Piano Forum

Piano Street Magazine:
Watch the Chopin Competition 2025 with us!

Great news for anyone who loves Chopin’s music! Piano Street’s Chopin Competition tool now includes all 1,848 recorded performances from the Preliminary Round to Stage 3. Dive in and listen now! Read more

Topic: NEC/Equivalent Conservatory Auditions  (Read 2876 times)

Offline skywalker_06

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 32
NEC/Equivalent Conservatory Auditions
on: May 09, 2017, 03:08:35 AM
Hello All!

Currently, I'm a junior in high school and I'm planning my audition program for next year, when I will be auditioning for a few conservatories, my top choice being NEC!
 
Here is the program I'm thinking of now:

Bach P&F D Major, Book II, BWV 874 - Piece written before 1750 (e.g. prelude and fugue, suite, or partita by J.S. Bach)

Beethoven Appassionata or Op. 109 (is playing late Beethoven as a young artist too "taboo" for an audition? Also, I've already learned the Appassionata, the Op. 109 would be new), or Mozart 12/13, or a nice Haydn sonata any of which I'm open to suggestions! (I've already learned the G Major Hob:XVI:27, but I think this is a tad on the easy side for a conservatory audition). -- A complete Classical Sonata

Chopin Op. 35 Sonata, Ballade No. 1 or 4, Polonaise-Fantasie, Liszt Dante Sonata, Rachmaninoff Chopin Variations (Polonaise Fantasie, Op. 35 sonata, and rach variations would be new for me) -- "Substantial Romantic Work"

Scriabin Sonata No. 2, Prokofiev No. 7, Barber Sonata, Shostakovich P&F? Any suggestions for a 20th/21st century work? The Prokofiev/Barber would certainly be a stretch, but as I love both of these pieces I'd be highly motivated to learn each. -- A 20th/21st Century work

Chopin Etude Op. 25 No. 12, Liszt Transcendental Etude No.2, A Rachmaninoff etude Tableaux? -- "A fast etude"

Particularly I'd like advice for the 20th century and "fast etude" pieces. Any suggestions?

Thanks!







Sign up for a Piano Street membership to download this piano score.
Sign up for FREE! >>
Sign up for a Piano Street membership to download this piano score.
Sign up for FREE! >>

Offline skywalker_06

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 32
Re: NEC/Equivalent Conservatory Auditions
Reply #1 on: May 09, 2017, 03:10:06 AM
Also, anyone have an idea of where I could put Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition? Could this satisfy the 20th century requirement or would that be better placed in the Romantic section?

Online rachmaninoff_forever

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5083
Re: NEC/Equivalent Conservatory Auditions
Reply #2 on: May 09, 2017, 03:32:42 AM
Do what your teacher says
Live large, die large.  Leave a giant coffin.

Offline visitor

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5294
Re: NEC/Equivalent Conservatory Auditions
Reply #3 on: May 09, 2017, 11:58:51 AM
Do what your teacher says
+1

As for pece ideas, ill bite
Seems i reccommend this at least 1 or 2x per year or so last few years, great work, was nice to see it on a cliburn performamce last year but i like pianist Michelle Schumann's version more [search it its on youtube]


Thus is a geat piece . I was tempted to suggest the Bernstein sonata but its too log, this is more manageable and a bit easier to grasp depending on your experience with mid century idiom if more abstract and complex language is too much for you, try this

Offline visitor

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5294
Re: NEC/Equivalent Conservatory Auditions
Reply #4 on: May 09, 2017, 12:15:08 PM
Itf you go shorter, thw Francaix nocturne is super pretty
 


Several pretty decent versions of the Despic nocturne on youtube but i think this is of maybe 2 superb renditio s. Stunning beauty of a work
[ Invalid YouTube link ]
Sheetz

https://tinyurl.com/kx2t6sa

Offline visitor

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5294
Re: NEC/Equivalent Conservatory Auditions
Reply #5 on: May 09, 2017, 12:22:36 PM
For a fast etude take a look at the quicker lyapunov/lyapunow ones, they finish up the back set essentially of what liszt  started as best and sergei belueved they could/should. Stay away from the last one unless you are truly bold-brave, its a mobster, but several good choices among the first 11
For more information about this topic, click search below!

Piano Street Magazine:
Remembering the great Maurizio Pollini

Legendary pianist Maurizio Pollini defined modern piano playing through a combination of virtuosity of the highest degree, a complete sense of musical purpose and commitment that works in complete control of the virtuosity. His passing was announced by Milan’s La Scala opera house on March 23. Read more
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert