Diploma Decisions..., Hmm... Options

[Lixandreth]

Okies, well I'm currently messing around with the guitar repertoire for DipABRSM in performance. Hurray and indeed hurrah. I did my grade 8 two years ago and I've toyed with the Dip idea for a while now. Figure that doing the performance work for it can't hurt my playing even if ultimately I decide not to take it.

So me and my teacher have been flicking through possibilities, ocassionaly having to discard some because my hands are too small, making a note of things I like, things I don't etc etc.

Now there's a piece (Tárrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra) which I despise, mainly because it's such a guitar 'standard' and I'm sick to death of it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) However, I've been playing it for a while now and I know I can play it well.

I know I'm going to be working so hard on these pieces for such a long time that really they should be things that I love but...it's really tempting to start my diploma work with a good knowledge of one piece already.

General opinions on what I should do? Either play a piece I don't like but am already quite good at, or start again with something new...

(I would imagine everybody will tell me the 2nd option but I think I need to hear it from other people! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif))

Thanks all.

Alix -x-

[mrbouffant]

Interesting problem! Because I'm inherently lazy I would probably keep the piece I know but don't particularly like... Do you think the fact it does nothing for you would affect your performance? Is there a risk you might just play the notes and not provide an interpretation?

[katyjay]

Quite a challenge.

I'll tell you what I did to choose my repertoire for LTCL. Bearing in mind that LTCL is a free choice of works, with an indicative syllabus, this is what happened.

I started with a work from the syllabus that I knew and had sung before. Then I added something else from the syllabus for which I already had a copy. Then my teacher suggested a work from the syllabus, and when that arrived I fell like a ton of bricks for the whole song-cycle from which it came. So the whole cycle got included.

At that point I realised that my second work and this song-cycle had a lot in common which would make the basis for a good recital theme, but the first work was completely unconnected and totally different. So my first choice got ditched.

Then I started to look for other works to add to the recital theme. Came up with several possibles, decided the theme was too broad and cut it down. Ditched the second choice work.

Chose the rest of the programme, decided something was missing, reinstated the second choice work and ditched some new stuff.

And finally reached my programme for the exam. But I tried out tons of other stuff as well, and had fun in the choosing - and although I had intended to do a song I know well, ended up letting that go first of all.

My advice would be to try out lots of stuff, but keep the work you know in your pocket in case you choose to use it - and don't be surprised if you end up not using it!