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Topic: Next Song Recommendations  (Read 1221 times)

Offline shrubbery

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Next Song Recommendations
on: February 27, 2021, 10:12:57 PM
Hey, I've played piano for a bit over 10 years now and I'm struggling to find the next song I want to play. I've looked through the forums and I see some good ideas, but I'm having trouble finding one of those songs that I can listen to 100 times and still enjoy it.

Here's a list of my favorite songs (that I've played), I was hoping you could recommend songs of similar difficulty that I might enjoy  :)
(I know these songs are extremely mainstream ahaha but I guess they're popular for a reason; I'm definitely open to trying some less popular songs as well if you know any good ones)

Liszt:
Liebestraum No. 3
Un Sospiro

Chopin:
Waltz No. 10
Ballade No. 1

Debussy:
Clair de Lune
Valse Romantique


Thanks :)
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Offline lelle

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Re: Next Song Recommendations
Reply #1 on: February 27, 2021, 11:01:07 PM
Quote
I know these songs are extremely mainstream ahaha but I guess they're popular for a reason; I'm definitely open to trying some less popular songs as well if you know any good ones)

I fully subscribe to the "they are popular for a reason" view. Here are some of those warhorses off the top of my head - parts of some of them may be harder than what you have played so far, but if you like them that could be a good motivation to continue working on your skills ;)

Chopin Nocturne Op 9 no 1
Chopin Nocturne Op 9 no 2
Chopin Nocturne in E minor op 72 no 1
Chopin Nocturne in C sharp minor Op posth
Chopin Fantasie Impromptu
Debussy The Girl with the Flaxen hair
Debussy The Sunken Cathedral (La cathedrale engloutie)
Ravel - Pavane pour une infante défunte
Brahms: Waltz in A flat major Op.39 No.15
Schubert - Impromtu in E flat major Op 90 no 2
Schubert - Impromtu in G flat major Op 90 no 3
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata
Beethoven Pathetique Sonata
Beethoven Sonata in f minor "Appassionata"

It would be helpful if you could post some of the pieces you had a look at but which didn't quite hit the mark :)

Offline j_tour

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Re: Next Song Recommendations
Reply #2 on: February 27, 2021, 11:09:03 PM
Well, I don't know.

If you can do the Gm ballade through to the end, then I would say you're all set.

For me, I'm stuck on Scriabin, the Op. 65 études, and the Op. 74 préludes, and opera 73, 67.

I don't see a lot of Bach in your diet.  I'd  put in a little bit.  The contrapuntus IX from Ars fuga?  Some of the E minor partita (all of it, really)?  Or Scarlatti's K141?  At the very minimum all of the sinfonie of Bach, and be familiar with at least some of the WTC1 and WTC2, just for reading.

You can probably handle a bunch of stuff, technically, so I couldn't say. 

EDIT to add, you can certainly play the Beethoven Op. 27 no.1.  For some reason, I really love that sonata.  It seems you're heavy into romantic repertoire on piano, so I can't really suggest things in that area.  I refuse to play warhorses from Chopin, but I still play from Brahms, some Liszt, Schumann. 

If you want a "big piece," then maybe you're ready to do the Beethoven Op. 111, or the Diabelli vars. (both, obviously, immense pieces), the Bach E minor partita or the Gm English Suite, or the Op. 118. 117 from Brahms (the whole sets).  At the minimum you can certainly play all of the Beethoven Op. 126. bagatelles  That's a good exercise for memorizing, as well, and well within your ability:  each piece is brief, but interesting musically.

If it were me, I'd keep at the very last Scriabin, the Messiaen Vingt regards, and the Shostakovich préludes and fugues (I don't know those last two very well at all, a kind of new "project" of mine, still at the sight-reading stage), as well as continuing with Debussy and Prokofiev, and the Schönberg Op. 25 and others, as well as the Berg Op. 1.  I just got into Hob XVI:32 Haydn sonata in B minor, which is a lot of fun. also just at the sight-reading stage for me.

So what's your question, really?

Do you not know what you want to play?  You should mechanically be able to play whatever, but I cannot force you to play my own favorite pieces.  What's the problem?
My name is Nellie, and I take pride in helping protect the children of my community through active leadership roles in my local church and in the Boy Scouts of America.  Bad word make me sad.
 

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