On the "b" word in diploma programs...

[thorn]

Can we talk about this 'balance' thing that crops up when preparing for a diploma?

Ignoring all forum threads and actually reading the Trinity syllabus, you have...

'a minimum of two works...displaying a range of moods, styles and tempi' (p.10)

Then in the marking criteria (p.89), 'Programme, Notes and Presentation Skills' count for 10%.
'Balance' is one of 5 criteria within this 10% (so theoretically counting for 2%).

So why all the pressure for candidates to present repertoire they are not comfortable with?

From a personal perspective I am not strong in Baroque or Classical repertoire at all. Surely a strong performance of Romantic and 20/21 century repertoire that takes a gamble on the 2% balance criteria is better than a half strong-half weak performance of all four periods that secures the 2% balance criteria?

The last two professional recitals I attended have been Debussy-Schumann-Ravel-Stravinsky and the one before that Liszt-Rachmaninoff-Liszt. Both perfectly balanced. Balance is more than the date on the score.

Thoughts?

[rzewskiing]

I don't think there is necessarily pressure in terms of comfort with repertoire. I'm certainly not that comfortable with stuff like Bach and for my ABRSM diploma I decided to go with Brahms G minor Rhapsody, Beethoven's Op. 90 Sonata, Ravel's Sonatine and a March by Khrennikov; never been told it should be more balanced despite only really spanning two periods.

I think you're right in that people seem to think that for a program to be 'balanced' it should go Baroque piece, Classical, Romantic then late Romantic/Modern. But I do think you can achieve balance in opting for more comfortable rep and striving for balance within that. I mean if you were to place stuff from Prokofiev's neo-classical period and then do like the war sonata I'm sure it wouldn't sound too samey

[michael_sayers]

Hi Thorn,

At first I thought you were going to post about Bach, Beethoven and Brahms [the "three 'b's"]!

One thing which I think you may discover is that sometimes music one isn't comfortable with becomes more comfortable and even appealing with the elapse of large spans of time.


Mvh,
Michael

[thorn]

Luckily there are a lot of pianists out there who are comfortable with Bach, Beethoven and Brahms