Yesterday my teacher suggested that I choose from these three pieces as a new piece to start working on for next semester:

Mendelssohn Rondo Capriccioso
Villa-Lobos "Minstrel Impressions"
Schubert Impromptu Opus 90 Number 1

I'm not at all familiar with the Mendelssohn or the Villa-Lobos. I'm not too familiar with the Schubert either; I have played the other three Opus 90 impromptus. Anybody know anything about these three pieces? I don't have access to a copy of the Mendelssohn or the Villa-Lobos, and I don't have my Schubert impromptus with me. Any information regarding these pieces would be helpful in helping me choose between these three pieces.

Thanks.

Ohhh! I love the Schubert Impromptus! Go for it!

CDS:

I don't want to tell you what I think you should play based on my tastes (too many on this forum already do that), but a good argument for going for the Schubert is that the four Op. 90 Impromptus make a very good program set; there's quite a variety of mood among them. There's a lovely, typically Schubertian melody in a two-against-three rhythm in the middle of the first Impromptu. Some musicologists look at the four Impromptus as the equivalent of a four-movement sonata. I find them more satisfying than the Schubert sonatas; they are musically more concise than some of the sonatas which tend to become long-winded.

Depending, however, on the size and content of your repertoire, you might feel you want to have a little more variety and would go for another composer, rather than going for another Schubert.

In the long run, it's your decision, isn't it?

Regards,

I agree with Bruce. The impromptus are very satisfying to play individually or in a set, and, if played well, can be a memorable experience for your audience. Plus, it would be a nice project to learn all four.

never heard the other two, but the mendelssohn rondo is a wonderful thing... i'm working on it now... it's a little on the difficult side but you should be able to handle it... you'll have fun playing this one... you can get a score from www.sheetmusicarchive.net

I just finished Mendehlsson Rondo & Cappricioso. It's a very fun piece and I really enjoy playing it. I highly recommend it.