new piece suggestions

[meingott]

Hello all,

I am looking for a new piece to learn for a school event. It shouldn't be any more than 5 minutes at a maximum. Something flashy would be good for a largely non-musical audience, but lyrical and expressive is more my style, so anything really ...

In terms of level, I have done my DipABRSM. I just performed Rach 2 at the end of last month, it took me 9 months to learn and no one believed I could do it at the beginning (even me) but learning it definitely has strengthened everything - however, the performance is at the beginning of July, and I have to take exams all the way throughout May to late June, so time is not exactly on my side... nothing too insane please !

[danesi]

You could abridge Grieg’s Piano Concerto (Mvmt. 1)… For someone one your calibre, it should be easy to learn, very romantic, show-like popular, and the cadenza is a favourite amongst musicians and non-musicians alike. Rather, if you want to play a full piece, there’s Liszt’s La Campanella, Liebestraum no. 3, or La Leggierezza Etude for an overplayed touch to a non-musical audience.
Whatever you choose, good luck!
       Cheers, Danesi

[brogers70]

What about a fast Scarlatti sonata with a lot of hand crossings - for someone at your level it would be pretty straightforward, but it both sounds and looks impressive. There are lots to choose from that would fit the bill.

[lelle]

Maybe you could pick up a Chopin Nocturne? They're beloved by audiences, most of them are not too technically difficult, and some of them have the occasional passage or thingy that is a bit flashy.

[droprenstein]

Why not try Chopin 10/12? Much flashy left hand. It both looks and sounds impressive, but it's not as difficult as it looks. Easy enough and fun to play, gets a good reaction out of pretty much everyone as well. Slightly overplayed, but that's not that relevant for a school event. I played it for a school event a couple months back. You can play around with the dynamics as well, so that's fun.