Works played by Piano Candidates in XV Int'l Tchaikovsky Competition

[symphonicdance]

Popular choices in Round 1

J.S. Bach WTC:
P&F in A minor BWV889 (from Bk II) - 5 candidates
4 other P&F's (BWV863, 867, 868 and 878) - each picked by 3 candidates

Classical Sonata:
Beethoven PS No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata" - 5 candidates
and Beethoven PS No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 - also 5 candidates
(Interestingly, none of the candidates who picked Mozart can move on to the next round.)

Chopin Etude:
Etude in G sharp minor, Op. 25 No. 6 - 8 candidates
Etude in B minor, Op. 25 No. 10 - 6 candidates

Liszt Etude:
No. 12 in B flat minor "Chasse-Neige" from Transcendental Etudes S.139 - 8 candidates
No. 8 in C minor "Wilde Jagd" from Transcendental Etudes S.139 - 5 candidates

Rachmaninoff Etude:
No. 5 in E flat minor from Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39 - 9 candidates
No. 9 in D major from Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39 - 6 candidates

Tchaikovsky work:
Meditation, Op. 72 No. 5 - 7 candidates
Dumka, Op. 59 - 5 candidates

[symphonicdance]

2nd round (recital part)

No particular works are hot picks.

The following works of designated Russian Composers (Balakirev, Glazunov, Medtner, Mussorgsky, Myaskovsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Shchedrin, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky) were chosen:

Medtner - Sonata in F minor, Op. 5
Prokofiev - Piano Sonata 6 in A major, Op. 82
Prokofiev - Piano Sonata 7 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (2 candidates)
Prokofiev - Piano Sonata 8 in B-flat major, Op. 84
Rachmaninov - Prelude in G-flat major, Op.23 No. 10
Rachmaninov - Piano Sonata 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36 (2nd edition)
Rachmaninov - Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42 (2 candidates)
Scriabin - Piano Sonata 4 in F-sharp major, Op. 30
Scriabin - Piano Sonata 5 in F-sharp major, Op. 53
Scriabin - Piano Sonata 7 (“White Mass”), Op. 64 (2 candidates)
Scriabin - Piano Sonata 10, Op. 70
Tchaikovsky - Valse de salon, Op. 51 No. 1
Tchaikovsky - Meditation, Op. 72 No. 5

None picked works of Balakirev, Glazunov, Mussorgsky, Myaskovsky, Shchedrin, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky.
(Also, here I do not include transcriptions of their works or on works by them).

***********************************

Other recital works include the following:-

Bach - Toccata in C minor, BWV 911
Bach-Busoni - Chaconne
Bacewicz - Piano Sonata No. 2
Beethoven - Piano Sonata 29 in B-flat major (Hammerklavier), Op. 106
Brahms - Piano Sonata 1 in C major, Op. 1
Brahms - Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel in B-flat major, Op.24
Chopin - Variations “La ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, in B flat major Op. 2
Chopin - Etudes in E major, C-sharp minor, G-flat major & E-flat minor, Op. 10, 3-6
Chopin - Piano Sonata 3 in B minor, Op. 58
Debussy - Des Pas sur la Neige from Preludes Livre I
Debussy - Feux d’Artifice from Preludes Livre II
Franck - Prelude, chorale and fugue, M. 21
Charles T. Griffes - Piano Sonata, A. 85
Haydn - Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI-48
Kapustin - Variations, Op. 41
Liszt - Petrarca Sonnet 123 from Annees de pelerinage, S. 161
Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 in C-sharp minor, S. 244 (cadenza by Rachmaninov)
Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody 12 in C-sharp minor, S. 244
Liszt - Totentanz, S. 525
Liszt-Busoni - Reminiscences de Don Juan based on Mozart’s opera
Messiaen. Regard de l’Eglise d’amour from Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jesus, Op. 20
Mendelssohn-Rachmaninov - Scherzo from the Incidental music to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Ravel - Gaspard de la nuit
Saint-Saëns –Liszt - Danse macabre (arr. by Vladimir Horowitz)
Scarlatti - Sonata in B minor, K. 27 (L. 449)
Schumann - Fantasy in C major, Op. 17
Schubert-Liszt - Aufenthalt
Schubert-Liszt - Liebesbotschaft
Schubert-Liszt - Der Muller und der Bach
Schubert-Liszt - Erlkonig
Stravinsky-Agosti - Danse infernale de tous les sujets de Kachtchei, Berceuse, and Finale from The Firebird

No candidates play the same works by the non-designated Russian composers.

[j_menz]

With a very few exceptions (very, very few) what a boringly predictable lot they seem.

[symphonicdance]

No Latin American and Spanish composers in the 2nd round at all.  Perhaps Russians don't like these styles of music.

[outin]

With a very few exceptions (very, very few) what a boringly predictable lot they seem.

Aren't they always?

But I truly enjoyed hearing the Medtner sonata

[visitor]

With a very few exceptions (very, very few) what a boringly predictable lot they seem.

Precisely
I really wish someone would bring some Akimenko, Gliere ,Alexandrov, Feinberg, and Eiges ( and many others ) to the table

[diomedes]

Nice to see Scriabin 7 getting recognition, along with some others of his. But why not 1, 6 or 8. As for the music they program, i'd certainly love to hear and play it. But they should consider Feinberg Sonatas and Medtner, it's not like these piano playing russian machines are too pansy for it.

The observation regarding Mozart is very humorous.

[mjames]

I find it cruel that the candidates are pretty much forced to play Tchaikovsky's dull works.

[j_menz]

I find it cruel that the candidates are pretty much forced to play Tchaikovsky's dull works.

Well, it is the Tchaikovsky competition, after all. 

And no-one is forced to enter.

And.... there's always Boris. 

[visitor]

Well, it is the Tchaikovsky competition, after all. 

And no-one is forced to enter.

And.... there's always Boris. 

+1
*w/ exception of the concert fantasy. that thing is jiggy, and probably has the greatest cadenza/solo interlude in the literature

Boris. yep.

[michael_sayers]

I find it cruel that the candidates are pretty much forced to play Tchaikovsky's dull works.

Which Tchaikovsky works are dull?


Mvh,
Michael

[visitor]

Which Tchaikovsky works are dull?


Mvh,
Michael

not sure i share that sentiment for all, but some are relatively 'blah', ie. the piano sonata could-should have been so much more.

i actually sorta like quite a few. i learned the Dumka in post bacc/advanced private study, and enjoyed it.

i have a recording of earl wild playing this piece (cannot post it) but the scherzo in neat

but yea a lot of the standard fair does fall short. transcriptions of his pieces are by and far much more exciting

ie

[symphonicdance]

2nd Round (Mozart Piano Concerto)

One of the following to be performed.
No. 9 in E-flat major, K. 271
No. 12 in A major, K. 414
No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
No. 21 in C major, K. 467
No. 23 in A major, K. 488
No. 24 in C minor, K. 491
No. 27 in B-flat major, K. 595

3 picked No 20 in D minor (incl. 2 finalists), and
3 picked No 23 in A minor (incl. 1 finalist)

All these concertos were all performed at least once, i.e. each was picked by at least candidate.

[mjames]

I seriously hope that after this, Lukas Geniusas will be content with his accomplishments. I mean being a finalist in several prestigious competitions is a good thing.

[visitor]

I seriously hope that after this, Lukas Geniusas will be content with his accomplishments. I mean being a finalist in several prestigious competitions is a good thing.

immediately heard this in my head as i read that 

[pytheamateur]

I find it cruel that the candidates are pretty much forced to play Tchaikovsky's dull works.

What's wrong with the Seasons? Anyone played them in the competition? Or are they considered to be too easy?

[blackonwhite]

The only selection from the seasons I remember was the barcerole

[pytheamateur]

I'm learning that piece now. As it is so popular, I find it challenging to play well.