# I need a finale for my recital



## Brad

Im planning on having a recital sometime this summer and I need one more piece to complete it. Based on the skill level of these pieces, what do you think would be a nice way to wrap it all up? I'm looking for something that ends loudly and grandly. Also, they will not necessarily be performed in this order:

1. Bach Partita no. 1 in Bb major
2. Chopin Etude op. 10 no. 3 in E major
3. Beethoven-Liszt An die Ferne Geliebte (song cycle transcription)
4. Mozart Sonata no. 11 "Turkish March"
5. Grieg "Wedding day at Troldhaugen" lyric piece
6. ?


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## ptr

If You can play the first Partita You can play anything!

And thusly, why not play something that show some more breadth of Repertoire knowledge... Perhaps:

Igor Stravinsky's Four Etudes Op 7 (1908) About 8 mins

Claude Debussy's Pour le Piano L95 (1901) About 12½ mins

Béla Bartók's Six Romanian Folk Dances Sz 56/BB68 (1915) About 5 mins

/ptr


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## PetrB

ptr said:


> If You can play the first Partita You can play anything!
> /ptr


Well, I'm pretty sure that is not really the case 

But, I'm thinking since there is already one solo movement from a sonata on this recital (eyebrow raising in many contexts, not if done as one of a number of short encores, that what is called for here is a briefer single-movement piece, and I think Debussy's _Jardins sous la pluie_ from his _Estampes_ might fit the bill. (The three pieces of _Estampes_ are quite acceptably performed individually.)

It is not easy, nor is it greatly difficult (I still think it will be a bit of a challenge for you), and it is one of those pieces which makes an impression greater than its technical difficulty.

...this link shows the score, and Maestro Gieseking takes it at a very musically judicious amd good (not-too hurried) tempo. At a little over three minutes, maybe just the thing


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## Matsps

Schubert/Liszt - Erlkonig ?


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## Ravndal

This


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## PetrB

Matsps said:


> Schubert/Liszt - Erlkonig ?


Don't overreach your technical limit, or our time limit to get the 'new' final piece in good working order.

The Chopin Etudes Op. 10 No. 3 & No. 4 were written to go together as a pair, but I think Op. 10 no. 4 might be outside your present technical reach and time limit. If you could, then the two, as a pair, at the end of the program would work well to close it.

You _can_ go wrong with an Etude as a finale, and I think an isolated Chopin Etude in that slot a bad choice, whichever of them you would choose. (Traditionally, too, if you are doing, say, a senior music school recital, you would group the three or four Chopin Etudes you do have together somewhere on the program.)

Keep the Op. 10 no. 3, (you already have it), it is certainly a known and beloved crowd-pleaser, but _it is not any sort of 'finale' piece_, since it begins and ends as quietly as many of the nocturnes.

The Debussy, or something much more like, is that perfect brilliant and 'up-beat' piece, and that sort of brilliant sound and display, with which to end such a recital made up of the pieces you have listed.

You already have enough to contemplate as to running order, which goes not only by mood, but if at all possible, but some key relationships from one to the next where the listener does not feel a half-step 'bump' when you have ended one and begin the next.


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## Ravndal

Something very doable


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## PetrB

Ravndal said:


> Something very doable


Unless the OP has changed their mind, the request was for _a finale with panache_ 

I liked your suggestion of the Poulenc _Toccata!_


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## PetrB

1. BAROQUE ~ Bach Partita no. 1 in Bb major
2. ROMANTIC ~ Chopin Etude op. 10 no. 3 in E major
3. CLASSICAL / ROMANTIC ~ Beethoven-Liszt An die Ferne Geliebte (song cycle transcription)
4. CLASSICAL ~ Mozart Sonata no. 11 "Turkish March"
5. ROMANTIC ~ Grieg "Wedding day at Troldhaugen" lyric piece
6. MODERN & or CONTEMPORARY -- you need that! 

The recommended Debussy _Jardins sous la pluie_, the Poulenc _Toccata_, fit the finale quality and the modern categories. Be Not Afraid! They're both audience friendly and quite a pleasure to play, guaranteed


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## omega

Debussy's _La Cathédrale engloutie_ (from the 1st book of the _Préludes_). It's quite slow, but has some very beautiful and solemn parts.
(



)
Debussy's _Little Negro_ perhaps doesn't fit with your programme, but it could be great as an 'encore'.
(



)
Maybe a sonata by Scriabin would be an original finale. I'm not a pianist so I can't judge what the skill level exactly is. I was thinking of the fourth :





Or, why not, some more _jazzy_ piece?

Good luck, anyway


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## Matsps

Yeah when I suggested the Liszt transcription, I saw you have until the summer to get it ready. I'm not sure _exactly_ how good you are on the piano though. If it's too hard, I would definitely agree with PetrB, choose something else. If you could definitely manage it though, I think it would make a wonderful finale piece. I definitely disagree that a recital should aim to cover all major periods of music though. I would not say you need something contemporary in that final slot. I also personally think the Debussy is a bit of a weak recital end.


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## Sofronitsky

Brad said:


> Im planning on having a recital sometime this summer and I need one more piece to complete it. Based on the skill level of these pieces, what do you think would be a nice way to wrap it all up? I'm looking for something that ends loudly and grandly. Also, they will not necessarily be performed in this order:
> 
> 1. Bach Partita no. 1 in Bb major
> 2. Chopin Etude op. 10 no. 3 in E major
> 3. Beethoven-Liszt An die Ferne Geliebte (song cycle transcription)
> 4. Mozart Sonata no. 11 "Turkish March"
> 5. Grieg "Wedding day at Troldhaugen" lyric piece
> 6. ?


With the exception of the ENTIRE Bach Partita No. 1, most of these pieces are quite easy from a conservatory/professional pianist stand point.

Quickly I would like to address the most popular two suggestions so far:

1) Debussy Estampes, #3 - This is a fine piece and learnable by you, but I feel it isn't really a 'showstopper'. It has a strong ending, and if performed well, could end a recital well - but I think you want something a little bit more obvious. You want something that really says "Its over, you can clap now". I don't think this Debussy is that kind of piece.

2) Poulenc Toccata - This piece is not too difficult for you, but I would not recommend it. It is by far harder than the other pieces you are playing and would take more time than a few months to really do justice to (depending on skill level, I know some pianists who would take a year in learning it and some that would be able to perform it after four weeks of study)

My recommendation would be this -

If you are playing all movements of the Mozart and Bach, I am guessing your technique is rather refined and you learn things quickly. In that case I would suggest one of the following two pieces:

Scriabin: Etude op. 8 no. 12 - This piece sounds more difficult than it is. If performed correctly, this piece will really end the concert well for you. I would suggest playing it at sight at a VERY slow tempo, so slow that you are guaranteed to get every note and articulation completely correctly, and play it over and over again until you're comfortable with it - then begin working problem sections.






you could also play a very well established piece, Rachmaninoff's Prelude op. 3 no. 2 in C-Sharp Minor

This is a very easy piece, but it has a huge effect when played properly. I think this might be your best bet if time is a problem for you.






It would be helpful if you could tell us how old you are, how long you've been studying, etc. so we would have more information than just 'judging by the difficulty of these pieces' but do not divulge any information you are not comfortable sharing.

Good luck in your recital! I hope it goes well.


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## hreichgott

Troldhaugen isn't loud and grand enough for you??


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## PetrB

hreichgott said:


> Troldhaugen isn't loud and grand enough for you??


Maybe we're all barking up the wrong tree -- 
and this pianist actually instead wants something more like the Sousa / Horowitz _Stars and Stripes Variations???_


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## Brad

Sofronitsky said:


> With the exception of the ENTIRE Bach Partita No. 1, most of these pieces are quite easy from a conservatory/professional pianist stand point.
> 
> Quickly I would like to address the most popular two suggestions so far:
> 
> 1) Debussy Estampes, #3 - This is a fine piece and learnable by you, but I feel it isn't really a 'showstopper'. It has a strong ending, and if performed well, could end a recital well - but I think you want something a little bit more obvious. You want something that really says "Its over, you can clap now". I don't think this Debussy is that kind of piece.
> 
> 2) Poulenc Toccata - This piece is not too difficult for you, but I would not recommend it. It is by far harder than the other pieces you are playing and would take more time than a few months to really do justice to (depending on skill level, I know some pianists who would take a year in learning it and some that would be able to perform it after four weeks of study)
> 
> My recommendation would be this -
> 
> If you are playing all movements of the Mozart and Bach, I am guessing your technique is rather refined and you learn things quickly. In that case I would suggest one of the following two pieces:
> 
> Scriabin: Etude op. 8 no. 12 - This piece sounds more difficult than it is. If performed correctly, this piece will really end the concert well for you. I would suggest playing it at sight at a VERY slow tempo, so slow that you are guaranteed to get every note and articulation completely correctly, and play it over and over again until you're comfortable with it - then begin working problem sections.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> you could also play a very well established piece, Rachmaninoff's Prelude op. 3 no. 2 in C-Sharp Minor
> 
> This is a very easy piece, but it has a huge effect when played properly. I think this might be your best bet if time is a problem for you.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It would be helpful if you could tell us how old you are, how long you've been studying, etc. so we would have more information than just 'judging by the difficulty of these pieces' but do not divulge any information you are not comfortable sharing.
> 
> Good luck in your recital! I hope it goes well.


First of all thank you guys so much for all of this feedback and advice! Sorry for the late reply, but I will tell you a bit more about myself and hopefully then we can narrow down these selections.

I took lessons when I was younger, but quit just like most kids out of lack of interest. About 3-4 years ago I started playing my piano again (which got me into classical music, which has dominated my life since then). Apart from taking AP Music Theory a couple years ago as a freshman in high school (I'm 17 and a junior now), I had not received any 'formal' training in music/piano until last Fall when I began 'serious' lessons and we started thinking about this recital. I have recently completed the Chopin etude and would say that it, along with the Bach Partita, is a good measure of my ability at the moment. I plan to have this recital sometime in the summer, but there is no date yet. Also, I tend to learn music relatively quickly, so if a piece is within my skill range, I am confident that I can play it with good understanding by the summer.

I hope this serves as a better gauge for your recommendations, and once again thank you so much!


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## Brad

hreichgott said:


> Troldhaugen isn't loud and grand enough for you??


I was actually thinking that would be a fantastic way to start the recital!


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## tomhh

I think I'd like to hear a piece of modern style.Maybe you'd play Bartok -Mikrokosmos,Prokofiev -Visions Fugitives or Rachmaninoff -piano piece. I'd enjoy it.


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## worov

What about this ?


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