Mozart C Minor Fantasy, K 475

[odsum25]

I've been dusting off the C Minor Fantasy recently and realizing once again that it is really such a difficult piece to get across to an audience.  I've been planning on opening a program with it, but am starting to think that it might not be such a good idea, without the Sonata as well.  Anyone else have the problem of communicating this to an audience?

[beethoartok]

it really depends on your audience. but if you really want to open with this piece, make sure you aren't stiff and make the cadenzas as interesting as possible.

[pianonut]

interesting you call them cadenzas!  i suppose they are.  small ones.  how do you personally make them more interesting?  (probably a dumb question, but i am curious - because this is the fault of my playing - i play all the notes precisely and with speed, but something is missing in spots such as this).

about the sonata.  does it seem to you that it would sound better being played first?  why do i think this?  it was my gut instinct when i first met the two pieces and makes me want to play the fantasy alone for that reason (so i don't play the sonata after).  has anyone done this (played the sonata first and then the fantasy?)

[pianonut]

ps.  my teacher put in a good speed for the cadenza at measure 90 (144=quarter) and i usually crescendo.  he has me hold out the fermatas quite a long time and a gradual slowing down of the last five notes before the fermatas.  there's a lot of drama to this piece.

since the sonata has a smaller number K 457, does that automatically mean that if you play them together it goes first?  i really don't know.

[m1469]

I've been dusting off the C Minor Fantasy recently and realizing once again that it is really such a difficult piece to get across to an audience. I've been planning on opening a program with it, but am starting to think that it might not be such a good idea, without the Sonata as well. Anyone else have the problem of communicating this to an audience?

Well, I personally find it to be an infinitely complex work.  So thinking deeply about how to communicate it to the audience is not absurd.  Actually I think it would make an amazing beginning to a recital, but I am deeply in love with this work so  I am probably biased.

Generally though, my attitude about any music is that the clearer it is to you, the better chance the audience will have of "understanding" something about it.  So I of course feel that this follows suit with the Fantasy as well (the wonderful, beautiful fantasy).  Have you researched?


What else is on your program (for the sake of a balance)?

about the sonata. does it seem to you that it would sound better being played first? why do i think this? it was my gut instinct when i first met the two pieces and makes me want to play the fantasy alone for that reason (so i don't play the sonata after). has anyone done this (played the sonata first and then the fantasy?)

Actually I don't know that I have ever thought about this  before.  I think it might be an extraordianary idea as the sonata would make a fabulous introduction on it's own as well as into the fantasy.  I might be drooling a little, even, over this idea. 

I don't think that the numbers have anything to do with which work should go first in this case.

I love the Fantasy in C minor !  GO MOZART ! he he

m1469

[odsum25]

It would be on a shared recital with a baritone, with the second half focused more vocally.  Nothing completely set yet, but right now we plan on following the Mozart with a short Schubert Goethe Lieder group, (Jagers Abendlied, Heidenroslein, Meeres Stille, and probably one more to close the set.)  After that I will play a short Chopin group containing the posthumous C-Sharp minor Nocturne, the E Major Prelude, and the posthumous E Minor Waltz.  To finish out the first half we will do Ravel Don Quichotte a Dulcinee.  The second half will be all American, opening with some Ives songs, followed by the Copland Piano Blues, Paul Bowles' Blue Mountain Ballads, and closing with Stephen Foster.  All the details are still in the air, so this could change somewhat.