Recital Programming

trumpetpatrick · Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 5:06 pm Post subject: Recital Programming

Hi all,
As with any music program, I have to do a 45-70 minute recital at the end of the year, and I was just wondering people's opinions on how to best program a good recital.

Cheers,
Patrick

Tpt_Guy · Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 7:35 pm Post subject:

Choose music with lots of rests!

All joking aside, there's an article by David Bilger called, Notes on Technique. It's very extensive but in it he does outline some ideas for recital format and how to prepare.

Just google it and it will come up as a downloadable pdf.
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JoseLindE4 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 791

1. Build it around 1 or maybe 2 important works. Play great music, but it should be enjoyable to play and listen to.

2. If you're going to use the horn, figure out how your chops deal with piccolo playing. Some people like to open with, others prefer to close with it. How well do you play piccolo if you're tired? How well do you play other horns after piccolo? These two questions will determine where you should put any piccolo works.

3. Through all of my degrees, I always tried to have the program well prepared at least a month ahead of time. I'd use the extra time to work out what it's like running through it. I'd do trial runs of the program very early, accepting that it will sound terrible at first. Playing with recordings would help discipline myself from stopping to fix things. My goal was to be able to play it twice through with a short break in between about two weeks prior. I remember watching other players stress about endurance on the program where I had done my stressing ahead of time. Don't do run-throughs every day though.

4. Make sure you like what you're playing.

5. Know the accompaniment as well as the trumpet part.

6. Always acknowledge the accompanist.

7. Don't forget to practice fundamentals as you prep your program.

8. Trial performances in the days prior always seem to help.

9. For a 45-70 minute recital, I'm aiming for closer to 45 minutes.

trumpetpatrick · Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2017 10:37 am Post subject:

Thanks to you both. I'll go look up the Bilger article.

Jay Lichtmann · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 4:25 pm Post subject:

http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/murtha/files/solos/mouvementsperpetuels.pdf

This arrangement I did of Poulenc's Mouvements Perpetuals is great for a recital. It's a substantial piece that's easy on the ears by a major composer (NOT pops stuff) that is relatively easy and most importantly IS EASY ON THE CHOPS. I arranged it (it's originally for piano solo) specifically for recital purposes. I was doing a fairly taxing program and needed a piece of substance that would not kill my chops.

I have performed it several times and have heard it on both students and colligues recitals. It was received well by both the audience and the performers.
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Andy Del · Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:07 pm Post subject:

There are two really important sources to consider: yourself and your teacher. Make sure you are planning music YOU want to play, bit also that your teacher wants or REQUIRES you to play.

After that, 45-70 minutes of music for trumpet is all you need!

I have heard all sorts of recitals, based on various themes, and they will all work if played well...

Now, if I had this task and it was the required amount of music, not concert curation, my list would look like this:

Ketting Intrada (4.00) (Bb)
Baroque sonata by (anyone) with small string group (~10.00) (piccolo)
Neruda concerto with Strings (17.00) (Eb/Bb/corno da caccia)
Hindemith sonata (16.00) (Bb)

or

Code At Dawn (4.30) (cornet)
Martinu sonatina (8.00) (C)
Hovhannes Prayer to St Gregory - with strings (6.00) (Bb)
Neruda concerto with Strings (17.00) (Eb/Bb/corno da caccia)
Bitsch Quatre Variations (8.00) (cornet)
Code At Sunset (4.30) (cornet)

These are going to take almost an hour to get through with changes and moving on and off stage. this is right in the middle of the timing and should not prove to be an issue with the powers that be...

One is definitely aimed as a lighter recital, but with some flavour for the audience, the other more hardcore trumpet.

Hope that helps!

cheers

Andy
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