Hi, All -

I am new to the forum and would like to ask if any of you have used this complete piece for the DipABRSM. I know technically it is on the more accessible side, but I can play it very well. I have recently discovered that the 1st movement is standard Grade 8 repertoire; hence the concern now that it may not be acceptable. What do you think?

Thanks.

Being able to play it is one thing, playing it well is quite another! As a parallel example, the third movement of the Brahms clarinet sonata is on the Grade 5 syllabus; the whole sonata appears on both the LRSM and FRSM syllabus, but the standard required for a Grade 5 pass would probably only raise a laugh in an FRSM exam.

It's been posted hundreds of times before, but always worth repeating that DipABRSM isn't Grade 9 - the standard required is far beyond Grade 8. Plus you need all of the background info for the Viva.

Thanks for this information, Deborah. Yes -- I've played this piece for more than 10 years ( that's when I took Grade 8). I can certainly say that I play it a lot differently (better) and much more to my own satisfaction now then before. It would be great to get an examiner's read on it as well.

OK, this may be a stupid question, but I thought that own-choice pieces for DipABRSM were supposed to be no longer than 7 minutes. Seeing that K.330 is not on the syllabus, how can you choose it as part of your programme?

Quite a good question, unless it's shorter than 7 minutes .

Assuming it's short enough, it's all about how you play it, not how hard it is. On the 'Achieving Success' DVD that the AB make to give an idea of the standards of the diplomas someone plays Debussy's 'General Lavine Eccentric' for LRSM which was on the grade 8 syllabus in 2000. The hard bit is how well you play it; not so much the technical difficulties of the piece.

Good luck .

OK - The entire sonata is definitely over seven minutes - the Gr. 8 recording of the first movement only is almost five without repeats.

Oh my goodness! I totally forgot about the 7 min rule!
But since the 2nd and 3rd movements are not officially listed as grade8 pieces, would they be considered along the 7 min rule?
Who should I check with?

Thanks!

Wintermelon, tell me you're not trolling?!

But thinking the best (as folk generally do on this forum!) as Mr Hopwood's said in another thread, for professional recitals (which DipABRSM is really) you generally play works in their entirety. So if this whole sonata comes in at 10 minutes, it doesn't matter a jot what level the individual movements weigh in at (8, Dip, FRSM whatever!), it's too long.

No - I am not trolling (and I'm assuming that trolling is a bad thing?)
I get your point, Fen. Originally, it didnt' occur to me that ALL replacement pieces that are not found in the general list can not be longer than 7 minutes. For some reason, I kept thinking that the 7-min rule only applied to selections from another grade level. So, unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to change my program and use my back-up piece ( Beethoven sonata, probably, which I don't play to the same level as the Mozart. )

To prove that I'm not trolling , here's my pgm:
Brahms Intemezzo Op118 No2, Beethoven Sonata (probabaly pathetique), Schubert Impromptu Op90 No3 in Gb, Janacek In the Mist (probably 1&3 for time's sake).
Any advice?

My unconditional apology! Have been somewhat stressed of late so too short fused I suspect.

Pathetique's on the syllabus isn't it - for a moment was thinking "Noooooo... it's still too long for an own choice....." Anyway - you say you don't play the Beethoven to the same level as the Mozart, but this is your chance to have something to really work the Beethoven FOR! Sounds like a great excuse to get going on it!

When are you planning on taking the exam? I hope you find lots of useful information looking back through some of the threads here.

the aim of the diploma exam is to present a balanced programme - since you're already playing the "pathetique" sonata, you can't play any beethoven in your 'own choice' section (even if you could this would be a bad idea!)

at the moment you've got Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert and Janacek so find something (own choice or on the syllabus) that contrasts nicely with these, and fills up all the remaining time. with breaks between pieces aim for 35 minutes.

good luck with your diploma

Hi, Fen

Sorry - I've been away from the computer. I am actually going to have to do the exam in a month Unfortunately, a lot of things have happened recently (including a lot of traveling) so I really haven't had as much time as I wish at the piano. I work full time and so that doesn't help.

The good thing is these are old pieces (all that I've played and kept up for years) so hopefully I'll have enough from the years' effort to hold up. This is one of the reasons why the program is so "standard." I do play the Beethoven well, also, but the limitation is mostly around endurance (I need to make sure that I don't run out of steam or "pathos")
This forum is very useful but it can use a more powerful search engeine

Hi, s8535049
The Beethoven would be the replacemnt for the Mozart, actually. The pgm as it stands now takes about 37 mins so I think I have enough pieces. As for luck on the diploma, I'm definitely going to need it.

If it's too late to change the programme now (I'm presuming it is unless you have some Bach up your sleeve) then you need to think of a good justification of why you haven't included a baroque piece in your programme. The examiners will probably ask you about balance in the viva. Since the marking criteria require your programme to be balanced you'll need a good justification. I'm not trying to scare you; just to warn you that you'll probably need to prepare a good answer to this for the viva.

Good luck .

Hi, YetAnotherPianist -

Thanks for the pointer. That's my concern, too. You're right - I don't have one of the listed Bach pieces up my sleeve. Although I played a few before, I haven't kept up on them. I did recently perform the Italian Concerto in public, but that's not a 7 min piece. Should I play one movement, perhaps the 1st? I play that movt in about 4 mins. If I add it to my program, I need to take something out; otherwise, my pgm might me a min over.

Thanks.