Hello everyone! My teacher wants to enter me for a concerto class in a piano festival for March. She suggested i try the Shostakovich Piano Concerto no.2 as she thinks i like 'spectacular' music, which i do The concerto class requires you to choose one movement of a concerto so i decided i would choose the first movement of the Shostakovich piano concerto no.2. It is a brilliant peice! Does anyone know this piece particularly well or would anyone be able to tell me the difficulty of this movement? Thanks

Its a favourite of mine so I know it well, but never seen as score, I'd have thought is fairly manageable though, with its strict marching type rhythm. I hope you are good at changing fingers on repeated notes, theres loads of them. Of course its famous for its beautiful second movement which is easily playable, but you need a first movement for a competition. It would certainly be an interesting choice. Whatever you do dont try to play Prokofiev one !

Wow, I think your teacher has chosen well, I must say.... I like this work, too, and I am sure you would enjoy learning it! Good luck!

I take it that Prokofiev's first concerto is a tad difficult Don't worry, i don't think i would tackle any Prokofiev concertos just yet. But I can't stress to you how much i would LOVE to be able to play the Prokofiev Concerto No.3 When i saw Martha Argerich playing it i fell in love with the peice. But my teacher obviously explained to me that it was too much out of my reach. It is probably my favourite peice ever actually! Argerich makes it look so easy which its obviously not. Great pianist!
Anyway, back to the Shostakovich Concerto No.2. I think i could probably manage the repeated notes. I need to relax my fingers though. I always thought that the repeated notes part was played with two hands - a finger from each hand (eg. LH 2nd finger RH 2nd finger LH 2nd finger RH 2nd finger etc.) but i guess im wrong. Is the music available for one piano or is it only written for two pianos? Also, this may sound a bit silly but does anyone know what to expect in a concerto class? It is apparantly similar to a masterclass in which case i am absolutely terrified! A lesson with lots of people watching sounds very nerve-racking incase i look a fool I suppose it will be good practice though.