Playing my first piano recital

[shoenberg3]

In Jan. 22 and Jan. 29, I will play my first solo (70+ minutes) recital. This certainly makes me feel positively anticipative but also dreadfully stressed. Having to juggle all the schoolwork (I'm 15) and 3+ hour practices, I am having doubts about my ability to handle the pressure. Here is the program:

Toccata in E minor Johann Sebastian Bach
(before 1708) (1685-1750)



Sonata No.13 in Eb-Major, Op.27, No.1 Ludwig Van Beethoven
(Sonata quasi una Fantasia) (1770-1827)
(1800/01)
I. Andante – Allegro – Andante
II. Allegro molto vivace
III. Adagio con espressione – Allegro vivace


Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op.52 Frédéric François Chopin (1842) (1810-1849)


INTERMISSION



Twelve Etudes Claude Debussy
(1915/16) (1862-1918)
No.1: pour les “cinq doigts”
No. 11: Arpéges composes



Sonata No. 6, Op.82 Sergey Prokofiev (1939) (1891-1953)


I will appreciate it if you can give me specific tips on playing these monstrous pieces, or know-hows of playing a succesful concert, or simply words of encouragement that I desperately need.

Help me!

-Tom

[LaVirtuosa]

i understand. i am also 15 and did a similar recital on 30.11.04. i had exams the same week. i didnt do any school work(then again, i never have...), but i didnt do much piano work either. it was a success though. sorry i couldnt offer any help.

[quasimodo]

That's indeed a monstruous program !!! Did you choose it by yourself or is it your teacher ? I find it a little bit ambitious for a very first time, but if you feel you're technically OK with the pieces, then go for it.

If you're nervous, that's normal, especially with such a program. Maybe it would be good to have a try playing some of the pieces with a "public" (friends, family) before the D-day.

Have you read the section about performance in Chang's book ? If you have not, I strongly recommend you to do so.

[ehpianist]

That sounds like a lovely program.  I have been talking in a different post about preparing psychologically for a performance, not only physically.  You cannot underestimate the importance of this, no matter how hard you practice, if you don't prepare your brain for the overly-stimulated situation you will be in there is way to much room for problems to ocurr.

I would recommend:

1) Practice the pieces in smaller and smaller sections, so you can eventually start any piece from virtually any measure (or every 2 or 3 measures).  This will keep you from having memory lapses as you will be able to start right away from the nearest measure.  You will have practiced for that.

2) How do you have your music memorized?  If someone gives you blank graph paper would you be able to write out the notes?  If you think about the music in your head do you have to see your hands moving about the keyboard?  If you do, you are relying almost exclusively on muscle memory which is the most fickle memory of all in a performance situation.  Every night between now and your concert date, while you lie in bed, choose a different movement to go through completely in your head.  Close your eyes and see every single note you play, both hands.  For example if it starts with a C major chord think to yourself "left hand CEGC right hand EGCE".  Do not do it picturing your hands, do it seeing the score. When you start out you might want to have your score nearby as this is not as easy as it sounds.  At first it will be very mentally tiring and it may take you even 10 minutes or more to do a page but as you do it every night you will get better and better and eventually you'll be able to do a movement in your head in less time than it takes to play.

3)Analyze the biggest harmonic shifts in each piece.  This will add yet another dimesion to your memory base so that you can latch on to the basic harmony of a section if you run into problems.

4) Visualize your performance:  about twice a week or more close your eyes, see yourself in the hall, wearing what you will be wearing, with the right shoes, the lights shining on the stage, the piano waiting for you and the audience  there as well.  Picture people you know will be there as well as other unkown faces.  If you start feeling nervous imagining this STOP the performance.  Now focus on a moment in your life when you felt something you did was the best thing in the world, filled youwith satisfaction, could be anything, passing an exam, doing a project that you thought was great, anything.  Let yourself get full of that feeling and once you think you have it and can control it, transfer it back to the image of your concert.  That is how youwill feel when you are there playing.  Satisfied, fulfilled.  Picture yourself walking on stage and sitting at the piano feeling this way, if you begin to lose it go back to the happy image and get it back.  Start playing your pieces at the performance in your mind, always focusing on the music you're creating, visualize you pleaying from that memory you hae cultivated, you know every note, no need for rushing. Maybe the pedal squeaks a little or maybe someone in the audience has a coughing fit, but none of this matters because you have this amazing feeling inside and the music is jut bringing it out. Do this every week before your actual performance and you will have performed your program completely, in front of an audience, and in control for  5 or 6 times before the actual one.  If you do it right, your brain won't know the difference.

5) a week to a week and a half efore your recital do a pre-recital at home for your family and close friends.  Performing pieces in public for the first time without ever having done a run through for a small group is a bad idea.  You will learn so much from that first time, and you ideally don't want it to be in front of the real audience. 

6) If for some reason you can't arrange a recital run-through at your home (or someone else's) then I suggest you record yourself all the time, from now until your performance.  Ideally both in audio and video.  knowing you are being recorded adds nerves to your playing at home and will give you an idea of what things are less secure.  Listen to your recordings and use that to show you what needs more work.

This may seem like a lot to do, but it can be done.  The main things are:
- create memory backups and practice consciously
- Perform in your head many times before the actual performance
- Get your program out in front of other people at least once before your recital.

Best of luck, I'm sure you will be fabulous!

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[shoenberg3]

That sounds like a lovely program.  I have been talking in a different post about preparing psychologically for a performance, not only physically.  You cannot underestimate the importance of this, no matter how hard you practice, if you don't prepare your brain for the overly-stimulated situation you will be in there is way to much room for problems to ocurr.

I would recommend:

1) Practice the pieces in smaller and smaller sections, so you can eventually start any piece from virtually any measure (or every 2 or 3 measures).  This will keep you from having memory lapses as you will be able to start right away from the nearest measure.  You will have practiced for that.

2) How do you have your music memorized?  If someone gives you blank graph paper would you be able to write out the notes?  If you think about the music in your head do you have to see your hands moving about the keyboard?  If you do, you are relying almost exclusively on muscle memory which is the most fickle memory of all in a performance situation.  Every night between now and your concert date, while you lie in bed, choose a different movement to go through completely in your head.  Close your eyes and see every single note you play, both hands.  For example if it starts with a C major chord think to yourself "left hand CEGC right hand EGCE".  Do not do it picturing your hands, do it seeing the score. When you start out you might want to have your score nearby as this is not as easy as it sounds.  At first it will be very mentally tiring and it may take you even 10 minutes or more to do a page but as you do it every night you will get better and better and eventually you'll be able to do a movement in your head in less time than it takes to play.

3)Analyze the biggest harmonic shifts in each piece.  This will add yet another dimesion to your memory base so that you can latch on to the basic harmony of a section if you run into problems.

4) Visualize your performance:  about twice a week or more close your eyes, see yourself in the hall, wearing what you will be wearing, with the right shoes, the lights shining on the stage, the piano waiting for you and the audience  there as well.  Picture people you know will be there as well as other unkown faces.  If you start feeling nervous imagining this STOP the performance.  Now focus on a moment in your life when you felt something you did was the best thing in the world, filled youwith satisfaction, could be anything, passing an exam, doing a project that you thought was great, anything.  Let yourself get full of that feeling and once you think you have it and can control it, transfer it back to the image of your concert.  That is how youwill feel when you are there playing.  Satisfied, fulfilled.  Picture yourself walking on stage and sitting at the piano feeling this way, if you begin to lose it go back to the happy image and get it back.  Start playing your pieces at the performance in your mind, always focusing on the music you're creating, visualize you pleaying from that memory you hae cultivated, you know every note, no need for rushing. Maybe the pedal squeaks a little or maybe someone in the audience has a coughing fit, but none of this matters because you have this amazing feeling inside and the music is jut bringing it out. Do this every week before your actual performance and you will have performed your program completely, in front of an audience, and in control for  5 or 6 times before the actual one.  If you do it right, your brain won't know the difference.

5) a week to a week and a half efore your recital do a pre-recital at home for your family and close friends.  Performing pieces in public for the first time without ever having done a run through for a small group is a bad idea.  You will learn so much from that first time, and you ideally don't want it to be in front of the real audience. 

6) If for some reason you can't arrange a recital run-through at your home (or someone else's) then I suggest you record yourself all the time, from now until your performance.  Ideally both in audio and video.  knowing you are being recorded adds nerves to your playing at home and will give you an idea of what things are less secure.  Listen to your recordings and use that to show you what needs more work.

This may seem like a lot to do, but it can be done.  The main things are:
- create memory backups and practice consciously
- Perform in your head many times before the actual performance
- Get your program out in front of other people at least once before your recital.

Best of luck, I'm sure you will be fabulous!

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

I'm truly appreciative of your considerate post and I feel honored to hear from such eminent musician.

Do you have any specific tips for my repertoire(esp. Beethoven and Chopin)?

[chromatickler]

The most obvious suggestion would be play as fast as youz physically able to. Apart from that, here's sum other useful tips:

Art of performing, Da SDC way: https://www.dasdc.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=806

[ehpianist]

Do you have any specific tips for my repertoire(esp. Beethoven and Chopin)?

I don't have the scores here with me now so I can't give you any specifics.  With the third movement of the Beethoven dont forget to relax the hand whenever you have chords and to use a lot of wrist rotation.

In the chopin, don't be afraid to breathe and take your time to make every not count.  Don't forget Rachmaninoff's littls secret, everything sounds faster when you can hear every note, even if played slightly slower.

And most of all

Breathe, breathe breathe with the music.

Do let me know how it went.

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[Skeptopotamus]

The Bach, Beethoven And Debussy shouldn't give you much trouble, but I would be worried about playing the Prokofiev 6 in my first recital.  That piece is at the top level of difficulty as far as I'm concerned, and at 15 I'm surprised you have such a mature taste in music, and such incredible playing skills.  As far as helpful hints goes, just try to take it one piece at a time.  Once you get out there and start playing you won't really be nervous any more.  Especially if you get a good reaction.  But as a word of warning, nothing is more offsetting that getting a bad reaction.  So make sure you are very good!

And again kudos on the Prokofiev Sonata No. 6   That thing is a beast.

[janice]

I suggest you record yourself all the time, from now until your performance.  Ideally both in audio and video.  knowing you are being recorded adds nerves to your playing at home and will give you an idea of what things are less secure. 

YES!!!  I am an absolute wreck when I record myself!!  This is excellent advice!

[Noah]

Very nice programme and very impressive for a 15-year-old! Do you have some recordings of yourself?

[shoenberg3]

how do you post music files?

[shoenberg3]

i don't have a recording of this repertoire but, if you're interested, have Prokofiev Sonata. 3 from two years ago. https://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?pid=469907&T=3726

[lostinidlewonder]

I think it is very important when doing your first concert especially, to do a number of smaller pieces as well which have some relation to one another. To me, it seems a little scattered playing only 2 of the debussy etudes then following it with the Prokofiev. I would remove the Prokofiev and play some more of the etudes for some structure at least.

The bach tocatta would be good to be coupled with a Fugue as well to give the definition of Bach music more bite for the audience. Any of his contrapunctus or 48preludes and fugues?

What about encore? What have you got ready.

[quixoticcafe]

Hey Lostinidlewonder,

FYI, The toccata in e minor (BWV 914) has and opening, a poco allegro, an adagio, an a concluding fugue. He is undoubtedly playing the whole work!
But you are right, he needs some 'breather pieces'! Not everything has to be fireworks!

[Brian Healey]

EHpianist has some great advice, so there's not much for me to say except this:

You might feel the need to practice all your music frantically in the day or two leading up to your recital, like cramming before a big test. I say resist the urge if you can, especially the day of the recital. They say that you should never study the day of an exam, and I think the same applies to performance. On days when I give a concert, I don't do much more than warm up at the piano, or if I do play something, it's not something from the program I'll be playing. Even up to a few days before the concert I'll pretty much stop practicing the concert pieces in the usual way. I'll only run through difficult sections of each piece very slowly. This works for me, maybe not as well for others, but at any rate, I would recommend not practicing on the recital day.

Good Luck,
Bri

[ehpianist]

Want to add one more thing.  The day of your concert, EXCERCISE!!!  Don't overdo it, but about 3-4 hours before you perform get your heartrate up for 15-30 minutes.  It will not tire you out and will even out your adrenline flow when you perform so you'll be able to focus more fully on the music.  Sounds strange, but it works.  I have proven it to myself seeral times.

How's the practicing coming?

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[shoenberg3]

well, it's too late to change the repertoire. 
My encores will be: Flight of the bumblebee (I fused Rach. transcription and the original version to make it interesting)
and
Chopin nocturne posthumus in C# minor

The practice is going decently, except that memorizing the first mov. of prok. sonata is proving to be pretty pesky. 

[ehpianist]

Hmmm...

Not to stress you out, but in the future you should have all your repertoire memorized at least a month before performance, otherwise the memory is way to fresh in your mind to be truly secure.

If you are still having a hard time with memory by the time the concert arrives Don't feel bad about playing with the scores.  Better safe than sorry.

Great encores.  The audience will love you!

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[shoenberg3]

it's not that i can't memorize the pieces, i, for more than 95%of times, manage to play it through. But very occasionally i have memory lapses in movement 1.

[Hmoll]

EH gives very good advice.

Also, it's probably too late to think about now for this upcoming performance, but you should think about performing some of the program in front of a smaller audience before hand.

Nice program, btw.

Good luck.

[lostinidlewonder]

I reckon you should also play through your concert on your own every day as many times as possible. You should also practice what you want to say between each peice, so play, then stand up and talk to a mirror or something, then sit down and continue. Do this as many times as possible then when it comes to the night it is easy.
2 months before a concert i am doing this every day. This is the only way to really ensure you play well and not leave it to luck or good fortune that you play well. This way ensures you give a solid peformance.
The preparation for what you want to say to your audience is just as important as the playing.

[johnnypiano]

Hi! Tom.

You have been given some fantastic advice and help from members of Piano Forum, some of it particularly useful for future recitals.  It would be worth downloading it all and keeping a file of the comments.

As the date is very near, the suggestion that you do some physical exercise  on the day of the concert is excellent; also, that you don’t play any part of your recital on the day of the concert.  Have you already been able to rehearse on the recital piano?

Good luck.  Play musically, wrap the music round you, and make your first piece really stunning - this will give you confidence for the rest of the programme.   

Can you give me a free ticket and the fare from London?   

Best wishes, John.

[brsmpianist]

You play quite well, are you planning on going to a specific music school after high school?  Best of luck at your recital!

[ehpianist]

Good luck today!  Remember to excercise, have a banana, and enjoy the music, that's why you do this!

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[shoenberg3]

sorry I couldn' t write about the concert before, i am still very much occupied with the 1/29 concert and other things going at my school.

The concert on the 22nd went pretty well. While I expected a nearly empty hall, somehow the word spread, and the entire hall was filled. I was quite happy when I saw that.  Bach went okay. Beethoven, I rushed a little bit during the Allegro. Chopin and Debussy were decent. But prokofiev! I was exhausted by then, and as a result, some parts of the 1mvt and 4mvt are a little sloppy. But audience responded well, and I am very happy.