So a friend has asked me to play at his wedding in September... I said yes despite not having played in public for over 10 years, now just need to figure out what to play.

It will be a fairly low-key affair, probably in a church. I ran through some of my repertoire with him and he seemed to like the following:
Faure - Romance sans paroles no.3
Liszt - Consolation no.3
Beethoven - Pathetique 2nd mvt
Scriabin - Poeme op.32 no.1

Can anyone suggest some other pieces? Particularly for the processional & recessional (entering & exiting).

Thanks!

Bach Prelude in C Major is wedding music
Claude Debussy Arabesque No.1 is wedding music
Canon in D is wedding music
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata Mov. 1 I think is wedding music


I think there is some Handel to go with that. Those are the wedding pieces that (I) know.

Sorry to say, but Moonlight Mov. 1 is funeral music. I've played it once on a funural. Mov 2 is more like it. For weddings please play happy "major key" music like some Mozart or emotional not too heavy stuff like Clair de Lune.

favorite classical suggestions

Yeah I would probably laugh out loud if I heard Mov. 1 at a wedding but I think that is still just a matter of subjective perception (albeit the popular one).

I don't think Glenn Gould's interpretation would seem terribly out of place.



Edit: After listening to it again all the way through it does still seem it would be a bit odd at a wedding Better stick with Mov. 2 if you want to play it safe!

Schumann-Liszt: Widmung (Dedication)
Liszt: Liebestraum no. 3 in Ab
Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini (18th Variation)
Chopin-Liszt: My Darling
Debussy: The Girl with the Flaxen Hair and Reflets Dans l'Eau
Elgar: Salut d'Amor
Schubert: Impromptu op90no3
Schubert: Impromptu op120no2

Hi,

I just happen to have a cursory look in passing this thread and thought I would share some knowledge! Derek Bourgeois (an English composer) wrote a piece originally for his daughter’s weeding I think and I’m pretty sure it was originally composed for organ. It’s on youtube (I’ve never heard it played quite as fast as this performance though). I know it’s only a low key affair but just thought you’d like to know (not sure if there is a piano arrangement though).

Best,

Anthony.

Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah if you can get somebody to sing or you can sing.

I heard there was a Secret Chord, That David played and pleased the lord, but you don't really care for music, do you?

It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor far, the major lift, the baffled king was composing Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah. Look it up on youtube. I actually saw it in a book filled with wedding songs before.

I'm not sure If ave maria is too sad, but I think it would be great.

Liszt version is my favorite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52wVimT4h_A

I played piano at a wedding not too long ago, and I played Mendelssohn Song Without Words op 38 no 6 and Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring as a duet with a cello player. Those were both background music as the guests were seated. The other musicians also played canon in D. For the processionals, we played Ave Maria and then Trumpet Voluntary for the bride's processional. For the ending processional we played Ode to Joy.

Something different for processional can be any of Satie's gymnopedies. I'd go with the first one. I've done it once myself and it ended up being really special. There's something about the pace that is perfect for slow and elegant procession...and there's something optimistic about the overall sound(especially with the 1st...to my taste) and all in all its a unique choice that can work really nice for the right couple.

How about a funeral march for the processional and "March to the Scaffold" for the recessional?

Die Meistersinger would sound great.

Best,

Anthony.

I have the sheet music to it. PM me your email addy if you want it or Rhapsody on a Theme.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and sorry for the late response! Lots of the pieces suggested are in my repertoire or somewhere in my sheet music collection at least

Found a score for Wedding Day at Troldhaugen at my mum's place the other day. It's good fun and would make a grand recessional!

I tend to agree that Moonlight mvt 1 is a bit too sad for a wedding...


Those are wonderful suggestions, thanks!


That was really interesting. I admit I wasn't enamoured with it on first listening; I'm not very familiar with organ music and it sounded a bit messy to me. Still, it's not my decision, if the bride & groom like it then I'll look for sheet music.


Adam, that version is my favourite too... if I ever grow a third arm or a few extra fingers, I'll definitely give it a go!


Great idea, I'm sure I have the score for these and they're quite easy sight reading. Thanks!


And perhaps Le Gibet while they're signing the contract?


Will do, thanks!