I've been given some brief guidelines and have started making notes. I'm just wondering how everyone else is writing it?
Basically I've been told to write about how and why I'm playing what I'm playing - how I'm portraying style, playing techniques, and inspiration to my performance, how the pieces relate to eachother and why I've chosen them.

Any tips?

Sorry, can't help as I haven't even been told when my recital is!

Me neither...!

I'm with AQA not edexcel, and have to do a viva voce rather than a recital brief. AT least I'm not aware that I have to do a recital brief as well...

I'm panicking about mine, I'm sure my pieces will fall to bits when I start playing!

Me too. Faure Fantaisie *cough cough*

ERGH COUGH COUGH SPLUTTER

I'm kind of dreading the Chopin variations though for mine

I'm doing Air a l'Italien by Telemann and Games(from summer music) by R.R Bennett - the latter I'm particularly dreading!

Mine's on 9th March but RECITAL BRIEF??? What??? Nobody mentioned that to me (I'm on Edexcel).

I didn't know you had to do a recital brief! That's just pushed me another step away from not doing music next year. I'm already backing away from it because of the essay writing...

Music is good! The essays aren't that bad. Then again it's my only lengthy subject, my others are science and maths.


Magicflute - the Air l'Italien is lovely isn't it

Games is fantastic



You have to write programme notes that is all, and I think that's what RR is referring to. It's only worth an extra mark, hehe


You can write a set of programme notes Moo, that's all it is. Plus, the essays aren't meant to be flowery sounding like in English, they're just supposed to be facts in sentences

Yeh I love all my pieces. I'm getting so anxious - it must be soon!

I do love my DoM for NOT TELLING ME!!!! I need that mark!!
Ah well, know enough stuff to write about.

Best thing is, if it goes really badly, you can have another go at it, so long as it is before the Edexcel deadline. Prog notes don't have to be very long, information about the specific pieces, I have seen very long monologues about the composer's life, with very little about the music. Even if they are really awfu, the maximum they deduct for bad prog notes is only one mark.

Mine's on the 26 April

Pieces should be fine *touches wood*
Am doing: Bach Concerto in A minor mvt 1
Mendelssohn Sonata 2 (yes the whole thing. Yes I am bonkers)
Brahms "Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen" (I know it's a Christmas piece but it's a time filler)
Durufle Fugue sur le carillon des heures de la cathedrale du soissons (I don't think I spelt all that right)

I'm doing:
Faure - Fantaisie
Bach - E major sonata mvts 1 and 2
Bozza - Aria
Hummel - Sonata in A major, movement 1

Ooh good luck for yours you two. I think mine's this half term Nicki...

I'm doing theme and variations:

Psalm 116 ~ Jacob van Eyck (unaccomp. treble)
The Harmonious Blacksmith ~ Handel (accomp. descant)
Theme & Variations ~ Ernst Krahmer (unaccomp. descant)
Variations on 'Non Piu Mesta' ~ Chopin arr. Piers Adams (accomp. treble)

My teacher made it clear that our brief is not to be simply programme notes. She doesn't want much sort of composer history at all. It must all be relevant to how the pieces compliment eachother, why I've chosen them, how I'm playing them and why, relevance to my instrument and how the subject (theme and variations) has changed and developed.

That sounds fantastic, I'm sure you'll do well (unlike moi)

Argh, I'm doing mine in 10 days time...Beethoven 4th violin sonata...VERY scared as I was only told it would be my recital a week or so ago, and I'm doing it a year early, and don't fancy re-taking it next year! I think I'll write programme notes over the holidays though It sounds like they don't need to be amazing really, just showing that you have some vague interest in what you're playing.
Good luck everyone doing a recital!