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Hags888 · 09-02-2006, 09:30 PM

Here goes nothing *taking first dive into the pool*

When I've done recitals, I think about a number of things:

1. Length
-How long is the recital going to be? an hour? two hours? What I choose for music is partly determined by how long the recital is going to be. For a longer recital, I'm going to want to be very conscious of how "choppy" the pieces are...cause we all know it takes an enormous amount of endurance to play through a 2 hour solo recital. Who wants to "try" to play the Hindemith and the Tomasi back to back, espeically if you've already been playing for an hour?

2. Audience
-Who and what is the recital for? If it's a degree recital, or one you're giving for your own students, then you should probably have all your stylistic bases covered. For degree recitals in particular choosing, for example, an "all french" recital probably isn't the best idea. On the flip side, if you're programming a recital as a "solo artist" in a church, or recital hall, then maybe hitting all the stylistic bases isn't a requirement. Doing an "all french" recital as a solo artist might actually be a good idea in that instance.

3. What fits you
-Finally, after you've figured out the practical issues of programming, you have to consider, what can you actually sound good on? Not everyone can sound like Eric Aubier on the Tomasi, so programming it for its own sake, or to say "I played the Tomasi on a recital" may not be the best idea. Would you rather say "I played the Tomasi [like crap]", or "I sounded great on the Bitsch Capriccio." If certain styles or pieces suit you better than others, program more of those kinds of pieces. Likewise if a certain piece is out of your reach wherever you are in your playing, that's ok...you shouldn't program a piece to "prove something." Not every situation will allow you pick things that suit you, but it will help you have a more successful recital if you can.

So, in general I try to pick pieces that I can play well, and that will allow me to be successful in a solo setting, all the while paying attention to my audience and the type of recital at hand.

that's my 2-cents.

09-02-2006, 09:30 PM	#10 (permalink)
Hags888 Pianissimo User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Posts: 143	Here goes nothing taking first dive into the pool When I've done recitals, I think about a number of things: 1. Length -How long is the recital going to be? an hour? two hours? What I choose for music is partly determined by how long the recital is going to be. For a longer recital, I'm going to want to be very conscious of how "choppy" the pieces are...cause we all know it takes an enormous amount of endurance to play through a 2 hour solo recital. Who wants to "try" to play the Hindemith and the Tomasi back to back, espeically if you've already been playing for an hour? 2. Audience -Who and what is the recital for? If it's a degree recital, or one you're giving for your own students, then you should probably have all your stylistic bases covered. For degree recitals in particular choosing, for example, an "all french" recital probably isn't the best idea. On the flip side, if you're programming a recital as a "solo artist" in a church, or recital hall, then maybe hitting all the stylistic bases isn't a requirement. Doing an "all french" recital as a solo artist might actually be a good idea in that instance. 3. What fits you -Finally, after you've figured out the practical issues of programming, you have to consider, what can you actually sound good on? Not everyone can sound like Eric Aubier on the Tomasi, so programming it for its own sake, or to say "I played the Tomasi on a recital" may not be the best idea. Would you rather say "I played the Tomasi [like crap]", or "I sounded great on the Bitsch Capriccio." If certain styles or pieces suit you better than others, program more of those kinds of pieces. Likewise if a certain piece is out of your reach wherever you are in your playing, that's ok...you shouldn't program a piece to "prove something." Not every situation will allow you pick things that suit you, but it will help you have a more successful recital if you can. So, in general I try to pick pieces that I can play well, and that will allow me to be successful in a solo setting, all the while paying attention to my audience and the type of recital at hand. that's my 2-cents. __________________ Do or do not. There is no try. http://www.scotthagarty.com Last edited by Hags888; 09-02-2006 at 09:34 PM.