My program

[steinwayguy]

My program for a recital the end of the year is as follows:

Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K.332
    -W.A. Mozart
Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52
Three Etudes, Op. 10 (No. 1, 3, 4)
Three Etudes, Op. 25 (5, 10, 12)
     -Chopin

--Intermission--

Prelude and Fugue in d-sharp Minor, from WTC Book II
     -J.S. Bach
Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, Op. 7
     -L.W. Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 2 in g-sharp minor, Op. 19 "Sonata-Fantasy"
     -Alexander Scriabin
Mephisto Waltz
     -Franz Liszt


Is this too long? It's practically two hours . . . and if so, what should I take off? The only things I'm not attached to are the Scriabin and the etudes Op. 10 No. 3 and 4.

[janice]

Six Chopin etudes is a bit much, I feel.  How about if you reduce it to 3, and move one of the shorter pieces from the 2nd half to the 1st half?  It's better (only my opinion though) to make the 2nd half shorter than the 1st half.  I don't think people are willing to sit this long.  But that depends on where you are playing.  If you are playing in Carnegie Hall (or the like), please disregard everything I just said!! 

[lostinidlewonder]

I would consider the order of the music you are playing. It seem to jump from classical to romantic, then interval then backwards to Baroque, classical then romantic. Bach would be better to start the concert with since he is like the grandfather of the keyboard technique.

I would delete the Scriabin unless you have another russian composer to compliment him with or more scriabin pieces which work well together. Chopin etudes is a very risky thing to play for a concert program since they are extemely well known and you have to make a bloody good effort if people are to remember you for your them.

Mephisto Waltz, all 4? That is very long. I have finished a concert with Mephisto 1 before with good response. However, I have found you get better response if you play shorter pieces to complete the concert with.  You have a happier audience dying for more music then.

I think it would be a good idea to see what connects each piece to one another, perhaps it is the meaning of the piece or the life of the composer themselves. You might have to consider what you want to say for your concert, what you want to say about each piece. In that case your playing time is reduced which takes off some stress no ur shoulders (unless talking to mass crowds scares u  ). Trust me, an audience doesnt want to just listen to you play the piano all the time, they want to know who u are and what you have to say. I remember listening to Ashkenazi play, and he didnt say much at all. I enjoyed it immensly because of the playing but most other people who were not piano fanatics like me where very dissapointed.

[pianonut]

dear lostinidlewonder,

you give excellent advice.  i think you are a natural.

sometimes playing "the devils advocate" in a good way, gives an audience a run for their money.  i am surprised in reading about cecilia bartoli, that she takes salieri's side much more and is quite knowledgeable about him (vs. those that have written him off, thinking he murdered mozart).   i am learning there is so much i don't know, and audiences probably like hearing things they haven't heard before either.

[pianowelsh]

Just a suggestion but i would consider thinning out the number of sonatas your playing in one concert give the audience more clapping time and everyone's a winner!!! Much as I love the Mephisto I would be tempted to maybe cut this and one of your classical somatas and finish with the Chopin then the Scriabin (nice choice of piece!) there is a good logical progression Bach Mozart Chopin Scriabin(early)

i would suggest:1.Bach p+fg
                          2. Mozart sonata
                          3.a couple of Chopin etudes (prob not more than 3)
                          4. Ballade no4 (with it's big finish)... must be about 45mins so far..
                          INTERVAL
                          5. Maybe??? a Sriabin etude or a few preludes (something lighter) 5-                             10 mins
                          6. Scriabin sonata no2 (don't know how fast you play it maybe                     20mins?)

This seems to me a 'fresher' programme and perhaps a less Dense one for listening purposes? It's really tempting i know but to put in all the big pieces can be like eating a whole meal of chocolate - it gets sickly. save the rep for a new programe (2 for one = good value!) Hope your concert goes really well!! Whatever you play

[Hmoll]

My program for a recital the end of the year is as follows:

Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K.332
    -W.A. Mozart
Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52
Three Etudes, Op. 10 (No. 1, 3, 4)
Three Etudes, Op. 25 (5, 10, 12)
     -Chopin

--Intermission--

Prelude and Fugue in d-sharp Minor, from WTC Book II
     -J.S. Bach
Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, Op. 7
     -L.W. Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 2 in g-sharp minor, Op. 19 "Sonata-Fantasy"
     -Alexander Scriabin
Mephisto Waltz
     -Franz Liszt


Is this too long? It's practically two hours . . . and if so, what should I take off? The only things I'm not attached to are the Scriabin and the etudes Op. 10 No. 3 and 4.

Way too long, and the pieces are in a strange order.
I would do:

Mozart sonata
Chopin - two of the etudes (Op.10#3, and Op10#4)
Chopin Ballade #4

**Intermission**

Beethoven Op 7
Mephisto Waltz