HELP ! Jury Recital Program

[sammmue]

I am playing with idea of a thematic program of 30 mns of playing time
I would need lots of help in filling any piano repertoire that can draw parallels with these.

Currently, I am going for these options:
Death: Janacek: 1.X.1905, Bach-Busoni Chaconne in Dm
(Any pieces / works that evokes death !!)

Bach Transcriptions:
(any composers eg. Liszt-Bach, Busoni-Bach, Rachmanioff-Bach or even Bach-Bach.)

Annex:
Bhrams, Medtner; as he was called the ‘Russian Bhrams’

[dogperson]

I’m not sure who your audience is, but  I cannot imagine a wide  interest in a program that only includes death  as a theme.  I love a lot of elegies and suggested that as a theme to my  teacher. She did not think it would be a good idea 

For the annex theme, you include Faure to Chopin nocturne

[visitor]

*insert obligatory jab at Robert Schumann, and the death of any recital his music gets programmed into

[cfluke]

I agree that this is a questionable idea.

But Liszt wrote tons of lit that would fit your theme

Pensee des morts
Funerailles
Totentanz

[brogers70]

I love the Janacek. For the Chaconne you might consider Brahm's transcription for the left hand - it's more faithful to Bach and it's impressive.

I'm not sure if Brahms was thinking of mortality when he wrote it, but the Eb minor intermezzo from Opus 118 might fit your theme.

[visitor]

big Medtner fan here. honestly one of my top and absolute favorites , I've read up a lot on and about him ,not sure I understand and certainly don't agree w calling him a Russian Brahms.....so many things wrong w that description. but I always seek to understand, please where ever did you hear or read this about him? I'd love to pull the source or book etc and read it

Brahms music isn't exactly well written for piano, very orchestral type writing, and awkward as heck at times
but w Medtner there isn't a single piece of music or excerpt of something od this that feel strange or odd to play at the piano,  it feels like he put down was done either when at the piano, or after he'd worked it out at the piano, or done away from the piano but with the instrument particularly in mind at least ,also we can pretty much follow an evolution of ideas and development from Beethoven to Schumann then to Brahms

I have trouble finding and drawing a strong lineage in composition and musical style for Medtner
maybe Tchikovsky to Arrensky and Taneyev and then to Rachmaninoff in terms of a Russian analogue to Brahms  and German side , albeit much more piano friendly and still harkening back to Bach

thanks  for any info you can provide on origin of that statement as I haven't ever come across it

[sammmue]

I agree that this is a questionable idea.

But Liszt wrote tons of lit that would fit your theme

Pensee des morts
Funerailles
Totentanz

Thank you very much !!

[sammmue]

I love the Janacek. For the Chaconne you might consider Brahm's transcription for the left hand - it's more faithful to Bach and it's impressive.

I'm not sure if Brahms was thinking of mortality when he wrote it, but the Eb minor intermezzo from Opus 118 might fit your theme.

Transcription for the Left Hand - I love it but I might die...

As for the intermezzo, why so?

[brogers70]

That's the thing about the left hand transcription of the Chaconne - you might die. I think Bach knew he was stretching what a violin could do to the limit with that piece, and I think the Brahms LH transcription captures that feeling of trying to express something that goes beyond the capabilities of the chosen instrument much better than does Busoni with all his crashing octaves.

As for the Intermezzo, all I can say is listen to it - if it doesn't strike you as fitting your theme, then don't do it.