Trinity Guildhall Lack Of Grade 8 Chopin/brahms/schubert, im not happy Options

[1993allende]

for my grade 8 i decided to go with the trinity guildhall sylabus (cba with scales in 3rds, 5ths, 6ths and singing!). The only drawback is the fairly horrendous choice of exam pieces. There is an abscence of chopin, brahms, schubert which completely eliminates my strength which is the standard romantic repertoire. Instead it looks like im playing rachmaninov melodie op3 no3, beethoven scherzo and trio (sonata op2 no3). I have little quarrel with these (isnt the rachmaninov nice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif) ) but then i am left with the prospect of elgar (very unpianistic), mendellsohn song without words op67 no2 (very impossible). The possibility of mozrt, bach and hyden is ruled out by my lack of finger flexability an joint strength (ive only been playing approx 3.5 years lol). Thus the lack of chopin, brahms etc is not welcome (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) and i am stuck with a dilemma. Do i grit my teeth and bluff through abrsm scales, aural etc and get the luxury of some nice chopin, or do i go trinity and bear the elgar or butcher the mendellsohn. Anyone who has seen the trinityguildhall lists will know what i mean so i am open to any other suggestions. Before you ask, no i cant compose well enough to play my own composition (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

[Dulciana]

A couple of my pupils would agree about the syllabus - they've struggled to find three pieces that they like enough to spend a lot of time on. The Bach is quite long, though not impossible - have you tried that one? It's very interesting to play, and will grow on you a lot even if you don't immediately fall for it. The Joplin and Rachmaninov are not very difficult options, though I do agree that the Mendelssohn is hard to carry off well. Dizzy Fingers, in my opinion, is a gift! Pretty basic scalic passages that anyone at this level really ought to be able to manage. Your teacher may get very sick of listening to it very quickly, though... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[Mad Tom]

A couple of my pupils would agree about the syllabus - they've struggled to find three pieces that they like enough to spend a lot of time on.

That is depressing. I think that the TG repertoire list for Grade 8 is packed with interesting and attractive music. Have your pupils actually listened to all of it? Apart from the major composers: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn etc., there is the selection I mentioned in my first post on this thread

Chabrier "Villageoise" from Pieces Pittoresque, a Piazolla Tango, Debussy's "Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum", One of Ireland's "London Pieces", a Scott Joplin rag, a Bartok Rondo, a York Bowen composition

All of them fine and worthwhile works. How can a pianist not want to play all of them?

If a pianist cannot find three pieces that they want to play on that repertoire list I think it tells us more about them than about any deficiencies in the list. If I were doing the TG Grade 8 would have the opposite problem. Choosing what not to learn.