i have recently found schubert! i have heard mitsuko uchide play his Aminor sonata no.16.....if only i could compose like that......its such clever stuff.

Yay! Schubert is so underrated - everyone always wants to play Mozart and Beethoven piano sonatas, and Schubert's often get overlooked (maybe because so many of them are unfinished!). I love his Wanderer Fantasy as well - got a great recording by Pollini. It is indeed very clever how he keeps reworking the initial rhythmic motif. I think there are two A minor sonatas? Not sure which one you're on about but both are great

Agreed, good call there. There's all this chatter about Chopin and Rachmaninoff, but Schubert is entirely as worthy of attention and discussion. Plus, his music is technically much easier than those two in particular, and will amply repay close study.

LOL hannah...which sonata of his did u play for Dip of the ###### board exam?

I only got in to him after playing some of those easy duets...bit boring....i thought he was ###### after playing them...but bought two recordings...3 sonatas...and now i think hes kool!

The C minor sonata, D959, is fab . The first movement alone contains so much contrast, and so much to keep one listening.

Mendelssohn is under-rated too, in my opinion. His 'Andante and Rondo Capriccioso' and to a certain extent the 'Variations serieuses' are fairly well known, but some his sonatas and his set of six Preludes and Fugues are wonderful .

My problem is choosing between the Schubert D959 and a Mendelssohn Prelude and Fugue from the LRSM syllabus - aargh .

I like Schubert because hes so different. Obviously each composer is individual...but i mean, chopin, liszt were composers of absolute virtuosity. Beethoven pioneered the romantic era, bach haydn and mozart had these great ideas.

Schubert just cant fit into any category. theres something magical about his music!

If memory serves, a girl last year or in 2002 made a fine job of the Mendelssohn Variations Serieuses, very fine work to play!

IrisH - LoonY

I'm sure plenty of people have played them, is there someone specific you meant?

D958 is in C minor. D959 is in A major. Both are indeed on that syllabus.

My mistake! I meant in the 2002 YMOTY!!! Whoops!

Storini: yes, you're quite right. They're also both on the FRSM syllabus, where I'd be torn between D958 and Mendelssohn's Op. 106 sonata. Actually, come to think of it, I could do both - one can specialise for FRSM *evil grin*.

I prefer the C minor to the A major - something about the first movement of the A major leaves me with the feeling that I'm waiting for something to happen in the music.


Makes a bit more sense. That said, I was fairly unimpressed with her rendition - the notes were there, and it was secure, but I didn't feel like she had anything to say about the work. It's a work that needs to be in artistically capable hands - sets of variations get tiring very quickly if it's just 'more of the same'....

You mean like not truly expressing her full potential into that piece?

IrisH - LoonY

His Impromptus are really great fun to play! The Op.90 No.4 in A flat sounds incredible for mostly just arpeggios! the G flat and B flat in Variations from Op.90 are both incredibly good works to play also!

IrisH - LoonY

Like she couldn't do the piece full justice yet. It's a hard piece, and I think she might have chosen something a little above where she would be comfortable at for the sake of the competition; where she would have come across better with a less demanding piece. She probably wasn't too far off though; not like the gap apparent when, for example, a grade 5 pianist plays grade 8 or DipABRSM repertoire.

ROFL

*is in hysterics*

I didn't think she played it that bad, granted it could have done with a bit more work but there you go

She never got through which was a shame. I'm shocked the guy who played Debussy at the same time as her never got through but Sarah Tandy (I think) was pretty damn impressive with the Prokofiev Concerto in D flat (No1 I believe)

IrisH - LoonY

*does the same8

this is quite funn

Ignoring the fact that contradicts with 'made a fine job of' ...: I don't think it was short of work, I think she just needed to develop her interpretive skills as a pianist before she could do it justice. There comes a point where one is flogging a dead horse on a given piece without going away and working on technique and other repertoire for a while before attempting to develop it further; obviously, with the deadlines of competition performances she didn't have this luxury.

That said, although she wasn't my favourite, I think she played better than the person who won the keyboard semifinal....

whats her name? is it an amateur ting?

If its Sarah Tandy you mean, she was AMAZING!

IrisH - LoonY

I was referring to Clare Hammond, who played in the BBC Young Musician of the Year.

I didn't see the 2002 competition in which Sarah Tandy played; the critics weren't too impressed though:

oh god not that competition again. Doesnt anybody realise its a rigged competition and that natural ability counts for a lot less in this competition than it should do.

*Shrug* Oh well...At least it gives the creme de la creme of the UK young musicians a chance to shine

IrisH - LoonY

I did get the distinct impression that Benjamin Grosvenor got through rather than, say, Otis Beasley or Clare Hammond to name but two through age more than ability. It would have been interesting to have a second jury behind a screen, unable to see who was performing.

it really doesnt. So many people dont get through because of looks, age etc.

I guarentee a cute 16 yr old girl wuld get through ahead of a fat ugly 16 year old...even if ability was the same.....silly competition....and the restrictions are stupid as well......a 20 min concerto? wtf?

I know! 20 minutes isn't long enough, especially for a pianist. All the great concerti are that long even for one movement let alone an entire concerto! Although, I suppose you COULD do Bach Keyboard Concertos on Piano? Or even just one movement from one of the greats like the Chopin F minor or the Rach 3 maybe.

I was CONVINCED Ben Grosvenor would have won you know! So much better than the others in my opinion...I mean why on earth did Benedetti win?! Her chinrest fell off THREE TIMES during her Havanaise performance in the semis...urgh...

IrisH - LoonY

If you look at the YMOTY website you'll find a reply there stating that there are plenty of concertos to do within the given time limit. Stop moaning,its the same for everyone and they are not going to set something possible.

Benedetti won because the judges liked her performance`the best - got a problem?Who cares if her chinrest fell off, things happen. The oboist I think forgot half her music in the semis.

Grosvenor's choice of the Ravel wasn't perhaps the best move on his part. Particularly in the second movement, I got the distinct impression that he was just going through the motions; whereas he wasn't as lacklustre when playing the pieces he chose for the semifinal.

Nat: I'm with you on that one .

they are all good...theres no doubt about their talent. Just the YMOTY is a VERY political competition. For the producers of the show, its all about making money.

Ahhh...a bit like the X Factor or more elitist? Having riff raff like Simon Cowell wouldn't do!

Regarding Benedetti - fair enough. If you say so.

Regarding the oboist - yes she did forget her music. That must be terrible!

Regarding Grosvenor - I thought personally the Ravel was a superb choice! He really brought out the melody so well in the 2nd movement! Just like a pro would!

Regarding the competition itself - most TV nowadays is about making money, no matter what it is...really...

X-Factor is just a show for wannabes...IMO

IrisH - LoonY