Music HSC 2007 (1 Viewer)

[me myself & i]

Is there anyone out there doing music for their HSC this year? I've played piano for 11 years this year, I love music, and usually cruise along well marks wise. I'm planning to do at least one viva for my HSC, maybe two...

What I'm really struggling with is how do i find songs for the HSC???????????? I've spent hours researching, but I can't seem to find what I want. I want something with substance, but not something that the examiners are going to have heard 100 times before they get to me!!

Help!

 

[Sofstar]

:wave: I am! Have you tried the Australian music centre? You could go there and have a look at some or ask your piano teacher or teachers at school? You might also want to try out The Con's library.

 

[RJO1988]

Hi there! Another idea is to compose your own piece?... coming from a composer myself. I composed my piece (although I don't play piano) for my HSC and I did pretty well on it. The main thing that examiners are looking for are 1st, musicality and 2nd, your understanding in your craft. Although they wont personally ask these in question but they'll definantly see these 2 things in you performances. Bach's Preludes and Fugues? to pull it off... hahaha... not many can do. If you are confident in your craft (i understand that you've been playing for 11 years now...) try something like Liszt Transcidentals? Hungarian Rhapsodies? or more common and "playable" repertoire... Chopin? Again, playing the notes on the paper is possible, but pulling it off musically and technically... as I said before, not many people can do. So think about it... or even some Schoenberg? very hard to pull off musically... Shostakovitch preludes? Messiaen? Tell me what you think. repertoire choice are important, but playing the repertoire(s) well, is an even more important factor.

 

[babylupin]

i agree with RJO1988 - repertoire is everythiny
any one can play the notes, but you have to make your piece musical

to order music, look up Zephyr Music if you're in the Sydney area, they are fantastic suppliers!

 

[me myself & i]

Thanks guys! I'll look all those up.

Yeah. You definitely need to play musically!!! That's how I rate all musicians. Fair enough if you can play hard pieces, but can you play it with feeling? in the style of the piece? can you capture the moment that the piece was written? can you make the audience connect with the piece?
That's what I like to see in a piece, and it's how I rate my own performances.

 

[lala2]

- What sofstar said--AMC is your best friend. I played a rag by Kats-Chernin in 2005, so that's also classed as "art music", but I found that from....AMC! So do make an effort to get down there.
- What RJO1988 said--

Chopin (nocturnes, ballades, polanises, etudes...anything really)
Messiaen (Vingt Regards sur l'enfant Jesus is yum if you can handle it)
Liszt (Hungarian Rhapsodies, Etudes)
Rachmaninoff (Preludes--DON'T pick the C sharp or G minor ones--too common! or Etudes)
Debussy/Ravel/impressionistic people
Beethoven or Mozart sonata
any of the Preludes and Fugues by Bach or Shostakovich