piano performance (-o'.')-o (1 Viewer)

[sephiroth*]

This is what im doing so far. Can any1 suggest a good piece to perform in a different category other than these so i can clear 50% of music now

im doing music 1

Chopin - Nocturne in e flat minor ( easy band 6) [ROMANTIC]
Chopin - C # minor or waltz 64 no 2 (another very easy band 6) [POPULAR]
Beethovern - Sonata Pathetique 1st movement c# minor [CLASSICAL] exceeds 5 mins tho, so i got to cut sum stuff out or stop when it reaches the next grave part.


And some advice on playing baroque pieces, i can't seem to put any emotion into them. ><

thanks

 

[insert-username]

And some advice on playing baroque pieces, i can't seem to put any emotion into them. ><

Baroque pieces aren't meant to have much emotion. Remember that the baroque period's main instrument was the harpsichord, which did not have the dynamic range of pianos today. Thus, baroque pieces are heavily ornamented to create interest, and aren't meant to have a big range of louds and softs. The main pillars of a baroque piece are an utterly constant tempo (this is a must) and note security. Don't worry too much about the emotion. It's just not the style.

Anyways, a great contemporary piece is Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag. It's about Grade 7 piano for leisure standard, and it's fantastic for general performance. It's a Contemporary piece and is of a very different style to your other pieces - syncopated melody over a march accompaniment. Plus, it's fun to play, and that's all the better when you're preparing for an exam.

Other fun, contemporary pieces include Christopher Norton's Rock Preludes and Latin Preludes - these are rocky, syncopated, and sound great if you like that sort of style. Good luck!


I_F

 

[sephiroth*]

Thanks 4 the gwd advice, i advoid baroque period 4 now 4 the hsc cos it doesnt suit me.

i learn joplin maple leaf rag
heard of it b4, pretty famous^

 

[icycloud]

What other categories do you need?

 

[sephiroth*]

You just need 4 categories. Baroque is very unlikely to pop up because theres all guitarist and drum player's. Onli few pianists.

Just got to consider orchestral/band (anything more than 1 intrument playing)

ja

 

[Phanatical]

It's completely untrue that baroque pieces should be played without emotion. Certainly there are more frameworks within which pieces should be interpreted, but the challenge is to balance these considerations within your performance practice. To best reflect the intentions of the composer, a performer should not just read what's on the page, but also the performance practice of the time. In context, the Baroque period was one where a greater emphasis was placed on things like improvisation and freedom of expression. It's not true that Bach et al should be played "meccanico". Rather, most musicologists believe the performer was ENCOURAGED to add his or her own embellishments and apply a unique musical interpretation to a work.

That's the challenge of Baroque music - one has to attempt to understand it before one can play it. From the book "The Interpretation of Early Music", "expression is the reaction between what a performer brings to the music and what he finds there". The absence of expression markings in Baroque and Classical works is not an indication that the expression itself is absent - some have suggested that the lack of markings actually forces a performer to absorb him/herself in the music, and interpret the music to the unique characteristics of the performance.

 

[Bunny04]

Yeah, like above- i'd really have to disagree with the comment 'Baroque pieces aren't meant to have much emotion' - that would really show the examiner that you have no understanding of the era or style of the baroque period.
Baroque, MUSICALLY can be one of the hardest styles to play, properly that is. Technically it's usually quite ok or easy, but musically it's up to the performer. It's not written out like classical or contemporary works, it's something that requires alot of work.
IF you haven't got it right, musically- you'll be marked down considerably.

 

[Joni Next Door]

You should talk to your teacher about what the markers expect... the piano wasn't invented till the early 18th century (?), so hmmm... I dno though... I didn't choose my own pieces *grumble grumble*, so this wasn't an issue.

 

[Phanatical]

Around the 1720's, but that's besides the point. Baroque music wasn't designed just for play in a particular setting with particular instruments. It was designed to be interpreted for the performer's own considerations, including instrumentation, expression, and styles appropriate for certain audiences and venues.