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Topic: Searching for a new piece  (Read 2700 times)

Offline irrational

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Searching for a new piece
on: January 07, 2016, 08:09:51 AM
Hi.

Many people here have listened to things that I haven't and I am looking for some options.
When I was around Grade 4 level my teacher had me start on Mozart Fantasia K.397. Now at grade 7 I enjoy the piece a lot and can actually pull off the fast runs.

I am looking for a piece to replace it's position. In other words, a grade 8+ piece. But looking at what I play now, I want something that focuses more on left-hand chords and perhaps a bit showy.
I have identified Rachmaninov Op.23 No.5 as a guide to what I am looking for, but my teacher has suggested Brahms Op.10 No.4. Its a lovely piece that I will definitely learn, but I am wondering what similar pieces are out there to look at. It doesn't have to be a Liszt or Chopin. I think I am looking for something Romantic period certainly, probably later romantic and very solid sounding if that makes sense. Something that will allow me to explore the sonority and tone of my piano. Schubert is a possible, but I think the music is too close to classical for what I want.

I am busy searching through Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Brahms at the moment.
Any interesting suggestions out there? I am finding it hard to find bits and pieces of Prokofiev and Kabalevsky. I am not a big fan of Schumann.
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Offline abbyes

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #1 on: January 07, 2016, 02:22:20 PM
Hey,

As you said you was searching through  Rachmaninoff, you should take a look ( If you havent ) to this etude :



It's very beautiful and "showy", but it may not fit at your description literally of "left-hand chords". Still a great piece if you liked prelude op 25 nš5.


If you're looking for romantic, post-romantic repertoire, you should take a look also to this unknow composer :



Looking also at post-romantic period, you have Scriabin, maybe his etudes or preludes...take  a look to this one :



Also, if you liked Brahms Ballde op. 10 n4, you should take a look to Brahms ballade op 118 n3 in G minor.

There are a lot of pieces that comes to my mind, but I do not know if they fit to what you want...as the last piece I'll suggest to you :



It's from Liszt dark and obscure period, the last period. This piece really helped me to learn about the sonority of the piano in more than a way, and also I learnt about pedaling....

Hope it helped you a bit at least...

Best wishes !

Offline abbyes

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #2 on: January 07, 2016, 02:24:00 PM
.

Offline irrational

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #3 on: January 07, 2016, 02:59:35 PM
Thank you!
I have actually encountered Taktakishvili before somewhere but did not hear the music. This is a really nice piece.

I don't know Scriabin really. His sonatas are not really my style, but that's no excuse. 8).
I know I should take more note of the etudes. Thanks for the reminder. This is a good etude and definitely worth exploring and taking some time to be able to play well for sure.
I have also wondered about Medtner and Glazunov, having heard some of their sonatas, but I haven't really started looking at them.
It seems for this project I am drawn to the Russian school. 8)

This Liszt I do know of course. Its quite delicious to be honest. I think I should revisit the options.

Brahms has thrown up quite a few pieces I liked so far.

Offline visitor

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #4 on: January 07, 2016, 04:32:16 PM
+1 to the Otar T poem. lovely work. i try to suggest and post it every chance i get. btw do listen to the piano concerto 1 by him, great piece too.

so far as a post romantic/neo romantic work with lovely colors and sonorities, do look at the Nier PC "Grandama", it's totally ' Chopinesque" in the A section, and the climax of the work, that groove B section is very Rachmaninoff/early Scriabin like. The harmonies have a bitter sweetness to them, 'nostalgic' even. If you go w something else, this is still a great piece to sprinkle in and work along side it. I learned it a couple years ago and still play through it now and then, i actually never got tired of it, which is rare when i work something up given how long i generally keep things in rotation.

Offline visitor

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #5 on: January 07, 2016, 04:42:09 PM
Gliere preludes are dope.

Offline visitor

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #6 on: January 07, 2016, 04:44:19 PM

Offline visitor

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #7 on: January 07, 2016, 04:52:11 PM
waltzes are great for left hand 'chord' work.  Have a look at Mignone's cycles of 12 each for the Valsa Brazileiras and Valsa's de Esquinas. Here are no 12 from ea lots to choose from





also have a look at another fav of mine for waltzes, Levitzki. We didn't get much from him , he died too soon, but what did make it out of him  on time is golden.

Offline abbyes

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #8 on: January 07, 2016, 08:01:08 PM
Thank you!
I have actually encountered Taktakishvili before somewhere but did not hear the music. This is a really nice piece.

I don't know Scriabin really. His sonatas are not really my style, but that's no excuse. 8).
I know I should take more note of the etudes. Thanks for the reminder. This is a good etude and definitely worth exploring and taking some time to be able to play well for sure.
I have also wondered about Medtner and Glazunov, having heard some of their sonatas, but I haven't really started looking at them.
It seems for this project I am drawn to the Russian school. 8)

This Liszt I do know of course. Its quite delicious to be honest. I think I should revisit the options.

Brahms has thrown up quite a few pieces I liked so far.

Yeah,  Otar T poem is such an incredibly work, I felt in love with it just with the very first 3 seconds of the piece haha.

To be honest, I do not really like Scriabin, just some of his etudes and preludes. I do not like his sonatas and I do not really know much more of his compositions ! :D But this etude, op 8 nš 12 is probably one of my favourite pieces :). I've not heard much of Glazunov, just a piano concerto and a violin concerto I think, but meh, I'm not very into it.

Yeah definetly, that's some russian school hahaha. Well my piano teacher once told me that when he was studying piano, russian method was applied so hard in the conservatories. He was strictly taught and he even had to learn russian !!

Gliere preludes are dope.



I really love those preludes, didnt know of him before. Thanks !

Offline irrational

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #9 on: January 13, 2016, 10:57:38 AM
It is a lot of fun looking for a new piece.
In my searches I found this I haven't heard before. Its way out of my league, but it really looks like a piece you can lose yourself in.
A large range with some very strong left hand to test sonority.

Liszt S224 - Csardas Macabre. Admirably performed by Zoltan Kocsis.

Offline aweshana21

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Re: Searching for a new piece
Reply #10 on: January 22, 2016, 02:45:59 AM
I recommend the Scrabin etude op2 no1
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