<p>I'm currently working on repertoire to learn for the arts supplements for this year's admissions cycle.</p>
<p>Right now I'm working on a Bach P&F (BWV893 in b minor) that's about four minutes. I'm leaning toward something fairly romantic - either the rach etude op.33 no.5 in g minor, or the chopin etude op.10 no.3. They're not as technically challenging as some of the other etudes in their respective opuses, but they're quite romantic, and I was kind of going for more of a stylistic contrast than one in terms of tempo. Both have their fast parts, though.</p>
<p>I have a few concerns. </p>
<p>1) Is that Bach P&F too easy/not difficult enough? It's a 3-voice fugue. I also have the first mvt of Haydn's Sonata#50 in C or Beethoven's Sonata #31 in A-flat major. I leaned toward the Bach because of the time and also because it's the farthest removed from later periods.</p>
<p>2) Are those repertoire pieces - the rach etude or the chopin etude - too easy/not difficult enough? They're difficult, but I'm worried at some schools I'm applying at (e.g., Stanford, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Pomona), they'll think my supplement repertoire is too easy. I have Chopin's Ballade #1, but I'd hate to do only a portion of it. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I am not a musician but helped my son navigate the audition process (he plays electric guitar and is going to school for a sound recording technology). One piece of advice I can give is when in doubt, call the schools and ask them if your pieces are acceptable.</p>
<p>BTW, Chopin etude op 10, no. 3 is a beautiful piece.</p>
<p>Your repertoire is difficult enough for competitive conservatory admissions (if you play it well). There is nothing whatsoever “easy” about it. No question it is difficult enough for arts supplement for LACs. </p>
<p>My opinion: I’d probably submit the Chopin ballade (in its entirety) or the etudes, over the Bach, but that may be a personal preference. A lot of people don’t realize the technical proficiency required to play Bach well, and are more easily impressed by the “flying fingers” in Chopin, not to mention that most people find Romantic pieces pleasing to the ear. The Hayden is also a beautiful piece and technically interesting.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I think the piece choices sound great! Don’t worry about them being too easy. I just got through auditions last year, and my “major romantic piece” was the Brahms Intermezzo Op. 118, no. 2. Most people consider that piece reallllly easy, but at every single audition, the auditioners specifically asked for it.</p>
<p>difficulty is not the sole judge of how well a pianist you are, they probably would like some simplicity to see how you can take those pieces and manifest them into your own interpretation etc. I’m sure they’d love some variety, Chopin, Rach, etc. etc. are overdone (for good reason though), might I suggest looking into Moritz Moszkowski’s works? He was a late romantic composer, mostly for piano. Although quite forgotten today he was a master for the piano in my opinion, and one of the best post-chopin</p>