I'm playing the 1st movement from Concerto in D by Hofmann, the writing at the bottom says that the pause near the end indicates that a cadenza should be played although one should not be played in the exam. My teacher is intent on me playing just a short cadenza as after four pages of music it's a bit of an anti-climax, but I don't want to get in trouble

How about just a little turn / ornament / flourish, to make it clear that you know it should be a cadenza, but you really haven't got time, what with the examiner having a queue of grade one pianists out in the waiting room!

There's a clue in there somewhere...

In my grade 7 flute exam (many years ago), I played the cadenza in my Mozart concerto movement and did not fail the piece.

I think removing a cadenza from a piece is ridiculous; particularly in a concerto, the cadenza is the place for the soloist to show off.

But, if it specifically states in exam regulations no cadenza, then I guess that answers your question.

I was planning on playing a scale from D in the second octave up to D in the third, then doing an arpeggio fanfare type thing by playing ADAF#AF#DF#DA if that makes sense lol. So it's not very long at all...

Although I am a "go by the book" sort of person, I think that what you suggest is not in direct contradiction to the instructions; it's not a showoff cadenza, it's just a little flourish so that the piece finishes off properly and shows that you are a real musician who thinks that the work deserves to be performed with respect :-) If it were grade 4 I might not feel quite the same ;-) I did the slow movement of the Mozart bassoon concerto for my G5 and I just had to end sort of no-where with no cadenza. I had ideas of what to do but that really was a place where there was NOTHING else going on and it demanded something that was beyond my compositional or performing skills, so my teacher just finished off on a piano chord.

Why not just write to the AB and ask for clarification. Something like this:

"Do you expect a cadenza played at this point (bar No.) in (Name of piece and movement) or not?"

"If a Cadenza is NOT required, and I nevertheless play a very brief cadenza (such as a single turn) to show the purpose of the pause, will I be penalized?"


It would seem odd to judge you partly on your musicality and interpretative skills and then insist on missing out a major climax of the whole piece - structurally important as well as ornamental and show-offy.

I've sent them an angry email so all is well I eagerly await their reply

Would you please let us know about the answer? Thank you!

In my Grade 8 oboe exam two of my pieces had cadenzas, one of which was written in and one of which my teacher and I wrote together. I'm not sure if it's different for Grade 7 and Grade 8, but I didn't get in trouble for playing them! If I remember rightly, I think I was supposed to play them. Don't quote me on that though!

I guess you'll find out with your e-mail

I'm not allowed I don't know how to break the news to my teacher, I bet she'll make me play one anyway though

Honestly, I'm inclined to think that the examiner in this case would look beyond the "official" rules and not mark you down for playing a short cadenza, recognizing that it's musically stupid not to...

Nothing wrong with playing one outside of the exam.
Is your teacher really likely to expect you to ignore exam regulations even when you've had them clarified by the board?

It would be great to learn a cadenza and perhaps perform the piece with the cadenza in place outside of the exam. But you have had a very clear message that a cadenza is not to be played in the exam. Therefore, do not play one in the exam. You may get a sympathetic examiner and not lose marks for playing a cadenza when told not to, but on the other hand you may well be marked down for not following exam regulations and it would be a shame if you played the piece fantastically and fluffed the cadenza and were then marked down because of that. Best to leave well alone in the exam, but enjoy working on a cadenza for other performances.

As the regulations say you mustn't play it in an exam, your teacher can't grumble. Put in a cadenza if you play it elsewhere, as others suggest.