Piano Concerto Practice

[superman1980]

Hi guys,
I have a competition in around two weeks and I'm playing Gershwin's concerto. Do you think I could get it ready by then? I can practice around 6 hours a week, it is not memorized, I haven't practiced with an accompanist, and the technique and polishing is 50% down.
Thanks for your input.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I don't doubt that you can get the technique down by then.

The problem is playing with an accompanist.  It COMPLETELY throws you off.

If you have a part like 80% down, it's really like 50% with an accompanist.  Depending on the part.

So right now you say your technique is like 50% down right?  It's really more like 30%.

Start rehearsing with an accompanist NOW.

[visitor]

Just try to focus on continuity
 You simply dont have the time to work small detail work.
you need to coordinate crash and burn plans w the accompanist.
also given your predicament
1. Hopefully they have accompanied this piece before, a lot.
2. Shedule no less than 3 mock perfmances over next 12 days or 3 to 4 days apart.for each, even if just for other students, teachers, friends, family or free concerts to strangers anything to get warm bodies in the seats., if not possible, record them w knowledge you will share them online/publically or to friends teacher.
 

consider postponing or pulling out of competition if its not stage ready 1.5 weeks

i have had only so so to disasterous results  when i was not as best as i could be 2 weeks out, that is when planning, my professors school jury panels had policy of they  decided that for formal recital, jury, competition, a hearing is scheduled 15 days from date of performance, if not ready or say 90 percent there, i was not allowed to proceed or it was proceed witu caution and do whatever it takes ( a few times i had to skip classes and even sleep in the practice room so i could wake up and play in middle of the night after building closed, so use an alarm close and when you sleep wake up every 2-3 hrs and practice 30 minutes, then sleep, do it again). 
i would usually be forced to reschedule, or like said above  let pretty much everything else in my life fall to the side to do literaly piano every moment i was not eating sleeping or resting.
 On my own later, whenever i deviated from that standard, it never went well.
i hope you have the option to post pone.or withdraw as skipping out on other things can have some serious consequences (i have had to fail academic exams, and skip important family holidays and vacations to stay behind and practice-this approach if for you absolutwly must perform no matter what scenarios but be sure you are willing and able to make those sacrifices to personal life- you essentially disapear for a couple weeks and you run risk of failing classes or or if you work youll need to use any time off you have or discuss a temporary leave  if that is an option),

Or perhaps you can enter another compeition so you have some breathing room. Two weeks out you should feel comfortable and confident you can play the req lit any day from now till then and nail it either 9 of 10 timeas or play it 10 of 10 times at 90% there for tech and music expession.
if above is simply not an option you may need to remove a time limit on practice and do as much as it takes daily to meet daily mini requirements to ensure it is ready on your end and with accompanist no less than 3 days out, otherwise you run the risk of creating a scenario where you dont have mastery enough of the piece to control for unanticipated distractions and nerves day of, let alone mastery to the pioint of being able to play a sufficient standard  place in top 2.

good luck

[jimroof]

Hi guys,
I have a competition in around two weeks and I'm playing Gershwin's concerto. Do you think I could get it ready by then? I can practice around 6 hours a week, it is not memorized, I haven't practiced with an accompanist, and the technique and polishing is 50% down.
Thanks for your input.

I think you would be making a mistake to rush this.  If your technique is not solid two weeks out from the competition then the chances are the musicality is months away from being mature enough to convince anyone that you really know the work.  If this competition is worth entering then that would mean its judges are astute enough to know what is going on when you start to play... and the real chinks in the armor (the music) is likely to stick out like a sore thumb.  OTOH, if this is some small competition that means little, the judges may be less picky. 

[visitor]

I think you would be making a mistake to rush this.  If your technique is not solid two weeks out from the competition then the chances are the musicality is months away from being mature enough to convince anyone that you really know the work.  If this competition is worth entering then that would mean its judges are astute enough to know what is going on when you start to play... and the real chinks in the armor (the music) is likely to stick out like a sore thumb.  OTOH, if this is some small competition that means little, the judges may be less picky. 

totally agree.
OP should decide if worth the potentially herculean effort and extra anxiety/stress of it call only to end up at a noncompetitive placing (key word since it's called a competition, not an exhibition)