Master's audition repertoire

[amadeus90]

Hello! I'm preparing a repertoire for a number of auditions in a year from now (mainly in US, UK, Germany and Austria). What do you think of the chosen pieces? Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and suggestions, because that would be really helpful! I'm an advanced pianist having graduated from Athens Conservatoire. Thank you in advance!!

Repertoire

Bach: Prelude and Fugue in B major, BWV 892 (Book II)
Scarlatti: Sonata k.517 in D minor
Beethoven: Sonata op.7
Chopin: Etude no 4, op.10
Debussy: Etude no 11 (or a Ligeti)
Schumann: Fantasiestücke, op.12
Babadjanian: Poem

[expressman70]

Honestly looks good to me. Make sure you follow directions to each schools requirements. But overall good. If 2 etudes are needed then thats good. I don't know if Debussy is better than Ligeti. I would maybe go with Ligeti as it seems like more of a serious set. But again Debussy might suffice as well.

[piulento]

Very great choices! Really brings out a wide range of musical aspects!
The only thing I think you should consider is adding more "introverted" pieces. The only things I see that are genuinely introverted are some parts of Schumann's fantasiestucke and the 2nd movement from the Beethoven sonata.
Maybe you should add something nice, slow, quiet and expressive.
Some example pieces that come to mind - Debussy's Prelude no. 4, Schubert's impromptu op. 142 no. 2, 3rd movement of Chopin's 3rd sonata, Rachmaninoff's prelude in G flat major, etc...
If you're really in the mood for something different, I can recommend the great russian-israeli composer - Jan Freidlin. One of his 3 serenades could be a good pick. Check him out:

Good luck!

[dicapriccioso]

I'm in the same position, deciding my masters audition programme.

I think it's a great audition programme, showing you as a scholar as well as a pianist. I especially like the Babadjanian for 20C.

I think it might be worth replacing Fantasiestucke with something else. It's a 20+minute piece, and they're probably gonna want to hear excerpts from a few, for which you might not want to spend so much time perfecting the entire set. If you already have a Brahms or Liszt that is 10 to 15 minutes, I would consider changing it, but it depends on you.

The Beethoven-Chopin Etude might be a bit too cliche as a set, especially if you're applying for masers. They are undergrad audition favorites as a set (along with Waldstein and Appasionata + 10-4), so I'd change one of them to a more mastersy one.

11 is my favorite Debussy etude, and I understand how this sort of allows you to cover practically every musical period, but I personally think that Ligeti might make the programme more interesting. I heard everyone's doing Lescalier for Juilliard these days tho, so might want to avoid that.

[amadeus90]

Well I have played the Dante Sonata and other Liszt's works but I think it might be too risky for auditions like Julliard etc. Yes, indeed Fantasiestucke is a long piece, but it is maybe less played than some of the Liszt or Brahms pieces (like 117, 118 or 119). But I would like to hear some suggestions regarding a romantic piece, 10-15' long. Julliard's audition requirements are:

Live Audition Repertoire

The entire audition program should reach a minimum of 60 minutes. Shorter programs may be subject to approval by the piano faculty.
1. Bach: Any major work. A prelude and fugue is acceptable. (No transcriptions permitted.)
2. One of the following:
  a. An entire sonata by Beethoven (excluding Opp. 14, 49, and 79), or
  b. One of the following Haydn sonatas: Hob. 20, 23, 32, 46, 49, 50, 52, or
  c. One of the following Mozart sonatas: K. 281, 284, 310, 332, 333, 457, 533, or 576, or
  d. One of the following Schubert sonatas: D. 568, 664, 784, 845, 850, 894, 958, 959, 960, or the       Wanderer Fantasie, D. 760.
3. A substantial composition by Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, or Mendelssohn. (Etudes, nocturnes, short dances, waltzes, or comparable pieces are not acceptable.)
4. Two virtuosic etudes:
  a. one by Chopin, and
  b. one by Bartók, Debussy, Ligeti, Liszt, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, or Stravinsky.
5. A substantial work, or a collection of shorter works, of the applicant’s choice which is:
  a. in a different style and by a composer other than those represented in the previous requirements, and
  b. not less than six minutes.

So, Chopin is required although it is a cliche as you note. If the no 4 op.10 isn't  a good one for a master's audition, then which one is..? Another option would be if I changed the Beethoven op.7 and picked a Haydn sonata instead. What do you think?