Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Give me something to sight read!

Pretty simple: link me to a PDF on IMSLP, I'll record it and post the results. My only conditions are that it should be a classical piece for solo piano. Also, if you give me Godowsky or Alkan, I'll try it, but don't expect great results.

Waltz by Liszt

A few candidates from my to-read list:

Irish Tune from Country Derry (Grainger)

Antiche danze et arie per liuto, Suite No. 1 (Respighi, trans. Respighi)

Tango, from España (Albeniz, arr. Godowsky)

and, finally,

Einzug der Gäste auf der Wartburg (Wagner, arr. Liszt)

Sorry about the last one.

Here's a charming but little-known piece by Schumann. The first of the "Sonatas for the Young", written for Julie:

To Julie

I remember reading that you're an impeccable sight reader, right?

You ask for Alkan? Here you go!!

-Nocturne in B Major: http://imslp.org/wiki/Nocturne,_Op.22_(Alkan,_Charles-Valentin)
-Cello Sonata (do the second movement!):http://imslp.org/wiki/Sonate_de_Concert,_Op.47_(Alkan,_Charles-Valentin)
-Trois Morceaux dans le Genre Pathetique: http://imslp.org/wiki/3_Morceaux_dans_le_Genre_path%C3%A9tique,_Op.15_(Alkan,_Charles-Valentin)

I'd be interested in hearing these!

Also, not Alkan, but Bach/Petri: http://www.scribd.com/doc/17674819/PetriBach-Cantata-9-Sheep-May-Safely-Graze

I want to learn that transcription.

OK, I've recorded everything I can with the battery life of my camera and laptop.. it was killing my neck too!!!

Albeniz-Godowsky Tango: http://www.box.net/shared/eo6rgv34pcr8jhedo7gb
Grainger Irish Tune from Country Derry: http://www.box.net/shared/p5x337e3q68m4dm9945n
Liszt Mephisto Waltz No. 3: http://www.box.net/shared/y5zdp48lkz0h2znop6ji
Liszt-Wagner Einzug der Gäste auf der Wartburg: http://www.box.net/shared/jqgcvhv4v8eqo55pdrq2
Schumann Sonate fur das Jugend, Op. 118, No. 1: http://www.box.net/shared/kn46l8yjpzavi6e41un2
Alkan Nocturne in B major: http://www.box.net/shared/m3ix0zy8u9vid5er5k01
Respighi Antiche danze et arie per liuto, Suite No. 1: http://www.box.net/shared/zb51e1vu7hy3o22fkkzz

Wow! You are what I'm trying to become. So did this reading ability come natural to you or did you have to work directly at it?

I don't know, but I have a cassette tape from when I was 8 sight-reading Chopin's Nocturne in F minor Op. 55/2. I couldn't tell you if it was good teaching in my formative years or if it was inborn. I used to say it was my eyesight, but I had an inflammation over the summer which has knocked it down and it hasn't slowed me down.

Wow you are busy. I wish a had this work ethic. (I know, don't wish - do)

Did you at least practise sightreading regularly throughout the years, or did you not but can do it fluently anyway?

Bravo. I haven't listened to everything yet...the Liszt-Wagner was a little mean to throw in, and you did a good job for sight-reading. I mostly mean to look at it to gawk at Liszt's genius at orchestration on a solo piano, and even then, the last part is rather over the top. I enjoyed how you carried the line in the Grainger.

What did you think of the pieces, for sight-reading or otherwise?

I spent most of my free time at Oberlin checking books out of the library and reading through them.. almost everything in the standard repertoire and a lot of pieces that were nowhere near it. Mostly I was trying to get into the 20th century avant-garde, which I never did quite manage. I'm a romantic beast at heart.

By the way, after listening to the Respighi that was suggested, I downloaded Audacity so I could change the file size and upload it. It's my favorite of the bunch by some considerable margin, with the Alkan probably second..

http://www.box.net/shared/zb51e1vu7hy3o22fkkzz

Most of it isn't my kind of repertoire, which would be why I hadn't played it before. The Respighi is my favorite out of what was suggested, but it's too thickly written. It doesn't feel like it was written by or for a pianist at all.

The Alkan is a gem. I found myself playing it like it was Chopin, but finding it needed more passion when I listened to the results.

wow! that's pretty good. i never heard most of these pieces either, i should also try sight reading them and see how i stack up to you :P but then i'll need to print them out which kind of becomes a waste of paper.

I put my laptop in full screen mode and put it on top of my upright, then a click of the button turns the page. It would be easier if I had a grand since I wouldn't have to look up the whole time.

It wasn't. What you've got is a piano arrangement of the orchestral suite.

It's my favorite of Respighi's works, and the piano version, while awkward in spots, is still effective. (I was actually reading through it a couple of weeks ago. It's really wonderful!)

Good God. Please add that Alkan to your repertoire. You are totally correct that it is a gem. That was freaking AWESOME. You even did a great job on those running 6ths!! What the heck??

What I like from the Respighi is the Vincenzo Galilei piece, but then I went to a performance of the Carnival D'Aix ballet, and I liked Milhaud's arrangement much better.

You had posted something you sight read before and it was great. One of the reasons I picked the Liszt was the odd way it changed key signatures going from F# to C repeatedly, apparently using the key of C to eliminate excessive accidental signs. What do you think of this piece? Too narrow? I've a strange attraction to that three octave melody.

Compared to Liszt's other late works, it feels kind of awkward and spare. Take for example the Hungarian Rhapsody #16, which has been a favorite of mine going back two decades. The material is quite simple, but the way it's presented makes it build an amazing amount of intensity. The Mephisto Waltz #3 doesn't have that drama and cohesion.