Recital for my mother! Help me prepare and choose piece(s)? Thanks.

[reiyza]

Hello guys, its me again.

I'm preparing for my mother's birthday recital this coming december 31st.

I was wondering if you guys could give me an opinion if I can pull of these list of pieces within 6 months.


Prior to giving comment. Please listen to how I play now. (There is a recording of a sloppy k. 545 1st mov. But it isn't included in the playlist)

https://m.soundcloud.com/user-218453144/sets/may-2016

Edit: here I included the the sloppy 545 1st mov.
https://m.soundcloud.com/user-218453144/mozart-k-545-g-minor-mistakemedium-touch

And here is a post with recordings before I got a teacher in february
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=60727.msg651547#msg651547



Here's the list that I want to perform in 6 months preparation time.

1. Sonata K.545 2nd Mov.
2. Sonata K. 576 2nd Mov.
3. Beethoven's Sonata No. 8 op. 13 2nd Movement
4. Chopin - Valse 64 no. 2
5. Chopin Nocturne No. 20 in C#m

I'd like to add 2 piece(s) from the following:

Chopin
(yes I know they're hard. But I can dream can't I? Smiley  )
Fantasie Impromptu Op. 66
Or/and
Etude op. 10 no. 12
Or/and
Liszt - Liebestraum(my teacher commented that this piece is possible)
Or/and
Rachmaninoff - Liebeslied


What do you guys think?

Oh and to add. My teacher went on hiatus again. Last time he went on hiatus, I didn't see him for a month. So I can't ask him.

Thank guys..!!

[feddera]

Really good work! A very noticeable improvement! The first 5 pieces you should be able to do in 6 months without much trouble. I would stay away from the chopin etude, but it won't hurt you to just try playing some sections from the other 3. I don't think liebestraum is "that" difficult apart from the cadenzas, but they still work in a moderate tempo.

[visitor]

1. Sure thing why not?  If you get close to performance and something is not ready, scrap it.  Keep a plan b piece up as well, ie learn something again you played in the past or pick an easier work you can swap in at the last minute.

2.  I take a little bit of issue w the lack of variety and that you are skipping sonata movements. Have you considered leaving a couple of 2nd movements out and instead learning 1 and 3rd movements of something to present a whole sonata or even set of sonatinas?
Its your pony show, but the programing is a little odd and unbalanced. Or you could two a couple of sonatinas instead , that would really good too.
given that itis a december and christmas time recital, what about the reinecke 3rd from op 251?the   christmas sonatina?
Ie

[mjames]

You need to work on your phrasing for the piu mosso sections in the waltz. You're putting for too much emphasis on the downbeat, which is really messing it up. Listen to a few professional recordings and try to pay attention to the phrasing...

Scriabin Poeme Op. 32

[isaacmalitz]

Your program has sufficient "meat and potatoes", how about some "dessert"?

Eg one of Keith Jarretts arrangements of a pop standard. Those arrangements are exquisite pianistic works.

[reiyza]

@Federa - did you see an improvement? I believe I learned so little. Otherwise my teacher won't be on hiatus.


@visitor - ehh.... The only sonata I "think" I can play in full is the 545 sonata set. I really like the 576 set, but it's out of my abilities right now, both technically and mechanically.


@mjames - that's how my teacher taught me. He wants every downbeat note accented. I have listened to a few recordings and the one I'm trying to imitate is evgeny kissin's.


@isaacmalitz - thank you for taking the time to reply and  I'm sorry, but in my family, classical music is of high importance, my mother would kick my *ss if she catches me playing those.




Based on some comments. So the etude is a no go? How about the impromptu.? Man. Are these pieces really out of reach?

Edit: provided a recording of k.545 on 1st post

[pjjslp]

Very nice playing! I'm not a huge fan of Bach inventions, but I think you played them both very well. I agree with mjames that the heavy accents in the waltz are messing with the flow. I see that your teacher wants them accented, but it seems too heavy right now.

Are you currently working on the first pieces you list, or are you starting them all from scratch AND wanting to take on one of the pieces from the second list? How much quality practice time do you have? I am working on the 10/12 etude right now, and I'm finding it very challenging. It sounded like maybe the left hand scales in 545 were challenging for you, as they were slightly less even than similar passages in the right hand. If fast left hand scales are a challenge, 10/12 may be out of reach for the moment. Just getting the notes in the left hand accurately at a slow speed (60 bpm) has taken me several weeks; however, there are many days when I only get 15-20 minutes to practice and rarely do I get more than 45. Personally, in your shoes, I would probably attack the first list and get them well in hand and then see if you have time for anything else. On the other hand, I prefer to play what I love and find out myself whether it's best put away for later. Maybe you are the same 

[feddera]

@Federa - did you see an improvement? I believe I learned so little. Otherwise my teacher won't be on hiatus.

Most definitely!

Based on some comments. So the etude is a no go? How about the impromptu.? Man. Are these pieces really out of reach?

There's no harm in taking out the sheet music and giving the etude a go, but it is a really difficult piece haha. I'd say you should be able to play a C minor scale hands together 4 octaves at around 160 bpm easily before starting it. The impromptu is a little bit easier. It will work at a slightly slower tempo than the etude(though many play it even faster), and the fast sections are shorter and repeats.

[reiyza]

Actually, I tried the spamming the first 2 bars of the 10-12, hmm, maybe I'll upload a recording without pedal? Or scratch that, I won't force myself to learn it, I'll try learning the cadenzas of liebestraum to assess it. But the fingerings for that rapid double thirds/fourths.

Sadly, I removed the 10-12 from the list, how did you guys find learning the impromptu? These pieces are my mother's favorite pieces. Damn if i just had more time.

Oh and I practice 3hrs/day every day.


Hmm. Nobody gave comment regarding the rachmaninov's love sorrow.?

[pianocat3]

OK I'm pretty much a know nothing, but I could listen to you all day.

[reiyza]

OK I'm pretty much a know nothing, but I could listen to you all day.

Well. I don't know if you mean that in a positive way or negative. Quite harsh.

[abel2]

@isaacmalitz - thank you for taking the time to reply and  I'm sorry, but in my family, classical music is of high importance, my mother would kick my *ss if she catches me playing those.

Edit: provided a recording of k.545 on 1st post

I like your family

[reiyza]

Reviving this thread. It's been awhile since I've posted.

I was unable to comply with the pieces that I listed, the only pieces that I was only able to get the notes down is the C# minor nocturne and the K.576 2nd movement. I haven't got the time for the other pieces listed, as the 64 no. 2(dropped it for the meanttime) is too advanced for me at this time and the pathetique 2nd movement(haven't started on it yet) needs major relearning.

Here's a recording of my sloppy nocturne in C# minor.

After watching it, numerous times, I have concluded that I am not fit to perform my own amateur recital this december.

Without the guidance of a teacher(yep, i left him, but I don't regret it), my pieces are seriously getting sloppier by the moment, which adds to the reasons to hold my performance this december.

Anyways. I want to hear your opinions on the recordings. No need to hold back. (Read the description in the video for more info.)

[mjames]

It is fine, you should play it for your mother either publicly or privately. It's not as bad as you think, in fact it's not bad at all. Be a little bit more confident in yourself!

[reiyza]

Thank you sir mjames. But this was just a fluke, by sheer luck I was able to execute most passages acceptably.

I tend to be horrible at public performances, I played this at the music store last october. And I think it made the listeners' ears bleed due to blackouts, uneven runs, sloppy trills, wrong notes(oh yes, I stop at every wrong note) lol.

I haven't discovered the secrets of professional pianist. (Performing pieces @ tempo without warm-up).