Classical mid-level piano piece for recital?

Question

At the end of the semester (15,16 weeks or so) I have to play a piano piece for a recital and I am having a very hard time choosing what to do. I was going to play First Loss by Robert Schumann, but it seems a bit easy for my final goal. I have not been playing piano for long at all. I played for a year about 7 or 8 years ago and forgot a lot but picked it up earlier this summer and can play everything fine, and am now taking a course at my school. I'm pick things up very fast so I want to play a mid-level song that is harder than First Loss. I don't really know how to describe my skill level or how much I will improve in the following weeks so that is the only standard I can think of to give you (sorry!), since First Loss is the most advanced song I have learned to play so far. I want to play a classical piece that is sad and doesn't have too fast of a tempo. Any suggestions of what I should play? I will very much appreciate any answers given!

Answer 1

Give Chopin's Raindrop Prelude Opus 28 # 15 a look. It's melancholy and slow. But it might be  bit advanced.

The Mozart Fantasia # 3 in D minor begins slowly and gets even slower. There are faster sections, but your audience will be forgiving, and "agitato" is a relative term. As a fantasia, there are somber as well as lively themes and tempi.

Answer 2

     You might try the Chopin book of Preludes.  Some slow, melancholy, others faster, happier.  Some very simply and only one page in length, others longer and more difficult.

     Don't know if it will be beyond your capabilities, but a piece I use to enjoy playing and gives the impression that it's much more difficult than it really is, is the following:

Christian Sinding: "Rustle of Spring".

                                Good luck with your recital,

                                                    Alberich

Answer 3

Actually, "Scenes from Childhood" will have several movements that you might enjoy.

Schubert's Waltz in B minor might suite you.

As far as Chopin Preludes, there are only a few I'd say you would want to try: E minor, Db major, B minor, A major, E major, C minor.

"To a Wild Rose" by Macdowell is gorgeous and melancholic.

A wide number of Chopin Mazurkas might be accessible, and maybe the A minor waltz.

Mendelssohn's Songs without Words are all great!  Some are harder than others, but definitely worth looking into.

Liszt Consolation in Db is great, too.

Answer 4

You can try the E minor prelude (op. 39, no. 4) of Chopin. But this piece is cliched....most people play it.

Other possibilities.....

"Romanze" from Faschingsswank aus Wien of Schumann.

"Nuages gris" by Franz Liszt

"Le petit berger" (or The Little Shepherd) by Claude Debussy

"Child Falling Asleep" (Kind im Einschlummern) from "Scenes from Childhood" by Robert Schumann