Dipabrsm Viva Voce Practise, Would anyone give me some suggestions? Options

[AlexDBS]

Don't worry, that's the sort of thing I was after - Schubert's piano music is full of 'good melodies', that could just as well have been sung.  It's partly what makes his music popular - people like something they can hum along to :).

Does it mean I only have to mention that, the good melodies in Schubert's works were likely composed to be sung?

[YetAnotherPianist]

Don't worry, that's the sort of thing I was after - Schubert's piano music is full of 'good melodies', that could just as well have been sung.  It's partly what makes his music popular - people like something they can hum along to :).

Does it mean I only have to mention that, the good melodies in Schubert's works were likely composed to be sung?

The thing you've got to remember is that now, whilst you have the opportunity to look up anything you want and compose your thoughts, you will be able to give better, and more in depth, answers than you will in the exam. This is of course good though as you're learning a lot of facts from it and can hopefully recount some of them in the exam. The answer you gave to the question about Schubert would be perfectly adequate in an exam to such a question, some questions require more in-depth answers than others. Also remember that if the examiners require any more depth they will ask and, whilst it's not advisable to always give them only a little and make them ask for more, they will ask further questions if necessary; them doing this once or twice won't cause you to lose many (if any) marks.

Regarding the Schubert the second paragraph of writing that you found is just the sort of thing you needed, and your answer based on that was absloutely fine. Just saying the melodies were composed to be sung is not so good however as they were composed to be played; but saying that his lyrical gift that he used so much in writing songs clearly shows in the melodies in his other works, and expanding as you did, is a good answer. Of course if the examiner is unhappy with that level of depth they will ask questions based on what you said, so it's important to only make statements that you can justify if questioned further, for example to further this question the examiner could ask which works in particular you think that this gift shows the most in.

[fenfen]

hi my pieces are about the same as yours. i've played the bach, mozart and gershwin prelude II and III. these are some questions that i can remember for my exams hope it helps.

Bach:
1. what is meant by toccata. Does any other composers write toccata and how does it differ?
2. what's the difference between the harpsichord and the piano you've played today? how did you played it?
3. could you pls guide me through the adagio section how you have played the way you did.

Mozart:
1. What do you think of using pedal to play Mozart's pieces?
2. Would you use any rubato in Mozart's pieces?
3. Mannheim orchestra influence this particular composition?

Gershwin:
1. What contribution does he have to the music industry at his time?
2. Any other american composers you know?
3. What's the difference between the conventional american music and his?

Hope it helps.. i did quite badly in the viva.. sad... so all the best to you~~!

[AlexDBS]

Oh...I have realised how serious the problem is...
I play one Gershwin's prelude because I think the preludes are excluded from the 05 syllabus. However, I don't know I can play the one in the 04 syllabus. If the examiner ask me why I am playing only one prelude, how can I answer? Obviously I cannot answer sonething like "I don't read the syllabus clearly". Should I play one more prelude from now? There are just 25 days left for my exam!!!

[YetAnotherPianist]

Oh...I have realised how serious the problem is...
I play one Gershwin's prelude because I think the preludes are excluded from the 05 syllabus. However, I don't know I can play the one in the 04 syllabus. If the examiner ask me why I am playing only one prelude, how can I answer? Obviously I cannot answer sonething like "I don't read the syllabus clearly". Should I play one more prelude from now? There are just 25 days left for my exam!!!

It could be your own choice piece - it's short enough, and the rest of the pieces you are playing are on the syllabus.

[AlexDBS]

It could be your own choice piece - it's short enough, and the rest of the pieces you are playing are on the syllabus.

I've made up my mind. I will include prelude III also as I have practised it before.

[AlexDBS]

Thank you very musch, fenfen! I think questions in the real exam is the most useful. I will answer them all later.

I have modify my answer of Suchbert's impromptu.

Schubert was noted for writing for voice; do you think this is reflected in his writings for piano?

Ans: Yes, I think so. Songs are expressive in nature. The song is probably the oldest of musical forms and arose as a means for the expression of human emotions. In the impromptu, there are rapid changing moods and beautiful melodies. The expressive and simple melodies make the impromptu to be easily sung. Schubert's greatness as a composer rests principally upon his amazing lyrical gift. In his works, he expressed himself through lyricism. His sudden characteristic shifts between the major and minor modes in his instrumental music are a stamp of his personal style. His lyrical gift that he used so much in writing songs clearly shows in the melodies in his other works.

Moreover, I am doing the question "What evidence is there for an ecclesiastical influence on Bach's secular works?". It seems to be not differcult but I cannot find a answer for it. Is there any examples of Bach's sacred music influencing his secular music?

P.S. My sight-reading always fail. Is it possible to fail the quick study only? Should I use grade six exam pieces to practise every day?

[AlexDBS]

What is meant by toccata? Does any other composers write toccata and how does it differ?

Ans: Toccata is an Italian word meaning “touch”. It is composed for a keyboard instrument. It emphases on the performer’s skill. This form first appeared in the Baroque period. It often features rapid runs and arpeggios alternating with chord or fugal sections. Sometimes there is no regular tempo, with an improvisational feel. Other composers also composed toccatas, such as Buxtehude.

However, I don't know the difference between them because I have never listened to Buxtehude's toccata. I only know the toccatas were early Bach work, and Bach was experimenting with the possibilities of the loosely coordinated toccata form, which he had inherited from his 17th-century predecessors including Buxtehude.
Should I name another composer with a larger difference between Bach such as Prokofiev? In fact, what's the main difference with Buxtehude's and Bach's toccata?

What do you think of using pedal to play Mozart's pieces?

Ans: The pedal has several uses. It sustains notes by lifting the dampers. It can make the notes play louder and more legato. Its main function is to help playing expressive and lyric music. I think we may sometimes use pedal in Mozart’s pieces to play loud chords or notes. Also, if there are phrases in chords or octaves that we cannot play legato, we can use light pedal to make the phrase legato. However, in most cases, we will not use pedal in Mozart’s pieces. Mozart’s pieces focus on objectivity, ethos and emotional restraint. The using of pedal to play expressively and lyric will violate the original idea of Mozart.

Would you use any rubato in Mozart's pieces?

Ans: In most of the time, I do not use rubato. Rubato is a practice common in Romantic compositions of taking part of the duration from one note and giving it to another. It involves the performer tastefully stretching, slowing, or hurrying the tempo as he sees fit, thus imparting flexibility and emotion to the performance. Romanticism focuses on pathos, subjectivity and rationalism. However, Mozart’s pieces focus on objectivity, ethos, emotional restraint and balance and clarity. It is not suitable to use rubato in Mozart’s pieces. I will sometimes use rubato in cadenzas in Mozart’s pieces, where the tempo is relatively freer.

[AlexDBS]

I have a question. Will the questions in the viva voce really asked base on my programme notes? The syllabus states so but I do not know of anyone who is asked like this. Is their objective to test my general music knowledge or to test my knowledge related to my programme notes?

[andante_in_c]

I have a question. Will the questions in the viva voce really asked base on my programme notes? The syllabus states so but I do not know of anyone who is asked like this. Is their objective to test my general music knowledge or to test my knowledge related to my programme notes?

A bit of both. Anything you say in the programme notes may form the basis for a question, as one of the purposes of the viva is to check you actually wrote the programme notes yourself.

For example, one of the pieces I played was composed as a test piece for the annual competition of the Paris Conservatoire. I was asked to suggest a programme made up entirely of Paris Conservatoire test pieces. This showed I had a knowledge of which repertoire items had been composed for this purpose.

[anacrusis]

AlexDBS - the harpsichord CAN be played in a legato manner, and the Baroque tuning systems are multiple, not simply limited to mean-tone. Harpsichord-playing is very dependent upon articulation for its expressiveness, and in particular relies on the way in which the fingers are lifted, not depressed on the keys - no matter what your preferences in terms of choice of instrument, it is as well to hear a few really good harpsichordists playing the pieces you mention if you wish to discuss the differences. Mean-tone tuning is a relatively early form of tempering - and Bach would have been used to and have heard other forms too. My husband is a very good harpsichord tuner, so I know!

[GoneChopinBachSoon]

:unsure: what is a Viva Voce? i got to do 1 for A2 Music next year :-\

[s8535049]

the diploma syllabus for 2005 gives a very clear breakdown/description of the viva. find it on the board's site, under 'exams' then 'diplomas' and download from there. :)

[AlexDBS]

one of the purposes of the viva is to check you actually wrote the programme notes yourself.

In fact, some phrases in my programme notes are copied from the web such as "The charm is more discreet and the mien more considered" as I cannot write such beautiful English. Will the examiners mind me doing that? I am not copying a whole paragraph but only sentences. I find sentences from the web and edit them to a whole passage. Is it ok?

[AnotherPianist]

one of the purposes of the viva is to check you actually wrote the programme notes yourself.

In fact, some phrases in my programme notes are copied from the web such as "The charm is more discreet and the mien more considered" as I cannot write such beautiful English. Will the examiners mind me doing that? I am not copying a whole paragraph but only sentences. I find sentences from the web and edit them to a whole passage. Is it ok?

If you copy a quote or sentence directly you must accredit the author and make it clear where the quote is, for example:

some writing of my own "this is a quote from someone else*" and then some more writing of my own.

(footnote) *name of author, title of article, source taken from

If you do not do this it's plagiarism and you could be disqualified from the exam if anyone recognises that quote. Best to do little footnotes with numbers rather than *s I just can't (be bothered to) do it here. Part of the test is to see that you can write well (considerably more difficult in a second language I know) but it's not acceptable to use someone else's good writing ability, even in your first language it's a skill to write beautifully.

A note about your answer to the Mozart question, I suspect the gist of the question about pedalling in Mozart was to test your knowledge of the historical accuracy of pedalling Mozart and then for you to justify your decision of whether or not/how much to pedal with respect to that; hence your answer would probably be met with a follow up question along the lines of 'What would the pedal have been like on Mozart's piano/did Mozart's piano have a pedal?'

Another comment on your answers, which are on the whole good, is that you are very good at stating facts but I think they could be improved by showing that you can extrapolate and form opinions based on these facts; rather than just stating a lot of facts, this would show that you have an understanding of the information you're stating, rather than having just learnt some information. By the way I haven't done a diploma, I just have quite a bit of experience of seeing through exam questions to see what people are really asking for; and marking people's answers outside the context of music exams.