Easy(ish) repertoire

[tmjorden]

So I am doing a competition in about a week and hopefully January. I have been working on the same pieces for along time, so I'm getting ready to start new ones. I have already started some stuff for new competitions but I want some somewhat easy repertoire. Some of the pieces I started are Beethovens Appassionata, La Campanella, Prokofiev Toccata and Rach 2. It's not that they will be too hard it's just that I know they will take along time. Does anyone have some pieces that are just a little bit easier than these? Possibly Chopin etudes or nocturnes or Mozart sonatas?

[marijn1999]

Wow, there are like hundreds of suggestions to make. However it will all come down to what you think is difficult and easy, both technically and musicaly. Taking none of that stuff in account, here's what I think will succeed in being slightly less difficult then the named pieces:

Beethoven:

• Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat major, Op. 81a
• Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
• Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op 110

Brahms:

• Basically, all of the Hungarian Dances except Nos. 3 and 7
• Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major, Op. 1
• Piano Sonata No. 2 in F-sharp minor, Op. 2

Chopin:

• Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
• Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38
• From Etudes, Op. 10: Nos. 2, 4 and 8
• From Etudes, Op. 25: Nos. 8 and 12

Rachmaninoff:

• Étude-Tableau in B minor, Op. 39, No. 4
• Étude-Tableau in D minor, Op. 39, No. 8

Scriabin:

• Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 1
• Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-sharp minor, Op. 23

Some of these may turn out to be more difficult, but that ultimately depends on you.

BW,
Marijn

[beethovenfan01]

Uh, Chopin Ballades are not easy ... 

Most of Chopin's Nocturnes are not difficult ... if you're looking for some good literature to work on, those are good ones to start with. Also, consider Rachmaninoff's Preludes and Moments Musical if you haven't studied them already. For Beethoven, most of the early sonatas are not horribly difficult, at least compared to the Appassionata.

[marijn1999]

Uh, Chopin Ballades are not easy ... 

I didn't say they are easy. He asked for pieces slightly less difficult then the one he mentioned. The ones he mentioned (Prokofiev Toccata, Beethoven Appassionata, Rachmaninoff 2) are about as difficult as it gets, technically. I think the Chopin ballades don't belong to the highest level of difficulty.

[visitor]

not terribly difficult. and beautiful, i would say it holds its own when compared to the little early Scriabin c# minor etude. 

[chopinlover01]

Personally, I'm slow to call bullshit on lists like these.. but this is suspicious honestly. You've played these pieces (hopefully well) and are asking for repertoire suggestions that are "easy"? Surely you recognize that you're just about at the pinnacle of difficulty in piano playing..

[tmjorden]

Okay so if you want to know what I can play well (what I'm playing for a competition) I'll tell you. Liszts 6 Hungarian Rhapsody, Haydn sonata 50, Prokofiev Suggestion Diabolique, and the second movement from Debussy estampes. The pieces I listed at the beginning are no doubt difficult for me and at the moment I'm no where from full speed on them. I asked for easy pieces because I want something I can learn in <4 months and enjoy. I didn't really ask for easy just asked for easier. Thanks to everyone who gave examples for help

[chopinlover01]

Probably the best way we can see your skill level and give advice as to what to play would be if you post some of your stuff in the audition room; forgive me if you already have and I'm just ignorant.