I am starting now on music for a master's audition, probably in January. It is a state college, not a conservatory, so the requirements are not as stringent as many, but I will be trying for a scholarship which is meant for the best candidates to continue to a doctoral degree, so I am treating it as if it were an audition at Juilliard and going by their standards for repertoire. I have everything picked out except for the etude. The audition is in the format of a 45-minute recital.

Here's what I've picked out so far:

Bach: Prelude & Fugue (4-voice) in G minor, WTC I (plaintive & slow) - 4 mins
Beethoven: Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp major, Op. 78 (moderate tempo, then scherzando) - 10 mins.
Chopin: Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 (bold & large-scale) - 9 mins.
Ginastera: Sonata No. 1, Op. 22 (incisive, rhythmic & exciting) - 15 mins.

I'm trying to show my flexibility and versatility. I was initially thinking of Ligeti's Desordre for an etude, but decided that wasn't different enough from the Ginastera to warrant programming them both. For that matter, I have the virtuoso angle pretty well covered with every other piece besides the Bach. Perhaps I should fill in the rest of the time available to me with a slower, more poetic etude, like Liszt's La Ricoranza or Debussy's Etude No. 11. The Debussy would also serve to add an additional musical period to the program.

Any other ideas that would add variety to the recital?

Are you familiar with Sergei Bortkiewicz's Etude in D flat, Op.15 No.8?

It's perfect for letting your fingers sing.

Koji's performance is the best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui5RxiKKhRo&feature=related

(the second in his set; such incredibly passionate playing!)

Close runners up are Katsaris and Lewenthal.


Mel

Liszt Transcendental Etude No. 10, for no other reason than I think it is a great piece of music.

So many choices...
The two immediately come to mind:

Chopin's Tristesse and/or Scriabin Etude Op 2 No 1

Look forward to knowing the etude you choose to add to that fine line-up!

Glen

Tristesse is Op. 10 No. 3, right? That was my gut choice. It really does have everything I need. It's overdone, but it is beautiful and a good choice for displaying finger legato.

If I do that then I'll also add something by Debussy.

Three that I thought of:

The 2nd Liszt Paganini etude

Scrabin Op. 8#2 or 5 (or both)

This polonaise takes 9 minutes to play??

I heard a particularly beautiful performance of Chopin's Op 25 No 7 etude a couple weeks back, and it has been on my mind. That fits the "slower" bill.

Good luck with your preparations

Daniel

I take it slower, so anywhere from 7 1/2 to a little over 8 minutes. I don't think the Heroic Polonaise can or should be rushed. There's too much music that you lose that way.



My teacher and I had a pretty spectacular falling out over that piece. She disagreed with my interpretation, but I listened to the lesson afterwards and thought it was great. So I'm steering clear of the 'Cello.

I'm really curious about what the disagreement was about. Can you summarize?

As for the etude, I don't know the audition scene as well as some here, but my instinct tells me that you might want something less common than Op.10 #3. (Although if it's really your gut choice, maybe not.) What about a different Ligeti etude? Do you know White on White from Book III?

-Jason

Harmonies du soir!!

Have you considered Rachmaninoff's etudes? I think that op.33 no.2 & 8 meet your criteria for more poetic music. They are pretty short, though, but can you possibly play two etudes? Either of those could be paired with some less turbulent etude like op. 39 no.4

I know several big conservatories will not allow Op.10 No.3.
So you'd better practice something that other schools will accept so you will not waste your time in the future.

Yes, those are the numbers - such a melodic/lyrical piece of music and does require a great deal of control. Hopefully, it is a piece you are allowed to play - it is beyond me why not, though.

Provided you have the time, it'd be great if you can post a few audio clips of your programme.

Great choices!
Glen

I haven't heard Book III of the Ligeti etudes yet, just book I and II. I think it was Idil Biret's recording on Naxos but I no longer have the disc.

The Chopin E major etude is very common, but I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that. The disagreement we had over Op. 25/7 was about the balance between the voices. She thought my right hand was too thin and pale, that I relied too much on the pedal and my melodic approach was too wayward. Probably she was right. I'm not sure that I want to bring it to her again, though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB14jYD4LpU

The first one of the video. Beautiful, difficult piece that will show your versatility on it's own

Scriabin Op. 8 no. 11

C# minor Scriabin étude? I think op45

Yes, YES, YES!!!! I am so happy to see someone recommend Bortkiewicz. Heck, Koji's performance is practically the only one I've ever seen.

I didn't know the Bortkiewicz etude in question, or anything else he ever wrote for that matter. I just listened to the Youtube performance, following along with the IMSLP score. That is a beautiful piece of music, and not a bad choice for your audition. The Chopin op. 10 #3 seems like a cop-out to me. "Etude" generally connotes technical difficulty, and it just isn't that difficult to play. This piece, on the other hand, is very lyrical, but requires significant "chops," particularly in the left hand. A very nice mix of attributes.

Good luck with whatever you decide to play.

Actually, if you have the nerve to play it at Chopin's metronome marking all the way through, you'll find that it is a completely different piece of music than the overdone one.

Another suggestion - from Szymanowski's op. 4, either no. 1 or no. 3.

WTF was that all about?

I like this idea with the second Etude. So not only does it show that level of depth, but it also shows that you are not limited to only the popular composers en mass.

I think with a masterpiece selection of composer's and wokr's for your audition you should keep the same. I would recommend Chopin Opus 25 no 6 (One that i hear at every big piano competition) or the above Liszt transcendental etude no 10 is wonderful but even more colorful would be the #4 Mazeppa or the number 6. Berezovsky's DVD of the Lisz tTranscendental Etudes is wonderful for helping you decide which etudes of Liszt do you like best.

I've read all these suggestions, I appreciate them and I weighed them all against my abilities and needs. To be honest, I'm still kind of stuck on Debussy when it comes to closing holes in my program. I mentioned him in the opening post and I still really think I should play something by him. Uchida's recording of the cycle is unforgettable and really underlines how deep and complex this music is. Pour les Sixtes is especially sticking out in my head.

The Bortkiewicz or Rachmaninoff would also show flexibility and include different styles, but I'm going to have to diplomatically ignore them, I think. (I didn't really like the Bortkiewicz when I listened to it either.. *ducks!*)

Ducks, what about them?

Tasty with a little orange sauce.

Slower than ...?

I know I'm not a great math whiz, but if jeffreyjones plays it at 7-1/2 to a little over 8 minutes, as compared to the other's playing at 9 minutes, then jeffreyjones is playing it faster! No?

Regards,

I'm rounding up to give enough time for a breather, time for the judges to make their notes before asking for the next piece, etc. It's the same as factoring in applause. 45 minutes of music can easily translate to 50 minutes on stage.

Did you not read my question?

I thought the same thing, when I read this earlier.