I`m planning on auditioning for the San Francisco Music Conservatory soon, and I need to have 4 pieces memorized: one from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th century periods. I need help choosing works, because I don`t really know what criteria to use...as in, how difficult should they be, any particular pieces to avoid, etc. Also, is it the end of the world if I make a few mistakes during the audition? I would be very greatful for any insights and advice anyone has for me.

Thanks

if you`re into solo piano here are my favourites. all of these are quite difficult but i`ll give them a go:

Baroque: Bach chromatic fantasia and fugue (BEW 903)
Classical: beethoven`s appasionata sonata
Romantic: chopin polonaise in a flat major (op. 53) (the B section has really hard octaves, lots of technique there)
Modern:i like prokofiev sonata no. 3 (op. 28)

i don`t like modern much though. to much 12 note harmony, it never goes anywhere.

Also chopin etudes are wonderful.

If you need a concerto, i like the emperor by beethoven.

Anyone who can play rach3 well is guaranteed entrance. But that`s extremely difficult especially with orchestra.

Good luck

Thanks for the suggestions...can`t do any concertos though (25 minute audition), so they`re all going to be solo pieces. What I`m looking for is something that will display equally my knowledge of rhythm, musical notation, and general ability

Bach "Aus der Kantate Jesus bleibt meine Freude" revised by Whilhelm Kempf is very well in Ryhthem bcause in some moments their Triolen to 2 notes
Otherwise Chopin impromptu OP.66 is very dificult in Rhythem.

u have some nice selection of choices..do what u want but..many places wont let u play the famous nicknamed sonatas(appasionata..moonlight....tempest...pathetique..etc)..they are overplayed and most of the time are performed wrong...im not saying not to do it if uve worked ur ass off for it..im just suggestin another sonata...also..a teacher from julliard told me that prokofiev(especially the 3rd tarantella sonata) is too commonly played out..and yea..the a flat polonaise is nice..i played the e flat grande brilliante...but the hardest is the polonaise fantasie i believe..

1.)youll want a bach prelude and fugue (choose one with a four voice fugue)
2.)try a beethoven or mozart sonata (or maybe on fast movement if you wont have enough time during the audition)
3.)maybe a chopin etude or ballade or a late beethoven sonata...
4.)well anything debussy...if you want something thats not so modern go for prokofiev or rachmaninoff...


when are you going to be auditioning?

im not quite certain but i doubt u can use Rachmaninoff as ur contemporary piece...because even though he died in the 1940s/...he is still a late romantic composer...and same with Beethoven..he is also part romantic but he remains on the classical side when auditioning for colleges

yah alex thats why i said late beethoven for romantic...leaving the early stuff for classical period...

oh..sorry about that sky..just asking cuz im not very familiar...are you really allowed to play a late Beethoven sonata for the romantic requirement?..i know you can play Schubert pieces for romantic but im not so sure about Beethoven sonatas