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Hello, I am thinking about auditioning at USF for piano performance, and here are their requirements:

"Audition Requirements Piano (Undergraduate)

B.M. Piano Performance Degree and Piano Pedagogy Degree

Please pick from three of the following list of four categories. All works should be performed from memory.

1. J. S. Bach Prelude and Fugue from the Well Tempered Clavier Book 1 or 2

-or- Two movements from a J. S. Bach French Suite, English Suite, or Partita
-or- Two contrasting D. Scarlatti Sonatas

2. One movement form a Classical Period Sonata
(Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert)

3. A Major Romantic Period Work

4. A 20th Century work


Sightreading may also be requested at the audition.

B. A. degree Music Major, or a Minor in Music

Please be prepared to play two contrasting works, each from a different time period. One of the two works should be performed from memory. Sightreading may also be requested at the audition."


The pieces I know and have memorized are:

Beethoven "Moonlight Sonata" (all three movements)
Chopin "Military Polonaise"
Chopin "Minute Waltz"
Chopin "Waltz #7"
Rachmaninoff "Prelude in C#Minor"


What do you think of my chances, and what should I play?

Any and all help would be very appreciated.

Colin Thomson

Can't say what your chances are, because we have no idea how well you play the pieces you listed.

The pieces you've listed are all very common intermediate pieces - if you want to stand out in an audition, you'll either need to play the heck out of those pieces, or you'll need to pick some more substantial repertoire.

If you're going for the B.M., you're short some pieces, you need some Bach and a 20th century piece. Also, the Chopin waltzes wouldn't count as a "major" romantic work - they're too short to be seen as substantial. Even the polonaise is debatable as to whether it is substantial enough.

Chopin and Rachmaninoff are both Romantic, so you'll probably need to add either a baroque or 20th century work.

That being said, the program you have might be acceptable, you'll just have to call the faculty and ask.

Also, if you go to USF for piano, you MUST study with Ivanov. He's completely brilliant in every way and you will thank me for years to come. (He's a friend of mine, and one my favorite people on the planet.)

Can't I please call Rachmaninoff 20th century? Please?

Also, I saw USF has a 'School Of Music" department. Does anybody know if that is like a conservatory, or does it still require the same amount of core studying? I will email them and ask, but I just wanted to see if anyone around here knew.

Thanks.


Colin Thomson

I looked at the USF website, and the University of South Florida does not seem to offer any music at all. Neither does the University of San Francisco.

Yeah, it is weird. I didn't find a link to it through the USF (south Florida) site either, but found this through google:

http://music.arts.usf.edu/

Colin :

You may call Rachmaninoff whatever you like to call him. Most juries, however, consider his style as late Romantic, and would not consider his piano works as examples of 20th century literature, particularly where there is an expectation that the 20th century work be a contrast to a Romantic work.

Regards,

I take classes at USF. They most definitely have a School of Music there.

Like I said, my friend teaches at USF, they have a music school, and the piano program is fairly strong.

It's a pretty typical mid-sized music school. It's not based on a conservatory model, but fits nicely within NASM guidelines. The designation "School of Music" is mostly just a name thing. It's still a university department and standard undergraduate degree requirements still apply.

Yeah thats kinda rough, a mean the moonlight 3rd movement is perfect. As for the romantic, waltz are definetely not major works. You might luck out with the polonaise, just make sure you call or email them and make sure, but you'd better play it exceptionally. Skip the 20th Century. Go with a Bach Prelude and Fugue. Bk 1 in C minor. its the 2nd one. Its really easy. You wont have a problem with it.

Are the 2 part inventions too easy? I ask because I am working on no. 4 right now, and it would be easier to get by the audition date (March 21). I e-mailed and asked them, but haven't gotten a responce yet.


Colin Thomson

There not too bad.. There no harder than the fugues. But the list says you have to play 2 parts from a partita or a prelude/fugue? Usually inventions arent what there looking for with bach. Im telling you work on that Cm. I didnt know you were so pressed for time. You could try the first one in C maj. You'll learn and memorize the prelude in like an hour lol... The fugues a little tougher than the Cm though.. But if they accept inventions I love no.8 in F, and the one in A minor, I think its No.13. Its awesome because there all two pages. At least all the ones I like. I used to play the first one in C.

Yeah, I kind of am pressed for time. That is why I was hoping an invention would work.

So, someone at Piano Street just told me my pieces were WAY too easy to get accepted into any university with anything like standards (or something like that). Am I just fooling myself with this? I am 18, turning 19 in June. Music is my passion, and Piano and Composition are my strengths. I think I have more natural talant in composition, but next to no training, with just a bunch of my own research for that. I have been trained in Piano, so I thought that would probably be the way to go.

But please be real with me. I really am not sure why I am not further in piano. I practice quite a bit, and try real hard. It just comes harder for some than others.

Anyway, I might try recording myself, so I can get some better feedback on what my options are.


Colin Thomson

I haven't read all the replies but here is my idea:
The requirement is not tough
Skip the 20th cent.

1. J. S. Bach Prelude and Fugue from the Well Tempered Clavier Book 1 or 2 3mins
B flat major of c minor of book 1 are the easiest.
Try B flat major if u are hurry.
if you are confident play the G major one in bk 1.
or sth longer doesnt matter if it is slow.

2. One movement form a Classical Period Sonata
(Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert)
Do the 3rd mvt. 5-6 mins
it is a bit too short do u have Sth else?? the moonlight is actually a sonata-fantasia it's difficult to seperate it into 3 mvts.

3. A Major Romantic Period Work
Is the Chopin longer than 10 minutes? 10mins
then it will be fine

The level of difficulty between the 2-part inventions vs. what they're asking for the Baroque period (suites, WTC, etc) is pretty different. I wouldn't bring inventions without advance permission.

At the same time, I generally advise people not to focus on the "level of difficulty" of their audition repertoire, rather they should focus on playing it well, whether hard/easy/weird/traditional...

There's a good bit of lousy advice I've read on that other forum, though I haven't spent much time in their equivalent of the pianist corner. Some of the stuff I've read there with regard to piano makers is just laughable...

For the sake of reference, I spent about 7-9 months learning my undergrad audition program for conservatory auditions.

The polonaise is probably only like 5 or 6 minutes. But they told me that auditions usually last about 10 to 15 mins, so I should have more than enough material.

Given the level you describe, I would steer clear of any fugues for an audition--you can learn those once you are in a school. I would advise my private students auditioning for my school, Brooklyn College, on your level, with two contrasting movements from a French Suite, say, a Courante or Allemande with a Saraabande, or a Gigue. Offer the entire Beethoven and let them choose what they want, atleast it's the one full piece you have of length. The Chopin group is a good idea, considering none of them are very long. 20th century--can you muster up the haunting Samuel Barber 'Nocturne'? It isn't terribly difficult and it creates a good mood and is 20th century.

LISTEN TO BIEGEL.

By the way, seriously consider taking the program you describe above "as is."

Even though the Rachmaninoff is basically romantic, I would much rather hear repertoire that you play well over repertoire that you threw together on short notice. My guess is the audition committee there would feel the same. Consider Beethoven, the Polonaise, and the Rachmaninoff. (Maybe ask first, but I would rather hear that than Beethoven, Polonaise, and something that's not well prepared.)

And if you play it well, I wouldn't take the invention off the table, either.

Oh, and ignore the Pianostreet people. They live mostly in a fantasy world where only conservatory grads have a chance at making a living doing music.

(As opposed to the real world, where people like you go on to have rewarding careers in music all the time...)