Hey all! I graduated from uni with a Bachelor's of Music in performance on the violin. Since I never did ABRSM before and am now working in a British curriculum school, I'm finding myself being forced into getting qualified by ABRSM! I did the grade 8 violin last year so that I could do the diploma et al and am doing the diploma next June. Having looked at the repertoire list, I've done more pieces on the FRSM list than the LRSM and Diploma! Thankfully the pieces for diploma are easy enough. I just have to figure out what to do for the viva!

All times are rough estimates at this point ... I usually play faster so am overestimating!

So far my pieces for diploma are:

Bach: Partita for solo violin no. 2 in D minor, 3rd and 4th movements - (8 minutes)
Dvorak: 4 Romantic Pieces, op. 75 (complete) - (13 minutes)
Bloch: Nigun (no. 2 from Baal Shem suite) - (7 minutes)
Kabalevsky: Concerto in C, op. 48, 1st movement - (5 minutes)

Am also looking at these pieces for LRSM:

Bach: Sonata for solo violin no. 1 in G minor, 3rd and 4th movements (5 minutes)
Bruch: Concerto no. 1 in G minor, op. 26, 1st movement (8 minutes)
Faure: Sonata in A, op. 13, 1st movement (10 minutes)
Shostakovich: Concerto no. 1 in A minor, op. 77, 1st movement (12 minutes)

I might need another short piece to round out the LRSM programme! The pieces I have learned before that are on the list are:
Arvo Part: Fratres
Mozart: Concerto no. 5 in A major, K219, 1st movement
Lalo: Symphonie espagnole, op. 21, 1st movement

The above pieces are too long to stick into the programme, though. I know you can use a piece not on the list that is up to 7 minutes long. Does anyone have any suggestions? I tend to like the dark, moody Shostakovich-like pieces best!

Also, has anyone played these pieces for the diploma/LRSM and are there any words of advice you could share? Thanks so much!

You know you're not making any friends here!

Only kidding. I'm sure that someone will be along soon with expert advice.

Cheers,

Matt.

Scifi-karis has a point though...the diploma syllabus isn't especially "hard" (especially for an adult graduate in violin, who has had time to play more "serious" repertoire than a teenage candidate), and I bet that quite a few G. 8 candidates are more familiar with the "standard repertoire" on the diploma syllabus than some of the more unusual (and interesting) choices on the G. 8 syllabus.

Many dip. candidates on the forums have mentioned the very different expectations at diploma level, so perhaps diploma is less of a technical check-list and more of an assessment of your interpretation, and how you get your interpretation across.

I would think since it is a "diploma" and not a "degree" it should be easier! It should also be accessible to anyone which might explain the level as well. I'm quite curious to see how the diploma and LRSM goes so that I can see if a Fellowship is feasible! I'm also working on audition material for grad school so I have my work cut out for me!

I must say, however, that a lot of the pieces on the repertoire list are unusual for standard violin repertoire anyway (excepting the Bach and Mozart, of course). I'm not sure if it's because I'm American or what ... Standard rep in the States tends to be a lot of the big concertos, Bach, Beethoven Sonatas, etc.

For an extra short piece, as you requested in the opening post how about 'After The Tryst' by James MacMillan.

I think you've probably put your finger on it! The same is true in Japan (where strings education is heavily influenced by the US, and to a lesser extent Germany). Students here are playing a lot of the FRSM choices before they finish junior high school...doesn't make them all geniuses, of course! The good thing about the concerto mania is that students are not scared to tackle big works; the good thing about the ABRSM approach is that people play repertoire that is innately suited to the violin/piano set-up they will encounter most often.

I hope you are glad that you've had the chance to experience more than one approach - people can be very dogmatic in defending what they are used to!

I guess the key is to concentrate on the fact that the ASSESSMENT is Diploma or FRSM/LRSM level, not the REPERTOIRE per se.

Found a sample clip of it ... I like it! Not sure if it is widely available as sheet music but will look for it. Kind of sounds like the compositions that people were always giving me to try out in uni because they didn't know what violins sounded like!

all ears, I totally don't mind trying out the AB system! I've found that the scale progression that people learn from grades 1-8 is quite logical. I don't always agree with their choice of pieces, though! I would probably try to go for more standard repetoire that most people learn the world over ... but I guess that's why it should be a supplemental system rather than an actual curriculum!

Nothing Classical at all? Wouldn't it be nice to find a final piece which is Classical or possibly Mendelssohn/Beethoven?

The Shostakovich 1st mvt for LRSM is very easy to play badly. So unless you know it very well, have studied the score a lot and really understand it, I wouldn't take that risk. Technically, yes, it is easy, but musically it is one of the hardest movements I know. I think I would play Part Fratres instead of Shostakovich since Shost is pretty Romantic, whereas Part requires a different style of playing to your late Romantic choices. Again, your LRSM list has nothing between Baroque and late Romantic. Do you have an aversion to the Classical and early Romantic eras?

I'm not sure what the rules are about using the same piece for 2 diplomas but if it's allowed you could learn some Beethoven, Haydn or Mozart and use that in both programmes. I would suggest a sonata mvt since you only have 1 chamber-style work. Personally I would never present two "balanced" programmes which have no Classical or early Romantic era works. I would also question whether omitting any sonata or chamber-style work from your DipABRSM programme is smart. It might suggest a lack of ability to work with a pianist in such a way which I'm sure you're capable of, so show it off!

bohemian, I didn't even notice that I didn't have any Classical works! I guess it's because I DO have an aversion to the Classical period ... I had a teacher for about six months that was a Mozart fanatic and all I ever played with her was Mozart concertos ... so I do have a thing against the Classical period, I guess! It isn't because I'm technically uncapable, I just don't like it! I've played all the major Mozart concertos (G, D, A, etc.).

Does anyone else agree that you should have a Classical period piece in the programme? For dip I could take out the Kabalevsky and add some Classical, I guess. Too bad the Faure isn't shorter then I could substitute that in as well for a sonata type piece ...

As far as Shostakovich goes ... I LOVE Shostakovich. I wrote my final paper on him in uni so I do know the guy and his music! I've performed several of his quartets, symphonies, etc. I have no adversion to playing Shostakovich and am sure I can do it well ... unless anyone wants to challenge me on that and take a listen! Seriously, I will take any criticisms that you might have! I really want to do the best work on all of this as I can!

Thanks so much for all the comments!

bohemian, on a personal note, I see that you are going to Trinity. Could I PM you about that? I'm looking at grad schools and that is one on my list!

I would take out Bloch because essentially it's late Romantic in nature, and keep Kabalevsky since it's a more different style to the Dvorak. How about a Beethoven Romance? They're really Classical, but not Mozart at least, and I find they require a different sense of style to Mozart, and that he writes for violin very differently to Mozart also.
Good call on the Shost, I'm sure you'll do a top job of it.


Sure Trinity has a really well-known grad school especially for violin. But, why are you taking these diplomas when you will get a post-grad degree anyway? Surely it would make more sense to get that, save a lot of money, and use it as a pre-requisite...that said, if you took a BMus/BA in violin can't you use that as a pre-requisite for LRSM?

Or, more simply, take LTCL which doesn't require you to have the lower diploma, and only have to pay 1 set of entrance fees, prepare 1 programme, and not do viva voce...

Basically, I need to do something to keep me occupied! I live in the mountains in Kenya and there is NOTHING out here! I have to do something to keep me motivated! I give various recitals in Nairobi every few months and will be doing Chaconne (Vitale) with the Nairobi orchestra at some point ... but I need other things as well! Also, my job will pay for the dip/LRSM so I'm not using up a lot of money there! I'm actually thinking now about jumping straight to the LRSM ... the only thing about that is that I won't have any idea what the exam is like beforehand which is why the dip might be a good step up ... ?

Thanks for all the comments, everyone! Please keep them coming!

PM coming your way bohemian!

I know it's been a while and I don't want to double post but didn't want to make a whole new post for this!

I've been thinking about what I can do to get a Classical piece into my programme. What about Paganini? He's considered late Classical. Would that work instead of a Mozart or Beethoven? I have a few caprices I could do or the Sonata in E minor (and if I do this one the question is whether I do the whole thing or if I am only allowed one movement). What do you think? All helpful comments are very much appreciated!

I am not sure if Paganini would be considered Classical. Mozart E minor sonata is a great piece though.

Seriously...is Beethoven, Haydn or Mozart not good enough? I think you would get seriously in a tangle in the Viva voce if you tried to justify Paganini as your only Classical choice. A Beethoven sonata you can argue is late Classical, Paganini you cannot. It would be great to play, for example, Bach, Haydn, Paganini, Bloch (Bloch spans Romantic and 20th century, Paganini has some kind of Classical form but is basically Romantic esp. melodically) but Bach, Paganini, Dvorak, Bloch/Shostakovich is not balanced. Not at all. Bach died in 1750, Paganini in 1840. A lot happened in that time, musically...

Thanks for the input, guys. I guess I've just always been a rebel about things like that which is why I'm doing my best to not do what they want! I hate being restricted to something but I guess if that's what gets you to pass you just need to do it.

The Mozart E minor sonata (first movement) is gorgeous but do you think it is diploma level? It isn't on Diploma, LRSM or FRSM lists. The nice thing is it's about five minutes so could be an extra piece not on the repertoire list. I'm also trying to coordinate my recital for grad school auditions as well so am thinking a Beethoven sonata might be more practical as it is also on the LRSM list but you just need to add a movement. Does it save time and energy if you do a piece like the first movement of a Beethoven sonata and then for LRSM you do the first and a contrasting movement?

Redoing the Diploma program my list would be: Bach, Mozart or Beethoven, Dvorak, Bloch or Kabalevsky I'm leaning towards the Bloch because I really love it and have performed it several times before so polishing is not a problem!