Quick Question! Which is the easiest??

[gg21wvtrumpet]

Hi all,

I’m in a pinch to pick a solo piece to work on for graduate auditions. Which one of these pieces would be the easiest to learn in a month? Easiest meaning in range, technique, agility, flexibility, etc..

Peeters Sonata
Hindemith Sonata
Halsey Stevens Sonata
Ewazen Sonata


Thank you!!

[Dayton]

All of those pieces offer their own challenges. "Easiest" depends on how they match up to your playing. Your professor should have a good sense of which is a good fit for you if you don't.

Ewazen: Range goes up to a high C, first movement only, and down to a low A. Some potentially tricky time signature changes in second and third movement. Some double and a bit of triple tonguing, but nothing tricky.

Hindemith: Range goes up to a B, and just down to low C. Plenty of time signature changes, but nothing particularly tricky. Not much in the way of multiple tonguing.

Peeters: Range goes up to high C, but only in the 3rd movement; down to a low A. No tricky time signature changes. Quite a bit of double tonguing.

Stevens: Range goes up to high D in the first and third movements and down to a low G. Considerable time signature changes. Some double tonguing.

[deleted_user_7354402]

Some thoughts:
1. What are your strengths? If lyrical playing is your forte, maybe Ewazen will make you look your best. Hindemith is great for a display of tone and control. The Halsey Stevens is good if navigating meter changes and playing dance like figures is more your niche. Etc.

2. Will you be auditioning with piano accompaniment? One of these pieces will sound better than the others played unaccompanied. I would think the Ewazen would sound weird in audition settings without the piano part because of all the off beat entrances. The Halsey Stevens would probably hold up best in my mind without piano. If you are allowed and choose to have an accompanist, I’d take the Hindemith. It’s an audition piece even for some orchestra auditions so the work can be an investment in your future. The part is pretty straight ahead but sophisticated. The added benefit to the Hindemith is that SmartMusic has or at least had 10 years ago and accompanying part to play along with for the Hindemith. So navigating the ensemble tricks can be worked out

3. What other pieces are you bringing to the audition? What is the contrasting piece you might play. Make sure they are different enough to give the committee/ teacher a good idea of where you’re at.

4. In any experience sitting through auditions, you can tell in the first phrase where someone is at regarding player development. Make certain, whatever piece you choose, that you show the best version of your tone, rhythmic stability, tempo control, and musicianship. All of the pieces are legit pieces to play on auditions, so there’s really no “one is more impressive than the other” thought that the teacher would have. That being said, whichever one seems easiest to you and your private teacher would be the one I’d go with. The stress of the audition will be mitigated by knowing that the one you chose is well within your capabilities.

Good luck

[nltrumpet]

Not knowing you or your playing, I would view the Peeters and Ewazen as generally less difficult than the Hindemith or Halsey Stevens. The Halsey Stevens is a little tricky at times with it’s acrobatics and time changes, and the Hindemith isn’t super forgiving on “bad chop days,” in addition to lots of people having staunch opinions on the piece.

[Steve A]

Echoing what others have said, really, I think the answer to this depends on your individual strengths. (And weaknesses.)

I don't know the Peeters, so I won't comment on that one. Ewazen is probably the most forgiving of the other three, in some ways. It has challenging intervals, but is generally musically pretty accessible. I think it's probably the easiest of the three, but you'd need very solid flexibility, and to be able to make a sweet singing sound up high, even in tricky keys.

I'd be surprised if anyone in school can learn the Halsey Stevens up to an audition standard in a month if they didn't already know most of it. That goes double if you're playing it accompanied - this piece is hard to put together with a piano.

Hindemith is the most technically restrained, but I think is kind of a parallel to the challenges of orchestral playing vs. solo playing in some ways - you won't get to show off with impressive runs or big expressive moments to cover up for other missteps, unlike, say, Ewazen. I think it is, in a number of ways, the least forgiving of these. Any lack of control of articulation clarity/shape, rhythmic stability, dynamic consistency, or playing efficiency are pretty much impossible to hide here. If you've really got these things nailed down, it's definitely the fastest to learn. Then again, I think I've heard this piece embarrass more highly accomplished trumpet players than any other, so I'd tread cautiously here. If you get in trouble in this piece, there is nowhere to hide.