Your Favorite Encores!

[brillante]

My favorite would be Chopin's first ballade.

Surely there are tons of them out there that I could have named off...but what are your favorite encores?

[markh13]

With respect, I wouldn't have said that any of the Ballades are encore material...

For me, a good encore needs to be short, and either particularly beautiful or very showy/technical and fun. I think it also helps if the piece is not commonly performed.

Some encores I've either used, or am thinking about using:

• Rachmaninoff: 18th Variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (transc. piano)
• Hough: Favourite Things
• Piazzolla: Milonga del Angel
• Chopin: Waltz No.1 in Bb
• Mompou: Cancon No.6 (as used by Michelangeli)

Would be interested in other people's experiences of encores that have gone down well?

[thalbergmad]

With respect, I wouldn't have said that any of the Ballades are encore material...

The idea that they could be treated as such i find horrific.

Thal

[visitor]

With respect, I wouldn't have said that any of the Ballades are encore material...


Would be interested in other people's experiences of encores that have gone down well?

+1
and as for my own thought, I picked up the score (arr is by none other than Oscar Levant) for this for that type of thing, short, fun, encorey
   haven't had a performance yet to be able to pull it out  but i do plan to stick it in my coat pocket for those type of thingies in the future.

[rexnova]

With respect, I wouldn't have said that any of the Ballades are encore material...

For me, a good encore needs to be short, and either particularly beautiful or very showy/technical and fun. I think it also helps if the piece is not commonly performed.

Some encores I've either used, or am thinking about using:

• Rachmaninoff: 18th Variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (transc. piano)
• Hough: Favourite Things
• Piazzolla: Milonga del Angel
• Chopin: Waltz No.1 in Bb
• Mompou: Cancon No.6 (as used by Michelangeli)

Would be interested in other people's experiences of encores that have gone down well?

La Campanella! People love it

[verqueue]

I liked to play as an encore Etude d sharp minor op. 8 no 12 by Scriabin - it's short and full of emotions. I also used to play as an encore Etude c sharp minor op. 42 no 5 by Scriabin, but only when my last piece at recital wasn't very demanding technically.

[jlskiles]

My personal favorite is Rachmaninoff's prelude in b flat Op. 23 no. 2

[brillante]

No, that ballade isn't...I didn't think about the length .

Other encore pieces I like are the Scriabin or Chopin etudes such as: Op.8 No.12 for Scriabin and Op.10 No.5 for Chopin.

Personally, i just like that ballade.

[markh13]

Couldn't agree with you more, the 1st Ballade is an immense piece of music!

And yes, I'd say Scriabin is a very good choice for an encore - interesting, underplayed and very musical...

[amytsuda]

Do you guys know the story? Rachmaninoff was so sick of his Prelude in C Sharp Minor overplayed in encores. His student was excited that Rachmaninoff came to his concert, he told that he plans to play Prelude in C Sharp Minor for an encore. Rachmaninoff said "if you play it, I'll leave". The concert was successful, the student was excited to launch his Encore. He proudly strikes A, and G#, and saw a big guy stands up in the audience, so from that C#, he switched to Chopin Impromptu No. 4.

[markh13]

I'd heard a different version of the same story - a famous concert pianist (can't remember who) was giving a recital, and Rachmaninoff was attending... The pianist struck the A and G# then switched into the Fantasie Impromptu as a kind of wind-up to the composer...

Not sure how accurate/true that is though!

[stringoverstrung]

The idea that they could be treated as such i find horrific.

Thal

And yet to my surprise I once experienced it on a concert of Pletnev: he played the 1st ballade as an encore. It felt not only like an insult  to Chopin but also to myself as it hit me like:
"here you spoiled CD generation here is what you want. Let's get it done and over with!" and after that he disappeared but apparently the crowd loved it and gave a standing ovation to what to my mind was a mediocre performance to Pletnev's standards  and there I sat alone in my chair wandering...

This actually happened a long time ago.

[markh13]

and as for my own thought, I picked up the score (arr is by none other than Oscar Levant) for this for that type of thing, short, fun, encorey
   haven't had a performance yet to be able to pull it out  but i do plan to stick it in my coat pocket for those type of thingies in the future.

Perfect encore piece! Thanks for posting.

[thorn]

I wish I could play Chopin's First Ballade as 'mediocrely' as Pletnev...

[pianist1976]

he disappeared but apparently the crowd loved it and gave a standing ovation to what to my mind was a mediocre performance to Pletnev's standards  and there I sat alone in my chair wandering...

Fortunately even the greatest pianists are also human and they have also good and not so good days, or even in the same recital they can be uneven (forgive the repetition, LOL), and that's really comforting for the rest of us. Anyway there's something that audience always appreciate in my opinion, even on a not round or even an unfortunate rendition, and that is bravery. Also the standard of what is a "mediocre" or "unfortunate" interpretation by these concert pianists is quite different from other people as you well said.

[visitor]

would make a lovely little pallet cleanser post applause after a heavy/rich program 

[visitor]

Perfect encore piece! Thanks for posting.

you're welcome, and although not 'easy' it is not unnecessarily difficult (I especially love these 'pianist arrangements'' as they typically totally make sense from a mechanics perspective). score is scare but not impossible to find, highly recommend picking it up if you come across it (out of print so used/vintage shops and dealers is the way to go). 

[jlskiles]

I also like to use some of Chopin's small, lesser known works published posthumously. For example, the Feuille D'album in E. Its short, pretty, not overplayed, and the audience likes it.

[goldentone]

would make a lovely little pallet cleanser post applause after a heavy/rich program  

Yes, one I would choose for some lovely pitter-patter on the keys (if I were encorey) to avoid duress. My favorite edition is on apricot paper which is easy on the eyes.  But out of print ages ago.

[chopinlover01]

Rachmaninoff Moment Musical in E minor, Op 16/4

[visitor]

I don't think enough Bach is ever done for encores.  It is decidedly more risky many times than he showy stuff but I am way more impressed when a artist goes this route vs others etudes etc. Here is. A lovely transcription by Cortot that lends itself well to this sort of dealy

[thalbergmad]

My piano teacher once played the Horowitz/Liszt/Saint-Saens Dance Macabre as an encore at the Wigmore Hall. A bit long, but it brought the bloody house down.

Thal

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Even though it wasn't the encore at this particular event, I've used this a few times and it works a treat..

[visitor]

i love this for how she is able to engage and have the audience help in the middle of the piece! never get tired of her playing. she's so versatile.

[stevensk]

I use to play

1) Embreacable you  (Earl Wild)
2) Scriabin op 11 no 11
3) Ravel  sonatina mov1
4) Chopin op 10 no4