Help with a recital.

Can someone please help me?

I'm doing a recital for school in about a year, and I need to decide on a program.

Here are the pieces that I am going to play:

Allegro, ma non troppo from Beethoven's Sonata in G Major, Op. 49, No. 2
Largo from Chopin's B Minor Sonata
Minor Seconds, Major Sevenths from Microcosmos by Bartok

Now, here is the problem. I need two more pieces. I want one by Bach, but it needs to go for over three minutes and needs to be fast or moderate. I also need another 20th Century piece which is fast or moderate, and goes for about the same amount of time. The longer the pieces, the better (obviously, I don't want to learn a half-hour piece, but a 7 or 8 minute piece is fine).

Thanks for your help,

Lochlan <MorrisseyMan>

 

For the Bach piece, I suggest either the first or third movement of the Italian Concerto. They both last 3 to 4 minutes. The third is tricky as it's Presto but you should manage it.

Unfortunately, I can't help you with the contemporary piece.

 

is Stravinsky "modern"?

 

The Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue could be a good choice. Bit of a show-off piece that people will appreciate. Or the C-minor Fantasy BWV 904.
For the 20th century piece, that is more difficult. I guess you want it to sound a bit contemporary but not too avant garde ? Try the Stravinsky Tango. If you want something more challenging, what about the Prokofiev Toccata or the Hindemith Ragtime ? If you want to be really original, try Nielsen's 3 Pieces Op.59 or - gasp - Busoni's Sonatina Seconda (a really uncompromising piece but probably very effective). Just some random ideas.

 

maybe some satie?

 

Any Prelude and Fugue from Bach's WTK would be great. How about Book One, Number 13 in F-sharp or Nr. 15 in G? Those are also random, anything by Bach that you lke would be right.

As for the contemporary piece, why not be avant garde? Do something that goes against the status quo. On the other hand, you know your audience and whether they would appreciate something really weird or not; don't go too much outside of accepted boundaries. (Sorry for being an oxymoron.)

Let us know what you choose and good luck!

Pete