Grade 8 Flute music? Options

[playingtheflute]

[quote name='barry-clari' date='Nov 6 2011, 01:55 PM' post='1102833']
[quote name='playingtheflute' post='1102819' date='Nov 6 2011, 12:14 PM']

My teacher adores Ian Clarke, and urged me to play sunstreams, but it seems really high and complicated :/

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Sunstreams is all over youtube, have a good listen to it. His compositions, if you work them out, are great fun (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
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[quote name='randomsabreur' date='Nov 6 2011, 02:53 PM' post='1102869']
I bought but didn't get on with Sunstreams as well as I have got on with the Mouquet (Pan and the Shepherds). I could play it OK but didn't click with it musically. The runs were OK after plenty of slow practice but as it's relatively simple noteswise, I think the examiner will be looking for more interpretation that I could have given it.

Rondo in D was my "safety net" choice for A. Not mad on it, it's no where near as good at the two Concertos (or the Andante in c!) but it's relatively easy for Grade 8. I'm playing the Abel Concerto first movement for A as I prefer it (it's somewhere between Baroque and Classical in style). Not masses of fast tonguing required as it's quite a steady Allegro, most of the fast bits are slurred.

I really fell for the Wellesz in list C, Muczynski also sounded appealing but never got into playing it as I started with the Wellesz and pretty well fell in love so haven't bothered learning any of the other C list pieces I bought. [/quote]

[quote name='Flossie' date='Nov 7 2011, 01:03 AM' post='1103041']
What about the Hindemith? It needs accurate articulation to convey the music properly, but it's things like accents and contrasts rather than lots of tonguing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) It does require a decent accompanist, though, as the piano part is reputedly a lot harder than the flute one...

The Poulenc is a lovely piece, but probably not the best option if you're uncomfortable with double tonguing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)
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[quote name='gedall40' date='Nov 6 2011, 06:20 PM' post='1102926']
For the List B piece, don't forget the Poulenc first movement (well, I would say that, wouldn't I? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ). I am not planning Grade 8 just at the moment, but as I played the second movement for Grade 7 I have the complete sonata, so I have tried it out.

The runs are fast, but not too long and are all basically just scales. There are plenty of impressive trills. There is scope for dynamic range and mood creation. Plus a couple of extra challenges like a staccato semiquaver top C and some demisemiquaver double tonguing. But in my opinion and from my experience of the last few months, they are all "do-able".
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[quote name='andante_in_c' date='Nov 6 2011, 01:06 PM' post='1102816']
No, there is no Grade 8 exam book: you have to buy the pieces separately.
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[quote name='Lemontree' date='Nov 7 2011, 08:41 AM' post='1103050']
I will play the Mouquet (which one I have not yet decided) and Koehler book 3 no. 8. The Mouquets both have their difficulties. But the very very fast run in the beginning of the birds needs some getting used to. Since I am doing Tomasis Le petit chevrier corse in December for my grade 5 I can already say that the constantly changing time values are very similar to the Grade 5 piece. The main difficulty is keeping up the speed with the 64th and 128th notes. There is a very beauthiful recording by Galway on youtube.

The Koehlers are quite nice as well. I played no. 8 already in a concert in May. So I will work on that one to get it to the quality I would like to have. They are all three similar in difficulty, though and have their moments. But neither of them is as hard as no. 1 in the first book in my opinion. That one I found a real nuisance. Also I play it for two years now, I am still not satisfied with its quality.
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Thanks for everyone's help here! I just thought I'd try and quote everyone and just give a little update to how I've done. I ended up doing A4- Handel, B1-Sunstreams and the Wellsz (C8?) for my pieces. I thought the exam went terribly, but ended up getting 114! For my pieces, I got 22, 25, 25. 15 for scales and sight reading (I couldn't play 2 of the scales, and the rest weren't great, so I was a bit surprised!) and 12 for my aural (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Thanks for all your help, and I thought it would be nice to just tell you how I got on (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[flobiano]

Congratulations on your result, playingtheflute, very well done. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[playingtheflute]

Congratulations on your result, playingtheflute, very well done. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I just realised how much my quoting failed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[Gizzie]

www.flutetunes.com is an excellent website that has many of the grade 7 pieces on it for free. It's totally legal, because the pieces are out of copyright and they've done their own arrangements. You could see if any of the grade 8 pieces are there to try out first, before you go ahead and choose and buy your score.

It also has a really good random tune generator which is excellent for sight reading practise.

Regards
Gisela