ATCL exam questions???

[jamesmustain]

Hi all, I'm thinking about preparing for the ATCL exam and wanted some guidance for the program. I love the Grieg Sonata Op. 7, but it seems hard to find other pieces to fill out the program in a balanced way.
Any advice? Thanks!

[anacrusis]

That's a tricky question. How long should the program be overall? I am not familiar with what the ATCL exam is.

[symphonicdance]

Hi all, I'm thinking about preparing for the ATCL exam and wanted some guidance for the program. I love the Grieg Sonata Op. 7, but it seems hard to find other pieces to fill out the program in a balanced way.
Any advice? Thanks!

The required playing time is 32-28 minutes.  Grieg Piano Sonata will take about 18 min.  It is not difficult to fill in other 2-4 works to construct a balanced programme, as there are plenty of baroque, classical, romantic and modern works on the syllabus.

Your programme may look like:

(1) Baroque (less than 5 min) : Short Bach WTC or Scarlatti sonata

(2) Classical (less than 10 min) : Not-so-long work by Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven

(3) Romantic : Grieg Piano Sonata (c.18 min)

(4) Post-19th Century (less than 5 min) : Short work by Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff or Copland

Good luck!

[sy.copper]

I performed my ATCL recital last year, and received a total of 93 marks (high distinction) out of 100 (4/4 marks for the programme, 89/96 marks for the performance).

The marking criterion and repertoire list (provided by Trinity) are both in this link: https://www.trinitycollege.com.hk/en/diplomaexaminationseng/performance-diploma-exam-structure/

My programme consisted of 1 baroque piece (Bach French Suite No.4 in E♭ BWV 815), with all sections repeated, 1 classical piece (Mozart Sonata in C minor, K 457), and 1 Romantic piece (Chopin Nocturne op. 9 no. 1 in B♭ minor). This whole programme added up to a total of approx. 36-37 mins out of the maximum time allowed for ATCL (38 mins).

It's definitely not compulsory to fill up all the different musical periods in your repertoire, especially modern or 20th-century music, but it's best to have a balanced repertoire (in terms of overall speed, mood, volume, musical periods, etc.). Also, if you want to create a more professional, stronger impression in your performance, you could stick to famous composers instead of some unknown ones. This could also be useful when researching and finding versions of the songs played by professional pianists to listen to (famous songs tend to have more varied versions, which means you could adjust your playing according to 1-2 favourite versions). Also, try to not overload your programme with songs (it will be really hard to learn and play all of the songs to a diploma level; you could try sticking to a range of 3-5 songs). It's also not compulsory to memorise the score, so don't worry too much about that - if you practice enough and play your songs well, your brain and muscle memory will instinctively begin to remember the notes.

In any case, I hope my suggestions help and good luck!

[leelou]

Would the time of these chosen repertoire be not accepted because of 2-3 minutes shorter for ACTL exam?
-Mozart Sonata in c minor k457 (approx  16: 34 without repeats)
-Beethoven Rondo Capriccioso Op 129 (approx. 7 minutes
Chopin Improptus Fantasy Op 66 ( approx. 6:18