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You could do what the young Rudolf Serkin once did, and play the Goldberg Variations. The conductor said he should do an encore, and suggested the GVs as a joke. When Rudolf finished playing, everybody had gone home.
Encore used to mean, "Play it again!" In the days before recordings, you might only get to hear a piece once in your life. If you liked it, you would shout, "Encore!" and hope that it would be repeated, so you could savor it longer.
Nowadays, that is not the tradition, and encores are different pieces, and they are limited by the contract with the house, curfews, and other restrictions.
Encore used to mean, "Play it again!" In the days before recordings, you might only get to hear a piece once in your life. If you liked it, you would shout, "Encore!" and hope that it would be repeated, so you could savor it longer.....
I've been at a couple of concerts, maybe a little more than a couple, where it was treated that way. The first was in the late '60's, solo recital by Alexander Brailowsky, where one of his encores was a repeat of the last couple of pages of the last piece on his program, which was Chopin's C minor Etude from Op. 25. At that time, I didn't know that "encore" had ever been what you said, and I wondered literally if Brailowsky was losing his marbles and didn't remember that he had just played the piece.
There was also one time, at least one, where an orchestra repeated the last movement of whatever had been the last piece on the program as their encore.
First off, Jean Francaix, being the witty fellow he was, actually wrote a set of five encores, each with a funny subtitle. Here's the last one -
A favorite my teacher used to play to great effect was Villa-Lobos' O Polichinello, which Rubinstein played frequently
Another memorable one - the Dohnanyi Capriccio from his op.28 etudes. Unfortunately, unlike many splashy encores, it really is as difficult as it sounds.
I once heard Dubraka Tomsic put an entire audience into an otherworldly trance with this -
Another extraordinarily beautiful quiet encore
Depending on the recital, the rags by Bolcom can be great encores. Audiences seem to love this one - IIRC, Kissin has played it for an encore.
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So, that's just a few of my favs. I'll probably think of another dozen as soon as I post this - it always seems to happen that way.
Encore used to mean, "Play it again!" In the days before recordings, you might only get to hear a piece once in your life. If you liked it, you would shout, "Encore!" and hope that it would be repeated, so you could savor it longer.
Nowadays, that is not the tradition, and encores are different pieces, and they are limited by the contract with the house, curfews, and other restrictions.
It still happens once in a while, though. I remember being surprised while watching a video of the inaugural concert of the Philharmonie de Paris in 2015 - Grimaud encored the last movement of the Ravel G Major. Although that performance of the concerto is on YouTube (and it is very good), the encore isn't included, which is too bad. I can't find the video of the entire concert anymore, which is also too bad.
wr, I've seen Ravel G Major with the 3rd movement performed again as an encore. My friend said she saw Saint Saens 5 and they encored the third movement.
As to the OP, Alkan's "En Songe" (No. 48 from Esquisses) is one of my favorite encores.
after any decent recital one has to play encores, and one should like to do so, at least I do. What are your favourite encores?
I'm puzzled by your question. I'm sure that, as a seasoned concert pianist, you will be familiar with almost all the suggestions people make. And one person's favorite encore is not way to select an encore for one of your recitals. I think there are hundreds or thousands of good ones.
The only think I don't like is when a pianist plays a highky virtuosic last piece in the recital and then follows up immediately with a flashy encore.
In general terms, I like an encore that is lyrical, straightforward, and warm in "feel". I don't have particular favorites but composers like Mompou, Poulenc, Grieg, Rebikov come to mind -- i.e., specialists in "miniatures". It is also an opportunity to introduce small pieces by the "great" composers. Short dances by any number of composers over the centuries is another good way to go. But I think the best idea of all is to program something that YOU like quite specially, given the length and charm constraints cited above.
The only think I don't like is when a pianist plays a highky virtuosic last piece in the recital and then follows up immediately with a flashy encore.
I'm certain I'm not understanding you. So does this mean you would prefer an encore which is understated and reserved? Like a Satie, perhaps?
across the stone, deathless piano performances
"Discipline is more reliable than motivation." -by a contributor on Reddit r/piano "Success is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration." -by some other wise person "Pianoteq manages to keep it all together yet simultaneously also go in all directions; like a quantum particle entangled with an unknown and spooky parallel universe simply waiting to be discovered." -by Pete14
The only think I don't like is when a pianist plays a highky virtuosic last piece in the recital and then follows up immediately with a flashy encore.
I'm certain I'm not understanding you. So does this mean you would prefer an encore which is understated and reserved? Like a Satie, perhaps?
Any non super virtuosic piece. I wouldn't favor Satie as I don't think much of him.There are thousands of non virtuosic pieces other than the unbiquitous Satie Gymnopedies. The piece doesn't even have to be slow as long as it's not a virtuoso showpiece. The second encore can and often does go back to something virtuosic. Very few pianists make the mistake of playing a virtuoso showpiece as a first encore if they ended their recital with a showpiece.
Any non super virtuosic piece. I wouldn't favor Satie as I don't think much of him.There are thousands of non virtuosic pieces other than the unbiquitous Satie Gymnopedies. The piece doesn't even have to be slow as long as it's not a virtuoso showpiece. The second encore can and often does go back to something virtuosic. Very few pianists make the mistake of playing a virtuoso showpiece as a first encore if they ended their recital with a showpiece.
Understood! Had the wrong meaning of "flashy" in my mind.
across the stone, deathless piano performances
"Discipline is more reliable than motivation." -by a contributor on Reddit r/piano "Success is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration." -by some other wise person "Pianoteq manages to keep it all together yet simultaneously also go in all directions; like a quantum particle entangled with an unknown and spooky parallel universe simply waiting to be discovered." -by Pete14
It was the pre-Youtube days (15 years ago?) and it took me a while in the internet to figure out what it was and a kind person (in Europe somewhere) sent me the Boosey and Hawkes score.
Now this one and Liebesbotshaft are on my "things to do" bucket list
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