*critical advice needed on recital program...

[laurenlynnette]

First, I want to say that any replies will be very, very appreciated. 
I must admit that I know very little about piano music.  I am preparing for a recital and need a little critical help on the program I've chosen.   

This will be my senior recital for someone who has done little in college for the past two years except party and waste time.  So now, I've abandoned all my friends and stopped the stupid drinking binges and am practicing eight hrs a day.  In essence, I have been shuffled from teacher to teacher and have no professors who I feel comfortable asking stupid questions like, "is this an appropriate senior recital program?"
 
Here it is: 
  Bach - Chaconne (from violin partita):  is it okay to play a transcription for a recital? 
  Liszt - Funerailles:  probably the most dificult of this program...
  Chopin - Ballade No. 4 in f minor:  fell in love with g minor last year.
  Scriabin - Vers la Flamme:  Is this a good choice for 20th c.?
      I will pick ONE of these TWO:
  Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G# minor
                     OR
  Chopin - Andante Spianato

This needs to be a kick-ass recital.  I am particularly interested in anything that jumps out to you.  Any comments about the order, techinical diversity, style/period/emotional variety and so on will be HUGE helps...

Thanks!!

[steinwayguy]

Bach/Busoni
Liszt
Andante Spianato
Ballade
Scriabin


Good program.

[pianomann1984]

Bach/Busoni
Liszt
Andante Spianato
Ballade
Scriabin


Good program.

Yeah I agree.  Very nice.  Maybe hold the Rachmaninov back for an encore?

[iumonito]

I should keep my mouth shut.  Why say anything, I tell myself.  You have earnestly asked for opinions, though, and I will give you mine.  Please be confident to ignore it and disagree.  As a musician you will find lots of people who disagree with you and that's fine.  It is entirely our problem, not your.

All that said, from the way you describe your previous training, and the attitude I perceive from the comment that this need to be a kick ass recital, I don't believe these works will work well together for you yet.  If they do, enhorabuena, go for it.

I think that the Bach Busoni and the Chopin Polonaise are by far the most difficult works in your program.  Since you believe Funerailles probably is, I suggest you stick to your guns with that one and leave the Chaconne and the Polonaise for a future occasion.  Of course, this is assuming you don't have the works in repertoire yet, if you do, it would be foolish to take them out.  It is entirely appropriate to play transcriptions; people don't play them enough and they are an important part of XIX and early XX century repertoire.

Vers La Flame is a very good choice, but I don't like it to close.  It is brilliant, but most of the time it will be too challenging for the public.

I think the balade is fine.  It is a great work and it fits almost anywhere.

Now, that leaves you with Liszt, Scriabin and Chopin.  I like the Chopin to close the first part and the Liszt and Scriabin to open the second, so you need and opener and a closer, and you have no baroque, classical and almost no modern music in your program (Scriabin, especially that one, counts, but the 20th century is so varied that something later may be nice too).

I am going to go on a limb here and guess that Alban Berg's sonata would suit you well.  It is about 13 minutes and it will go nicely before the Chopin.  You can open with the Scarlatti Sonata K. 87 to set the mood.

I have had good experience programing Beethoven after Scriabin, they play well together.  Maybe you can close with a Beethoven sonata.  For this program, which is on the heavy side, I would suggest one of the lighter (yet not insubtantial) ones, such as Op. 31#3 or Op. 2#3.

Best wishes,
H

[quantum]

A very ambitious program indeed.  When exactly is your recital and how many of these pieces can you already play? 

You have chosen a lot of large works, many of them suitable for closing a program.  If you have performed several of these works before, I'd say go for it.  But if you are contemplating learning all that material I strongly suggest trimming down the list. 

Even if you can learn the material in a fairly short amount of time there is still the issue of interpretation and expression.  This takes far longer.  Since this is your senior year recital, your pieces should be at the level where you are comfortable to some degree experimenting and tweaking your interpretation instead of just getting over the technical hurdles. 

I do see your point wanting to "impress" your jury and audience, but you can also achieve that by putting in some less demanding repertoire.  I would recommend putting in some short pieces, some miniatures.   Maybe some Scriabin poemes, preludes, or other miniatures to work up to the Vers la flamme.    In the absence of technical difficulty these smaller pieces give you the chance to display your full range of musicality and expressive capacity.  Also keep in mind the audience, they need a breather between all those large pieces. 

You don't need to cover all styles to make a good program (this is not a conservatory exam), but rather your program should have an internal integrity and flow that works with itself. 

[dreamplaying]

A very ambitious program indeed.  When exactly is your recital and how many of these pieces can you already play? 

You have chosen a lot of large works, many of them suitable for closing a program.  If you have performed several of these works before, I'd say go for it.  But if you are contemplating learning all that material I strongly suggest trimming down the list. 

Even if you can learn the material in a fairly short amount of time there is still the issue of interpretation and expression.  This takes far longer.  Since this is your senior year recital, your pieces should be at the level where you are comfortable to some degree experimenting and tweaking your interpretation instead of just getting over the technical hurdles. 

I do see your point wanting to "impress" your jury and audience, but you can also achieve that by putting in some less demanding repertoire.  I would recommend putting in some short pieces, some miniatures.   Maybe some Scriabin poemes, preludes, or other miniatures to work up to the Vers la flamme.    In the absence of technical difficulty these smaller pieces give you the chance to display your full range of musicality and expressive capacity.  Also keep in mind the audience, they need a breather between all those large pieces. 

You don't need to cover all styles to make a good program (this is not a conservatory exam), but rather your program should have an internal integrity and flow that works with itself. 

I fully Agree with quantum....I would choice some other pieces less difficult in interpretation and technique but with the same charge of impact and expression....Have you tried one of Fauré's Noctunes...the Nr 2 or 4 are exceptionally beautiful pieces much less complicated to play than some in your program, but very impacting if well played. I would add them instead of Scriabin or Liszt...

[laurenlynnette]

iumonito, your comments are very welcome.  I would not have posted a request asking for advice if I didn't expect any. 
I had contemplated beethoven, but was at a loss at which one to go with.  As I have already mentioned, my knowledge of piano literature is very limited....  I have done well in repertoir classes, but I am the type who learns only enough to make a good grade and then promptly forgets everything...  That attitude along with the fact that I have never cared that much for listening to classical piano has very much limited my knowledge of piano repertoir.  So...  in essence, many thanks for your comments and program suggestions.  I will check out the Beethoven op. 31 #3, I do not care for the other one. 
As far as the vers la flamme, i had some reservation about using such a terribly askance piece as an ender, however i very much like to use a little bit of shock for an audience...  They will be sure to be awake at the end of this program...
Many, many thanks for your excellent and very knowledgable suggestions!

To quantum:  my recital will be a year to 16 months from now, and I do not have any of these pieces at comfortable levels yet.  However.  I refuse to learn anything that I do not adore.  Life is too short to play uninspired music. 
Thank you for the comment about my attempt to cover every period...  I had heard from one of my high school teachers that he preferred to play only one composer for concerts to keep him in the right frame of mind.... I have always agreed that the idea that covering every style is much more exhausting than necessary...  I will keep what you said in mind.  My gratitude to you for your well-thought and helpful advice.