HELP! Masters Repertoire Choice

[dicapriccioso]

Hi guys,

I'm a 2nd year piano student.

I was looking for repertoires for my masters application both for US and UK.
The American ones are quite straightforward, but the UK ones are just like,
"Hey just give us a 60-minute concert programme and we'll choose."
So I was wondering if I can basically have a programme like

Bach WTC/Partita
Classical Sonata
Romantic Work
20C

1. ETUDES: Should/Can I include etudes as well for UK?
For American universities, they typically require 2, so I'm thinking about Scriabin Op.42 No.5 because this is my favourite etude of all time and one Chopin, probably among the one's I've done before (Op.10-1,4,8; Op.25-6,10). I'd love to do 25-11 but a friend of mine said that's a sh*t audition piece. (Don't know why.) What do you think?

2. ROMANTIC: I'm going to do a Liszt piece, since I haven't played any Brahms, and my teacher said I'm okay at Chopin but not great. I've done Mendelssohn Rondo Capriccioso, but that's not an audition piece, and I like variation serieuse, but I'd rather do Totentanz if variations are okay for auditions. I've done his Spanish Rhapsody, Hungarian Rhapsody 6, Transcendental Etude 8, 10, Paganini 3,4,6. My teacher's not very picky about the romantic work and she just goes like, "it's more about how you play than what you play" so I'd greatly appreciate if someone can just tell me honestly if it's alright. What would be a good Liszt piece for audition?
My top picks are:
A. Totentanz (I'd love to do this one, but is it too little music and too much technique?)
B. Mephisto Waltz
C. Spanish Rhapsody
D. Dante Sonata (Not a big fan of this piece and it's too long but it might be the one with the most contemplation amongst my pick)
E. Ballade 2

Also, what do you think about Ballade 4 or Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise? I like the former and my teacher seems to like the latter, and I was thinking that they would be overplayed, but my teacher told me most of the romantic audition pieces would be overplayed anyway, which I think is a fair point.

3. CLASSICAL: I will start learning Waldstein as my next sonata, and my teacher says it's overplayed but would be a safe audition piece. She told me to avoid all the late sonatas and the super-popular named ones except Waldstein, Les Adieux, and Appassionata. I was thinking about Mozart K576 (the last one) because it's shorter so that I can put more stuff into my UK Audition programme. She says Beethoven is a lot safer, but that I can try learning it sometimes next term and see how it goes. Any ideas?

4. CONTEMPORARY: I really want to do Kapustin Etudes or Variation but I know maybe he's not a top pick for college auditions. So I was thinking Gargoyles by Liebermann, because you know, how can you not like that piece. My teacher wants me to do Boulez Sonata No. 1 or something by Schoenberg, especially if I'm going to play Liszt for romantic.

Sorry for the long question, and thanks in advance!

[visitor]

will comment more later but on the 'etude' or 20th c/ why not include Bartok etudes, ie

this would be jiggy at the graduate level

[iamazombie911]

For the contemporary maybe you could do stravinsky petrouchka, that's a good 15-20 min.

[ewalker1]

I can probably give better suggestions on what to avoid, rather than what to play...

Bach WTC/Partita - You're probably okay with whatever you pick here

Classical sonata - Avoid: Waldstein, Appassionata, Moonlight, Pathetique, Haydn last 3 sonatas...because it will probably be the 11th time the faculty has heard those pieces that day already. Whereas, if you turn up with something like, the Beethoven op 7, op 10/3, op 28 sonatas or even something by CPE Bach, it shows more initiative and interest in repertoire.

Romantic work - Avoid: Chopin ballades, 2nd scherzo...same reason as above. Generally, in this category, choose something which isn't just technique and fortissimo double octaves creating a lot of noise. Rather something that is exceptional musically. I'd suggest something like: Chopin: Fantasie, Polonaise-Fantasie, Barcarolle. Liszt: one of the longer études, either ballade, Hungarian rhapsody no 12, petrach sonnets. Or about études: maybe you could bring 3 contrasting études...in the UK they're not going to care too much about the specifics, they will just pick what they want to hear, whether you've brought études or not.

Scriabin could fit in either romantic or 20th century, depending on the piece.

20th century - Avoid: anything for prepared piano..that wouldn't go down well. I'd recommend something by: Busoni, Prokofiev, Bartók, Ligeti (études!), Hindemith, Shostakovich, Messiaen, Kabalevsky.

Good luck!

[irrational]

For Classical I would second Beethoven op 10/3.
I would also look at Clementi perhaps as something different. But I don't know his sonatas that well yet to give a specific opus number. Op. 40/2 (I love this one) or 3 perhaps?

Romantic alternative is Smetana Czech Dances. Very interesting and difficult.

For 20c and something different, Martinu Czech Dances (H154) are great . But I would certainly look at Kabalevsky and Bartok. Barber sonata op.26?

[suethemoon]

I honestly think if you have a piece that's going to be overplayed in auditions by other people, only play it if you know it's at a high standard compared to others and have something special to offer. This really applies to the romantic works as many auditions will overlap.

The reason why your teacher believes Beethoven is safer is most likely the fact Mozart will be criticized very heavily if you do not have the clarity and tonal colours that match with it.

In general I would choose a balanced programme of both overplayed (only those that are of a high standard) and underplayed (to show variety) works.
Remember, well played common repertoire >>>>>> well played less common repertoire.

[visitor]

Hi guys...

3. CLASSICAL: I will start learning Waldstein as my next sonata, and my teacher says it's overplayed but would be a safe audition piece. She told me to avoid all the late sonatas and the super-popular named ones except Waldstein, Les Adieux, and Appassionata. I was thinking about Mozart K576 (the last one) because it's shorter so that I can put more stuff into my UK Audition programme. She says Beethoven is a lot safer, but that I can try learning it sometimes next term and see how it goes. Any ideas...

Love Dussek abd Hummel for classical.
Ie

[visitor]

20th cent. Middle length work . This dude's music totally rocks