Name a piece that is played too often.

Nicole · **Posted:** Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:39 pm

Yep, Fur Elise would be my top choice too. In fact, this song brings out the worst in me when I see a piano novice trying to impress everyone with the first page of it, playing the first page over and over while bystanders ooh and ah. I actually find myself behaving quite terribly at the sight and sound of that, often going so far as to bring them down a notch by saying, "Hey, that's good! Now let's hear it completely, with those 2 middle interludes!".........ye who dareth to impress without knowing WHOLE PIECE, unaware of another trained pianist in the room. Oh well, just bitter 'cuz Santa ripped me off yet again, so need to take it out on the odd unsuspecting pianist out there throughout the rest of the year. End of rant. Wait no, there's more. Frank Mills' "Music Box Dancer" can send me into a rage as well, however it is not as overplayed as it used to be.

techneut · **Posted:** Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:00 pm

Nicole wrote:

I actually find myself behaving quite terribly at the sight and sound of that, often going so far as to bring them down a notch by saying, "Hey, that's good! Now let's hear it completely, with those 2 middle interludes!".........ye who dareth to impress without knowing WHOLE PIECE, unaware of another trained pianist in the room.

Hehe, that is what happened to me at a high-school camp long ago. There was a piano and someone was bashing out Fur Elise but unable to complete it. I was called upon to do the job and hapened to know it by heart. I don't think I have played it since and would agree with the choice of this being the most overplayed and overrated piece ever.

Chopin's preludes 15 and 20 and Debussy's Clair de Lune are close runner-ups though. And Mozart's Turkish March, of course. And maybe the Maple Leaf Rag. Not too mention the Liszt Liebestraum 3 and Hunfarian Rhapsody 2.... But all these are better music than that inane Fur Elise which I am sure old Ludwig can't have been very proud of.

JBurke · **Posted:** Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:09 pm

Moonlight Sonata (first movement)

mixah · **Posted:** Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:52 pm

JBurke wrote:

Moonlight Sonata (first movement)

This...

Fur Elise
Pathetique Second Mvt
Mozart's K545
Bach's Inventions d minor and F Major
Bach's Anna Magdelena Minuet in G
CPE's Solfeggio

Terez · **Posted:** Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:01 am

Nicole wrote:

Yep, Fur Elise would be my top choice too. In fact, this song brings out the worst in me when I see a piano novice trying to impress everyone with the first page of it, playing the first page over and over while bystanders ooh and ah. I actually find myself behaving quite terribly at the sight and sound of that, often going so far as to bring them down a notch by saying, "Hey, that's good! Now let's hear it completely, with those 2 middle interludes!".........ye who dareth to impress without knowing WHOLE PIECE, unaware of another trained pianist in the room. Oh well, just bitter 'cuz Santa ripped me off yet again, so need to take it out on the odd unsuspecting pianist out there throughout the rest of the year. End of rant.

What's worse is when they play not the first page, but some novice approximation of the first page.

bclever · **Joined:** Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:27 pm **Posts:** 194

Don't forget:

Bach's C major prelude from WTC1
Schubert's Ave Maria
Some transcription of Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
Some transcription of Pachelbel's Canon

Terez · **Posted:** Sun Dec 28, 2008 3:16 pm

techneut wrote:

Chopin's preludes 15 and 20

Add the nocturne in E-flat (9/2) to that. I have enough horrible interpretations of it to last a lifetime.

amelialw · **Joined:** Sat Dec 15, 2007 10:36 pm **Posts:** 46

for sure:
Chopin-Ballade no.1. I think if I hear someone play this, I could seriously go crazy. It's so overplayed or at least it was in canada. I remember going to a Chopin class at Kiwanis Music Fest in Vancouver because my best friend was in that class and hearing it played twice with in the same class and twice the class before that. Heard it played a few times in other classes too...after that both of us hated that piece so much! and the worse thing is that pieces stay in my head

Chopin-Scherzo no.1. This one is even more overplayed....goes crazy*

Chopin-Fantasie Impromptu. Just as bad

Schumann-Abegg Variations. Very overplayed in my school now...

Terez · **Posted:** Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:27 am

Interesting that the 1st Scherzo is the "overplayed" one in your area - it's usually the 2nd. Liszt called it the "Governess Scherzo" because, according to him, every governess could play it well. It was one of two pieces (along with his own 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody) that Liszt regularly refused to hear in master classes.

That being said, I do wonder why people always go for the 1st ballade. Is it easier than the 4th? Both are too difficult for me, so I can't judge. Anyway, I still love the 1st, even if it is overplayed. It's an awesome piece. I just like the 4th better.

amelialw · **Joined:** Sat Dec 15, 2007 10:36 pm **Posts:** 46

Terez wrote:

Interesting that the 1st Scherzo is the "overplayed" one in your area - it's usually the 2nd. Liszt called it the "Governess Scherzo" because, according to him, every governess could play it well. It was one of two pieces (along with his own 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody) that Liszt regularly refused to hear in master classes.

That being said, I do wonder why people always go for the 1st ballade. Is it easier than the 4th? Both are too difficult for me, so I can't judge. Anyway, I still love the 1st, even if it is overplayed. It's an awesome piece. I just like the 4th better.

opps...my mistake, yes it is the 2nd not the 1st Scherzo that is overplayed

Terez · **Posted:** Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:20 pm

Ha, all is right with the world then. :lol:

juufa72 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:28 pm

La Campenella (or however you spell it)...when I first heard it, I thought it was very beautiful...but then after the second time it started to grind my gears

Chopin 10/1 and 25/1

juufa72 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:44 pm

Entry-level Rachmaninov: C# Minor Prelude

juufa72 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:19 pm

Clementi Sonatina Op. 36 no. 1

diminished2nd · **Joined:** Sat Nov 10, 2007 1:07 am **Posts:** 135

The second scherzo and first ballade are both overplayed, admittedly... BUT they have great reason to be! I always love to hear them played, as long as it's played well.

I feel the same way about the Waldstein and the Appassionata. Fur Elise, however.. I think I wouldn't mind it if I never heard it again.

About the 1st ballade vs. 4th ballade... the 4th is by far the most difficult of the 4, both technically and musically. I think, roughly, from easiest to most difficult it should go something like 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 4th. Maybe the 2nd and 3rd could be switched... but the 4th is definitely the hardest, yeah.

....................the most beautiful too though

Name a piece that is played too often.

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