or winning) and I was wondering how this program sounded. The requirements say that you just need three different pieces from different periods and one movement of a classical sonata, so here's what I'm planning to play.
Schubert Sonata in a Minor D. 784
Chopin Etude no 12 op 25 "Ocean"
Bach Prelude (or) Fugue in F minor WTC bk 2 no 12 (I think)
Let me know your thoughts and if I have a good chance at placing with these pieces!

No one likes to it seems but your competition MUST CONTAIN A BEETHOVEN SONATA.  I don't know what your level is but there is almost no way that you are at the Ocean Etude.   Please answer these questions.  How much Bach have you played other than Prelude (or) Fugue in F minor WTC bk 2 no 12?  Have you competed before?  What competition are you attending?  How long have you studied piano?

[lisztmusicfan]

Thanks guys for all of the suggestions! Now I understand that it's not what you play, it's how you play it. And my teacher and I talked it over and decided to switch out the Chopin for Debussy La soirée dans Grenade (which I've already pretty much learned, and I also love it!) I think that I. Gonna stick with the Bach though. Prelude AND fugue. And @nyonyo, what are some qualities that are important to have present in one's performances?

[throwawaynotreally]

The 2nd ballade by chopin is around 7 minutes and about as hard as fantasie impromptu.

 

Are you high?

[throwawaynotreally]

.

[lisztmusicfan]

That is true, but (I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm bragging) my teacher has said that I am a very advanced student and actually suggested that I learn the Chopin! I have a long musical background of violin, which I have been playing for almost 12 years, and I play with a lot of emotion and feeling (but am somewhat lacking in the advanced techniques area). Some other pieces that I have learned in this past year and a half, are Claire de Lune (mainstream, I know) Chopin Waltz in C sharp minor, a couple of Chopin preludes here and there and Debussy Estampes nos. 1 and 2. I realize my repertoire is very small and only truly spans two composers, so that's why I'm branching out to Schubert and Bach. And I have quite a bit of time before the competition. But, I am going to switch the etude out with Debussy's la soirée dans grenade for my program the piece that I am actually most worried about is the Bach. How does one make Bach stand out amongst the crowd?

[throwawaynotreally]

.

[lisztmusicfan]

Alright, thank you so much for your advice! It is really appreciated, now I am feeling a little better about everything too oh, and I might've forgot to mention, but first prize is $3000 LETS GO WIN A COMPETITION! And you're learning the 1st ballade, which is literally my dream piece haha

[throwawaynotreally]

.

[visitor]

I see it both ways, yes it's how you play that matters most but there I also something to be said about strategically putting an effective list together then from that list going with te ones you connect with most.

As for how I might suggest one I about populating such a list, I would get a list of what the top three contestants from every competition in years past have played then find the commonalities and patterns
I might the go with all but one from that list and insert a beautiful but obscure piece to wrap it up however I would make certain it fits guidelines and that it is no more than 15% of total play time.

 

[goldentone]

Strategically put.  The eyes are digging for a clearer list.  Are you communicating in a true position of authority? 

[lisztmusicfan]

Well, I've done some research and I can find the past winners, but I can't find any of the pieces they played...

[visitor]

Strategically put.  The eyes are digging for a clearer list.  Are you communicating in a true position of authority? 

i can only recommend what i have either done in the past or would honestly set out to do in a similar situation.  i have been more than moderately successful in various competitive pursuits (music and other wise) with similar strategic approaches to the prework/prep.

 

[goldentone]

i can only recommend what i have either done in the past or would honestly set out to do in a similar situation.  i have been more than moderately successful in various competitive pursuits (music and other wise) with similar strategic approaches to the prework/prep.

 

Do you think such a strategy naturally is chosen by other successful pianists out in the mature musical population? I wonder about the percentage.

[lisztmusicfan]

Well, here's what I think. The judges can hate the interpretation of a piece all they want, but they can't ignore or overlook a technically and musically good performance.

[goldentone]

Well, I've done some research and I can find the past winners, but I can't find any of the pieces they played...

You can go on the Van Cliburn YT page where they've archived the last competition, and may still have 2009.

[lisztmusicfan]

Could you please put a link?

[goldentone]

The Van Cliburn page:

featured

[lisztmusicfan]

Cool, thank you.

[lisztmusicfan]

And here is the set in stone list of what I shall be playing for the competition:
Schubert D 784 Piano Sonata in A Minor
Bach WTC II prelude and fugue in f minor
Debussy Hommage a Rameu from Images I