Dear All,

I would be very interested in knowing your opinion/advice on the pieces I am going to play for my DipABRSM in piano performance next month. Has anybody played them before? any tips?

• Beethoven: Sonata in F minor Op2. no1
  
• Scarlatti sonata pair K.208.209
  
• Gershwin Preludes No 2 & 3
  

What do you think I could be asked on the Viva Voce.. I have good ideas already, but am curious to see what you think!
I would be grateful for any help or ideas, no matter how small!!!!!

Good luck to anybody taking their diploma exams !!

Warren

Wasn't the first movement of the Beethoven F minor Sonata just recently on the Grade 8 list?
I've played the Gershwin preludes before and they are great fun to do. The 3rd one is the most tricky with those rhythmic 10ths in the left hand.
Anyway, thanks for giving me the idea of doing these Preludes when I decide to go for my Diploma as I didn't realise until now that you can do your own pieces too. How long do these two preludes last? Under 7 minutes? The second slower prelude is the longest isn't it? I may do all three preludes if they come in at under 7 minutes. If they are a bit longer maybe they could be played a bit faster?

Gershwin samples at Amazon
There are also samples here of "The Man I Love" and "I Got Rhythm" which are also on the Diploma syllabus!

Good Luck

Gae

you may be unlucky..... this is the last year for the preludes! Trust me to be doing the 3rd one..... Yes you are right, the first movement was on the grade 8... the most difficult movement is the "prestissimo", which is ...well... prestissimo!!! :-)

Thanks and good luck for your diploma when you go for it! It's actually really fun and I'm guessing for you it shouldn't prove difficult!!

QUOTE

you may be unlucky..... this is the last year for the preludes!

I thought you could also choose your own pieces not on the list? I have the syllabus and it says this. Were the preludes on the older Diploma syllabus?
Many thanks

Gae

yes of course you can always play them as far as I understand.. they were just on the old syllabus and were replaced by Man I love and I got rhythm (lovely pieces too)!

I've played those two before too. The middle section of "I Got Rhythm" is pretty tough if you want to keep the tempo fast. There's a "stride" pattern in the left hand which really needs to be rock solid to work well.
I'll probably re-visit these two instead of the Preludes seeing as these are both on the list!

Gae

Hi there, I don't think I've ever posted in the Diploma forum but do browse here on occasion. This particular post has made me query whether I have read the AB's rules properly for choosing your pieces. As far as I understook it, you can choose to play your own choice (up to 7 mins for dip) but you couldn't do more than one piece by any given composer. However, with the Scarlatti sonatas you could do two that are considered paired. However would your choice of two Gerswhin preludes be seen as "paired"? If this is the case can you do this with others, Debussy's Preludes for example. Apologies if this seems a bit of a silly question.

QUOTE (Ursie @ May 21 2005, 01:48 PM)

Hi there, I don't think I've ever posted in the Diploma forum but do browse here on occasion. This particular post has made me query whether I have read the AB's rules properly for choosing your pieces. As far as I understook it, you can choose to play your own choice (up to 7 mins for dip) but you couldn't do more than one piece by any given composer. However, with the Scarlatti sonatas you could do two that are considered paired. However would your choice of two Gerswhin preludes be seen as "paired"? If this is the case can you do this with others, Debussy's Preludes for example. Apologies if this seems a bit of a silly question.

I had a look at the syllabus, out of curiosity.

So far as I can see, paired works are only allowed when sepcified in the syllabus, so they would not be allowed in the 7 minutes free choice section.

If in doubt, email the AB for clarification that your programme would be acceptable.

I'm doing preludes 2&3 too! I'm curious - how fast are you playing prelude 2? The marked tempo in my book is crochet = 88, but I find that is too fast to fit the mood of the piece (just my opinion!) I am playing it much slower, maybe around 60 or even a bit less.

I'm not sure about the new syllabus, but in the old syllabus, I think it said "any 2 of Gershwin's 3 preludes" and the old syllabus can be used all of this year, so if you're taking the exam this year like I am, it should be okay. Good luck!

The old syllabus can be used this year by people in certain countries, but cannot be used by people in the U.K. this year unless they are resitting components of an already-started component.

I didn't know that. I am not in the UK, but that is where I take my exams. Does this mean I can't play the 2 preludes for this exam?

I don't know, are you doing it here because there's no exam centre in your country? Or just through choice? Looking at it again, I think that you'll probably be okay: you may pefrorm old repertoire until the end of this year but must enter under the new syllabus.

AnotherPianist - There are a lot of difficulties to do the exams in my country. I don't want to go into it, but the ABRSM contact here is not very reliable, and has caused problems for me, my teacher, and my students. It is just easier for me to do it in England.

Yes, I looked at the new syllabus guidelines again and it said:

"Changes affecting Performance candidates
- There will be an overlap period of one year, allowing candidates to perform repertoire from the Diploma Syllabus from 2000 until the end of 2005."

So it looks like the preludes can be performed this year, without any problem.