College Audition Repertoire

[anfieldstuff]

Hello everyone,
I'm an aspiring pianist and would like to major in piano performance at undergraduate level from one of the top music schools in the US. However, I'm a bit confused in the repertoire that is required for the auditions. I would be greatly thankful for any help provided. I'm 15 years old, self-teaching myself now and have to audition in January 2017. I'm thinking of learning the following pieces:

- Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B Minor- Book 1 WTC (Learnt and memorised)
- Ballade 1- Chopin (just started learning)
- Chopin Étude No. 9 Op. 10 (Is it too easy from judges point of view- should I try something more challenging?)
- Scriabin- Étude 2 (Just started learning)
- I'm thinking of learning Beethoven's 4th sonata or Mozart's 14th.. Any other pieces I should rather try?

Please advise me on which pieces I must choose for my auditions. Thanks a lot.

[verqueue]

You should get a teacher for this repertoire, especially if it's your first Ballade by Chopin. I think the Etude by Chopin is fine, but you should change Etude by Scriabin for more "etiudish" work. Try some etudes from op. 8 by Scriabin, or Etudes by Liszt or Rachmaninoff. Don't you need some conterporary work too?

Mozart's C minor sonata is overplayed a little, so Beethoven's Sonata would be better in my opinion.


I don't think that playing one repertoire for two years would be good for your progress. You have to be able to learn new big repertoire very quickly when studying piano performance.

[anfieldstuff]

I've learnt 4-5 preludes and fugues from WTC, the 6th and 5th partitas and a couple of Mozart sonatas, mazurkas, nocturnes, etc. so far.. And it is hard to find good teachers in India, where I live.

Thanks a lot for your reply.
I'll look for some other pieces to try. Are you quite sure though that the étude no. 9 is alright?

[verqueue]

Are you quite sure though that the étude no. 9 is alright?

Usually Etudes op. 10 no 3, no 6 and op. 25 no 7 are not considered as Etudes at auditions. Of course you should be learn more Etudes by Chopin, to be able to manage your studies later. It's better to learn for example three Etudes and then choose the best.


I'm truly sorry that you can't find a teacher . It will be very hard to learn such repertorie alone. I'm on my own too, now. Maybe you can have some consultations with some teacher in other city? There must some music university in your country. Even a lesson once month or two will give you very much. You can also try to record yourself.

[anfieldstuff]

I need to study as well since I'm planning to do a dual degree as a matter of fact. So, I have around 2 hrs practice time a day

[anfieldstuff]

Could you please recommend me some good contemporary pieces as well?

[anfieldstuff]

Also, must I be preparing a harder Beethoven sonata like the Hammerklavier or Waldstein or is a relatively easier one like No. 4 or No. 8 ok?

[alistaircrane4]

For your Beethoven you should go with a less frequently performed one but still known. My personal favorite is The eighteenth sonata nicknamed "the hunt". Other good ones would be the seventh and the twelfth. As for the etude perhaps something a little more virtuoso. Like op.10 no.11 also 25.1 is beautiful. For contemporary the normally say works from the twentieth century so you can get away with Rachmaninov preludes op.23 which is what I do. Or if it is work from the past fifty years Cohen's scherzo by Gary Schymann is my suggestion.

[anfieldstuff]

OK, thanks. What do you think of the 4th sonata, though? Also, is my selection of the fugue and prelude alright?
Any good Mozart or Haydn sonatas you would recommend please?
How about Nouvelle Etude No. 1- virtuoso enough?

[alistaircrane4]

OK, thanks. What do you think of the 4th sonata, though? Also, is my selection of the fugue and prelude alright?
Any good Mozart or Haydn sonatas you would recommend please?
How about Nouvelle Etude No. 1- virtuoso enough?

The Grand sonata is very nice and is a nice choice. The prelude and fugue are also good but I am very biased as b-minor is my second favorite key. But it should suffice. I personally do not like Mozart so I know only a handful of his work but as for Haydn I do recommend the fourty-sixth and thirty-first sonatas. Do they have to be large sonatas? If not then Scarlatti K-27 is beautiful. As for the etude no that would not suffice. As beautiful as they are the Nouvelle etudes are far from virtuoso. Op.10 no.5,Op.25 no.2, Op.25 no.5 are also good recommendations.

[anfieldstuff]

My goodness.. Its going to be hard learning those études. I started to learn Op. 10 No. 9 and am struggling with the left hand. I'm learning on my own btw. Any tips on how to learn the etudes step by step? Also, is no. 9 too easy and un-virtuoso for the audition?

[alistaircrane4]

My goodness.. Its going to be hard learning those études. I started to learn Op. 10 No. 9 and am struggling with the left hand. I'm learning on my own btw. Any tips on how to learn the etudes step by step? Also, is no. 9 too easy and un-virtuoso for the audition?

those arent very difficult I tried to select easy ones. No.9 is nice musically but technically it is among the easiest and isnt very impressive technically speaking. I cannot give direction for all of them but if you select one I can help.

[anfieldstuff]

Ok, lets say no. 11 or no. 5 from opus 10?

I find no. 9 very hard itself tbh

[alistaircrane4]

Ok, lets say no. 11 or no. 5 from opus 10?

I find no. 9 very hard itself tbh

Being that you have until 2017 to learn pieces you have so much time to do much harder yet more substantial pieces. Two years is enough to learn all the transcendental etudes and much more. You should try harder rep. The ballade is good but if you have so much time learn it as it should take at least a week and a half. Learn more romantic works. Substantial romantic works could be things like Schumann op.9, Tchaikovsky op.37,Schumann op.16 and much more

[verqueue]

Ok, lets say no. 11 or no. 5 from opus 10?

I find no. 9 very hard itself tbh

No 9 is one of the easiest unfortunetetely. Try some Cortot exercises. What fingering do you use? What is the problem?

[j_menz]

No 9 is one of the easiest unfortunetetely.

No.9 is nice musically but technically it is among the easiest and isnt very impressive technically speaking.

Perhaps you might consider why it is one people regularly butcher, then. 

There's more to this than just hitting the notes, you know. Much as it may surprise you, Chopin actually had a point to including it.

[verqueue]

Perhaps you might consider why it is one people regularly butcher, then. 

There's more to this than just hitting the notes, you know. Much as it may surprise you, Chopin actually had a point to including it.

I was refering to OP technicall problems with that one. My point was that he shouldn't do harder etudes, if he has a problem with that one. I didn't discouraged OP from playing that one on auditions, so why this surly comment? And definitely I didn't pry open value of this Etude. I consider this one as one of the easiest etudes, because it took me less time to bring it to performance level than the others.

[anfieldstuff]

I'm also trying the Schubert 13 variations in a minor.. By the way, I get only 12 hours of practice time per week.. I'm preparing for engineering entrance exam in India as backup too. It has been a week since I started the ballade and I feel its going to take me several months to properly learn it.

[anfieldstuff]

To tell the truth, I've been only practicing seriously for a year and have never worked much on technique and stuff like that. I use 5-3-1-4-1-1 for the left hand fingering of Etude op. 10 no. 9..

[verqueue]

To tell the truth, I've been only practicing seriously for a year and have never worked much on technique and stuff like that. I use 5-3-1-4-1-1 for the left hand fingering of Etude op. 10 no. 9..

I used 5-4-1-4-1-4, especially at the main theme. It seems awkward at the first, but works very well later, in faster tempo. The fourth finger should be a scaffolding for hand movement. Pay attention to your thumb, if it has any tension it cause problems with 4 and 5 finger.

[anfieldstuff]

Oh ok.. I think I'll start learning the Black Keys etude now then. Is 2 hrs practice a day enough to get through the auditions?

[verqueue]

Oh ok.. I think I'll start learning the Black Keys etude now then. Is 2 hrs practice a day enough to get through the auditions?

It depends on your level and many other factors. I practiced 6 hours before my auditions - 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. I had a small breaks every hour of practice. But I prepared my audition repertoire in 6 months and I had an experience with bigger repertoire before.

[eduardom]

The ballade is good but if you have so much time learn it as it should take at least a week and a half.

1 week and a half to learn the 1st chopin ballade?? what

[anfieldstuff]

Haha i was thinking the same. Perahia himself took 2 years to learn it!

[eduardom]

its  a very difficult piece, both musically and technically, but in 2 years you can definetly learn it!

[alistaircrane4]

Haha i was thinking the same. Perahia himself took 2 years to learn it!

That is because that is his pace. Helene Grimaud took only two or three weeks to learn both the Chopin Bflat minor sonata as well as the Rachmaninoff Bflat minor sonata. One and a half weeks was my pace so I may have been presumptuous. Sorry about that but we all learn at different paces a piece like the nocturne in c-sharp op post. took me less than a day to learn and have concert ready. So that is why I approximated.

[eduardom]

you must have a huge repertoire if you can learn one piece each day 

[alistaircrane4]

you must have a huge repertoire if you can learn one piece each day 

I wouldnt say huge. I am very strict in my playing and piece selection. But a piece a day is only for simple pieces. But I do learn quickly though I am not sure why myself.

[dcstudio]

to the OP

your performance is only part of your audition.  You will also take a theory test, be asked to sight read--possibly sight-sing as well--and usually you will be given a melody to harmonize on sight. Prepare for these elements as well.

might be a good idea--since you are without a teacher--to post recordings of your pieces here on PS.  Though critics here can be harsh--they will tell you the truth about your playing.

as for your 20th century piece--I like the 3 fantastic dances by Shostakovich --- check them out.

[emill]

Hello everyone,
I'm an aspiring pianist and would like to major in piano performance at undergraduate level from one of the top music schools in the US. However, I'm a bit confused in the repertoire that is required for the auditions. I would be greatly thankful for any help provided. I'm 15 years old, self-teaching myself now and have to audition in January 2017. I'm thinking of learning the following pieces:

- Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B Minor- Book 1 WTC (Learnt and memorised)
- Ballade 1- Chopin (just started learning)
- Chopin Étude No. 9 Op. 10 (Is it too easy from judges point of view- should I try something more challenging?)
- Scriabin- Étude 2 (Just started learning)
- I'm thinking of learning Beethoven's 4th sonata or Mozart's 14th.. Any other pieces I should rather try?  Please advise me on which pieces I must choose for my auditions. Thanks a lot.   

Before anything else, one has to get invited for a live audition and a reasonably well-made DVD of your repertoire should be recorded. This should be a full body shot showing clearly your feet/shoes and hands/fingers. The effort poured into making the DVD creates good vibes and impression into one's seriousness and interest.  I could just imagine where a noisy and unsteady DVD recording will end up.

Since it is your aim to enter a top school which I assume will be either Julliard, Curtis, Eastman, NEC, Oberlin, Peabody, Manhattan, Mannes etc... etc. to name some.. your chances would be enhanced if you were to be guided or coached by an excellent and experienced teacher with regards to your repertoire. This is not to discourage you or dampen your efforts at being self taught, but you should bear in mind that you will be up against the top students from Asia (China, Korea & Japan) and Europe who have prepared all their lives, have sterling credentials and have been coached by excellent teachers. In Eastman, only about two hundred of the few thousands who send their DVDs are invited for a live audition and about 3 dozen are accepted for piano.

I am sure the teachers here will advice you as to the pieces you choose, but some top schools will require you to include in your prescreening DVD one (1) virtuoso concert etude by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff,  Scriabin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, or Bartok. Generally they will not accept or consider the slow tempo etudes like the Chopin Op 10 #3, Op 10 #6, Op 25 #7, Rachmaninoff Op 39 #2 or Debussy Etude No. 11.

GOOD LUCK and BEST wishes on your musical journey.

[anfieldstuff]

Guys, could you please take a look at my video of Mozart's sonata 10 and give feedback and in addition also assess my chances at one of those top conservatories that offer dual degree like Bienen. Eastman, NEC, UMich, Peabody etc.?

[pencilart3]

Did you choose to play Etude 10/5? It's a really fun one, I'm playing it too!

How is everything going with your pieces? Have you found a teacher?

BTW, here's a chart I made for the best Chopin etudes for people for start with (just for future reference  ):

If you're good at right hand single-note agility: 10/5, 25/2

If you have big hands: 10/3, 10/9, 10/11, 25/1, 25/5

If you're good at left hand single-note agility: 10/12

Easier ones overall: 10/6, 25/7

Sounds easy but is actually HARD: 10/7, 10/8, 10/10, 25/3, 25/9

INSANE (proceed at your own risk): 10/1, 10/2, 10/4, 25/4, 25/6, 25/8-12