Piano Forum

Many years ago I thought (how realistically or unrealistically is another topic) I had a shot at entering the Leeds competition. The application indicated maybe 20 sonatas to choose from for inclusion in the first round, which was to be paired with another work bringing the mini-recital to about 30 minutes, or maybe it was 30-35 minutes. Op. 101 was on the list, and being among my favorites I decided I would pair this with Chopin Scherzo #2.

The application's recording component required exactly this: movement 1 from the sonata, and the entire second piece.

So there you have it: The Leeds explicitly indicated I from op.101 was substantial enough, when paired with the Chopin, to demonstrate sufficient proficiency as to pre-screening, and get one invited to Leeds.

But the truth is I think this was a fluke or aberration they overlooked; like everybody else here, I think they intended to require a classical allegro movement, and probably would have agreed to IV from op.101 had I inquired. Although they're super-prestigious, I think they were just stating the requirements rather casually, probably assuming, to the extent that they thought about it, that the applicant would submit IV, after sensibly asking first.

But the sort of funny twist to this is that all that said, Leeds is the most aristocratic, anti-plebian competition of its kind, and they proudly emphasize their preference for refined substance and poetry over flash. So it would have been consistent for them to accept and honor a slow and subtle piece played very well. In a word, at Leeds the further you get from Rachmaninov (and op.101 I is about as far as you can get), the better; but most competitions are the reverse on this point.