Ask! Programming
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Hi Greg,
I am a member of a Scottish Music Society and we are hoping to help young classical artists of great get their name in front of those that can help them launch their career. It seems to me a very crowded and ultra competitive market and that "mere" talent is a commodity. It is in the "other stuff" that positive differentiation has its best chance. I am considering doing videos for them in the vein that you have pioneered. Any advice? regards,
- Keir Smart
Hi Keir,
I always cringe a little when I read messages like this, as if I made the Ligeti video to help my career -- or the Piazzolla, Mozart, or Moonlight videos -- or any of the videos for that matter (...besides the blatantly promotional Anderson & Roe promo video, of course!)! These videos were inspired by an inner necessity: in the case of the Ligeti video, my desire to to make the angular, dissonant music relatable to non-classical audiences (read about my thoughts on the "Devil's Staircase" page); in the case of the Piazzolla videos, to highlight the charged chemistry, the physical friction, and that element of danger so inherent in Piazzolla's tangos; in the case of the Mozart video, to visually communicate the joyful dialogue between the two piano parts; in the case of the Moonlight video, to inspire YouTube users to watch music performances from an aesthetic point of view and NOT a critical point of view. And knowing these videos would be watched by an inattentive, distracted audience, we presented the material very differently than we would have for an audience in a quiet auditorium.
All of that said, the videos have been extremely helpful in enhancing my solo and duo careers -- but I think people respond to the videos because they came from an honest place. Likewise, audiences react differently to authentic, honest music making than they do to insincere, self-promoting music making.
If you are helping young musicians start their careers, I advise you to try a different approach. Instead of starting backwards ("the videos worked for Greg, so let's make similar videos"), start from the foundation -- from the artist himself or herself. Find what really makes a musician tick, and go from there. Perhaps a pianist really loves the most serious repertoire -- a YouTube music video of Beethoven's "Hammerklavier" sonata would be a terrible idea because it's not suited to the medium; likewise, a showy Brahms hungarian dance music video would be a terrible idea because it wouldn't represent the artist. Rather, consider new ways to energize both the artist and the music he or she loves: perhaps the "Hammerklavier" would benefit from a different mode of performance. The piece is epic, and to think it existed within the mind of a deaf genius! What if you developed a mode of performance that emphasized Beethoven's isolation from the world ... and at that point in his life, his closeness to God? An empty church seems to perfectly capture that twisted sense of isolation and spiritual intensity. You could charge $5,000 for a single ticket to the performance, a one-on-one experience with the "Hammerklavier" -- the pianist and the sole audience member in an otherwise empty church. That could be pretty powerful.
Try considering a "new-music" advocate on for size instead. Pretend your artist wants to present a piano piece by Wourinen. To me, his music sounds so haphazard and jagged; I could envision a wild concert experience in which the audience was in a warehouse. Imagine each person taking a couple shots (yes, of alcohol) at the start of the event (is there any other way to listen to Wourinen??). Now imagine each audience member being given a huge canvas and materials (crayons, buckets of paint, wet cement, or whatever!) and some instructions. When the pianist begins performing the piece, the audience completely lets loose and creates individual (or communal) works of art as dictated by the piece of music. My canvas would look like a no-holds-barred explosion. This experience would be tremendously exciting and memorable! I'd literally be "living" Wourinen's music, and I'd never listen to his music the same again. The piece performed by the pianist would be indelibly etched in my mind. I think it would have the power to be a profoundly moving artistic experience.
These ideas could enhance the communicative potential of the music, *and* they would probably generate a bit of publicity, which seems to be your goal. Consider this "ground-up" method, and see what you can construct for your artists!!
- Greg (Oct. 23, 2009)
Dear Greg,
I have some pieces you may be interested in. Want 'em? I have scores and recordings. Holla
Dear No Name,
Yes, I always enjoy looking at new scores and hearing new music. I make no guarantees that I will perform works you send -- my repertoire wish list is huge and there's never enough time to learn everything! You never know though -- the music you send could make it onto my wish list and someday be the perfect piece to fill a recital program, or inspire a recital program, for that matter!
- Greg (Aug. 3, 2009)
Dear Greg,
I am a college student who has recently won a prelim to my state competition for the miss america program. I have been advised to change my piece from a "dark" comtemporary prelude...??? Do you have suggestions for a dramatic and impressive piece from which I can easily arrange a 90 second segment? I am a classically trained pianist with over 13 years of lessons and will be working with my teacher on the new selection. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated--I am considering Lecuona's "Malaguena." However, I am not set on it or on that type of piece!
- C.T.
Dear C.T.,
Ummmmmmm. It's sounds like you need a very short but not horribly difficult encore piece. Off the top of my head: Liszt's First Transcendental Etude, Flight of the Bumblebee, Prokofiev's March from "The Love for Three Oranges."
Good luck with the pageant!
- Greg
Dear Greg,
My teacher told me I need to play something "big" and she said either Liszt or Rachmaninoff. I've played the Rach Elegie but have never played Liszt. She said a Liszt etude maybe? I like the Rachmaninoff Etude in d and think it would be easier than a Liszt etude. What would be a good liszt or rachmaninoff piece. I'll be using this as part of my audition/senior recital program so it I agree it needs to be good!
Josh in MS
Dear Josh,
Oooooo. I really dislike programming for judges. (Of course, I understand your dilemma.) I can make recommendations, but remember that I've never heard you play and I don't have a sense of your strengths and weaknesses.
There are a couple Rachmaninoff etudes in D minor, but I assume you are thinking of the calmer one. If you like it, then you should play it! Otherwise, many of the Liszt etudes aren't as hard as they sound (and many of the Rachmaninoff etudes are harder than they sound!). The second Transcendental Etude (in A minor) is pretty straightforward, but it packs a punch (perhaps your best bet). "Wilde Jagd" is a little tougher but still manageable. "Waldesrauschen" and "Gnomenreigen" are both good choices. "Un Sospiro" and the fifth of the Paganini etudes aren't especially "big," but they are beautiful pieces of moderate difficulty. Outside of the etudes - Liszt's transcription of Danse macabre by Saint-Saens is very impressive and not too difficult. It may not be "serious" enough for an audition. There are a couple movements from the Annees de pelerinage that could be appropriate - the Sonettos, Au Bord d'une Source and, Les Jeux d'Eaux a la Villa d'Este.
As for Rachmaninoff, have you considered some of the Preludes from Op. 23? Or the Moments musicaux?
- Greg
Greg, I'll be facing college auditions in about a year. I want to major in Piano Performance but I'm also thinking about Music History. What would be the perfect audition program? Most places around here require three contrasting pieces.
Josh in MS
Dear Josh,
You've asked an impossibly difficult question! There are a couple basic pieces of advice I can offer, but after that, things get tricky.
- Play pieces you enjoy playing. In order to be thoroughly prepared, you'll have to practice a lot - and that shouldn't be a problem if you are playing something you like!
- Play pieces that are within your abilities. A jury is much more impressed by controlled and musical playing than they are by messy playing of slightly harder music.
Okay. Now the tricky part. Do you play pieces that represent you or pieces that you're pretty sure the jury wants to hear?? In an ideal world, I would lay my heart right out on the table for the jury to pick apart ... but my honest choice of pieces would probably lead to a rejection letter! For example, if I had an audition tomorrow and was required to play three contrasting works, I would play a composition of my own, Earl Wild's transcription of Rachmaninoff's "On the Death of a Linnet," and my own transcription of Poulenc's "Nous avons fait la nuit" (I'd have to stay up all night long making the arrangement first!). I think that would be the perfect way for me to represent myself at this exact moment; it would certainly be a fast-path to the essence of "Greg."
Unfortunately, juries don't really work the same way I think audiences do! Most audition panels would be offended by my seemingly slight program - the short pieces, my own compositions(!), Itwo (count them: one, two) transcriptions, the sentimentality, the avoidance of anything pre-1900, my failure to showcase the extent of my technique, etc. Instead, I can tell you right now that the audition panels are going to want to hear you play a Beethoven Sonata and a substantial work by either Chopin, Schumann, or Brahms (or possibly Liszt or Mendelssohn). Juries seem to find that through these two categories, they can most easily asses a student's proficiency and musicianship. In the past, I have followed that formula to the best of my abilities and it has always worked for me. In your case, the third piece is flexible; it is less important, but it says more about who you are as a person. (It's usually safer to highlight your sophisticated side.) To contrast the Beethoven sonata and the Romantic work, I would recommend anything by Bach, Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev, or Bartok, or a sophisticated work by a well-known modern composer.
(There are, of course, exceptions to the above; however, I believe it to be the most straightforward a safe way to go about building an audition program.)
A jury forms many assumptions about a student just by looking at his or her program. Try to find three pieces (preferably within the confines mentioned) that represent you, compliment and contrast one another, and create a striking and memorable impression. Then: play well!
Good luck!!
- Greg
Hello Greg,
I am a Senior Music Education student and was wondering if you had any ideas for a senior recital program design. I play the Alto Saxophone but I thought that maybe you'll have some different aspects to bring to it.
Thanks,
Jordan
Dear Jordan,
Gosh, I can't say I've given much thought to Alto Saxophone programs. The first programming idea that comes to mind is a group of pieces based on song, capitalizing on the lyrical nature of your instrument. You could create your own transcriptions (it's really easy - just play the vocal line). ...perhaps a Schubert song or two, Faure (Apres un reve), Rachmaninoff, even Bach. Then you could include a couple more recent songs - a jazz standard, and a sophisticated pop ballade. A friend of mine played transcriptions of Sigur Ros and Radiohead on his senior recital. Is it sacrilegious to transcribe classical songs for sax? I don't really think so. I think such a program it would highlight just how much today's pop music has in common with 18th and 19th century music.
I wouldn't recommend filling the whole program with song transcriptions - too much of a good thing! You could balance them with some virtuoso showpieces, or a meaty contemporary piece.
You should also toy with finding ways to add your friends to the recital. It's really difficult to program a solo recital that will hold an audience's attention from beginning to end. Continually changing the performing forces is an easy way to prevent monotony. It will also help bring in more audience members! A good rule of thumb is to increasingly add more people to the stage and end with the most, although sometimes the reverse can be surprisingly effective.
I wish you and your audience a wonderfully enjoyable program and performance!
-Greg
