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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,662
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[...] - it falls flat unless you are miraculously gifted in the melodic department. For a younger pianist, the virtuoso writing of Prokofiev is probably a better idea. It's just a lot of muscle memory and hard work; there aren't a lot of deep musical problems. We're not all the same, you know!  Maybe he has the temperament for the Brahms. If he did, though, I don't think he would be asking us any questions. A good musician should know what he likes to play and where his strengths lie. The fact that he doesn't seem to know makes me lean towards the Prokofiev. I've found that his lexicon is pretty accessible to my generation and younger.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 414
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Maybe he has the temperament for the Brahms. If he did, though, I don't think he would be asking us any questions. A good musician should know what he likes to play and where his strengths lie.
The fact that he doesn't seem to know makes me lean towards the Prokofiev. I've found that his lexicon is pretty accessible to my generation and younger.
That's an excellent deduction, and although I'm not fond of generalizations, in my personal experience your original assertion is generally (ha!) accurate. For my temperament, though, the Prokofiev would be a nightmare! It's a great work and I adore it, but to play it? Disaster!
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 6,050
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And even if it isn't a multi-round competition: It's really considered OK to spend such a period of time working on just one piece, and cramming it for a competition? YMMV. I've had to do just that before, and so far I haven't grown any warts! There have been several instances when a concert series or conductor wanted to hear a certain piece, and only that piece, leaving little choice in the matter (this has actually happened to me four times this year already, ugh). If you're subbing last minute (and lots of great gigs come about this way), there's really no choice! I don't doubt that people do do that. But I'm skeptical if it works well for many, and wouldn't think it's considered advisable, from any standpoint, including even for learning that one piece, if we're talking about reaching a competition-appropriate comfort with it. Seems like just a bad diet  and something to be discouraged. I think it all depends on how you look at it. If you have some downtime in your schedule, I don't see anything wrong in focusing on one piece for a few months, especially if it's something that you'll likely play a lot in the future (and I think Brahms 1 or Prokofiev 2 fits that bill). However, you're right in that it's probably not an advisable plan for long-term study. Anyway, back to practicing Rzewski, which I will be doing exclusively from now until the end of summer.
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Joined: Nov 2007
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Anyway, back to practicing Rzewski, which I will be doing exclusively from now until the end of summer. A bit off topic, but worth mentioning I think: I made a thread asking for contemporary works for a gift to a friend of mine. because of you I decided to go for Rzewski variations...  (you didn't post in the thread, but I remembered you mentioning it)...
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Joined: Nov 2009
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....I've had to do just that before, and so far I haven't grown any warts! There have been several instances when a concert series or conductor wanted to hear a certain piece.... I figured you could do stuff like that. But IMO you're sort of changing the subject. That's not competitions. I guess you don't think there's the difference that I think there is. And I guess "YMMV" on this too, because, after all, to Debrucey it would be the other way around! I think for most people, though, a competition is a more stressful and more demanding thing. I would think our advice should best take that into account, and we mostly aren't.
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