Music Practical Ideas?

Prinkle

I'm in fifth year, I'm doing two instruments for the practical next year - banjo and piano - and I have banjo sorted. I can't say the same for piano unfortunately . I've decided on one of the pieces (Rachmaninov - Prelude in C# minor to give you some idea of where I'm at) and I thought I had another (a Chopin waltz) but my teacher's not too keen on the idea as they're both romantic and both in the same key.

I'll probably end up doing a different Chopin, so I need two others. Any ideas? I definitely prefer romantic music, and since I have two other types of music on the banjo I think maybe I could afford another romantic piece? Not sure though! Would love some suggestions if anyone's got any??

fauxshow

I'd say you're best off doing one classic, one romantic, one modern and then either a baroque or you could do a second romantic piece, but it would have to contrast! Like one in a major key, one in a minor, one fast movement from a sonata and one slow prelude. I did the 6 on piano and I had 2 classic, 2 romantic, 1 impressionist and 1 modern. For the two romantics I had the ''finale'' third movement of a Beethoven sonata in C minor, it was fast and long and showy offy, very polyphonic and a ''stormy'' mood. The other romantic was a very short and simple Chopin prelude, it was actually also in a minor key but it was slow and had a lullaby-type mood and the melody was in the left hand to contrast the rest of the pieces. So if romantic is what you like, play to your strengths and it looks impressive if you say to the examiner why you chose these pieces etc., I guess just make sure they contrast each other a bit! Good luck!

dan_d

Could you choose something more modern that may be "romantic"? I did 6 pieces in mine...one of the Bach Prelude and Fugues, The Swan, a Mozart Sonata (can't remember which!), Bohemian Rhapsody, Rondo Alla Turca, and Amigos Para Siempre (by Andrew Lloyd Weber). Covered a lot of eras with a lot of contrast, the examiner loved it. Like you I would be more suited to romantic music, but maybe something like The Swan would suit? It's not a very difficult piece to learn (I'm not entirely sure of your level, but I was around Grade 8), but is nice, from a different era but can be played in a somewhat similar style to romantic pieces. They do prefer a variation in the choice of pieces though.

Prinkle

I was considering a Muse song (Butterflies and Hurricanes maybe), very modern in terms of when it was written but the singer/pianist says his main influences are Rachmaninov and Chopin and that's fairly obvious in the music. See, I'm already doing three Irish trad tunes on the banjo and a rag, so maybe two romantic pieces on piano, one maybe Bach or something similar and a modern one? Any ideas for something quite difficult that's modern and has a big piano bit?

The Swan would be nice if I could get a good arrangement of it. It was written for cello wasn't it? And thanks too

Prinkle

fauxshow wrote: »

So if romantic is what you like, play to your strengths and it looks impressive if you say to the examiner why you chose these pieces etc., I guess just make sure they contrast each other a bit! Good luck!

Oh, can you talk to the examiners about your pieces like that??

Crow92

I love playing this piece, i know nothing of the music course but just thought i'd put it in

it's called Comptine d'un autre été l'aprés-midi by Yann Tiersen from the Movie Soundtrack of "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain"

Psychedelia

i wouldn't be too worried about era tbh...
I think you should play what your best at.

for chopin i recommend

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=4zfucyWHttk&feature=related

the b minor waltz op 69

also brahms no 15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy6uV-eMOEs

i think there will be plenty of contrast between rachmaninoff and brahms!

however in a total contrast the maple leaf rag is great fun to play and not near as difficult as it sounds!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_-rc

Prinkle

Thanks for all the suggestions! I love the music from Amelie, really lovely . Will definitely look into Brahms. Oddly enough I already can play bits of that Chopin waltz, so I've considered it for this as well. Think I'll avoid another rag though - not a huge fan tbh. My teaher's trying to persuade my to do a Gershwin song - anyone know any good ones? Could kinda take or leave him too really

fauxshow

Prinkle wrote: »

Oh, can you talk to the examiners about your pieces like that??

Yep I just sort of casually introduced some of my pieces before I started playing, I think it looks well to show that you're confident and genuinely interested in the music you're playing, and sort of indicate that you carefully chose the pieces for your repertoire! It seemed to make a good impression anyway.

In terms of moderny suggestions, anything by Muse would be deadly... but be aware that the examiner might be some old man and might be able to relate more to something they actually know! I know somebody who played something from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack for their exam, the song from the balcony scene. There's a lovely piece called 'Kissing You' from that movie too.

The Golliwog's Cakewalk by Debussy is something that would definitely contrast (did it for the JC lol), or a part of Bartok's Sonatina from Bagpipes (it's a piano piece that's supposed to emulate the bagpipes, with a mid-section inspired by a folk dance, it's lovely, very dramatic, I played it as my final piece to end on a good note!)

There's a very nice and difficult Prokofiev March in the current grade 8 Associated Board book, it would be another good dramatic finish! Copland also might be a nice contrast, do you know Cat and Mouse? It's from ''Humouristic Scherzo''

Prinkle

Ok thanks again for all the suggestions. I've decided on the Rachmaninov, the Brahms and a Bach piece. Now my teacher has suggested something along the lines of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' for my last piece, but I don't want to do that song as I'll be sick to death of it anyway (it's one of our set works). Can anyone think of anything similar?

(Good luck to all doing exams btw!)

AndyOHart

I know it sounds silly because its a song from a video game, but trust me here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08RYp-uDpPo

It is from Final Fantasy X and its fairly beautiful.