Help decide a flute concerto for competition?

[AurokeFlute]

I had originally planned to do the Hisatada Otaka flute concerto op.30b, but it is permanently out of print, and I cant find it anywhere else. It depresses me a lot. I really like the concerto.

Anyways, I am entering a competition in December. I have to perform a concerto or a piece written for flute and orchestra. It has to have piano accompaniment as well. There isnt a specific genre. last year's winners was Hue's Fantasie and Vivaldi's winter(its for all musicians and vocalists)
I performed Poem by Griffes last year, preparing about a month or so before the competition and did good for the amount of time. I really want to win it this time, and i thought i would with the otaka concerto but it is out of print indefinitely. I am considering trying the Ibert concerto, but it is a really daunting task. Any suggestions?
-Donavan

[remnantpark]

It depends all on your playing ability and how much you're willing to work on it.

There's Reinecke, which is pretty and romantic. I think advanced high schoolers can definitely play this piece. I think this concerto is a very good option.

There's Nielsen...which is not something every advanced HS can bust. Very difficult. It will absolutely take more than a month to get this piece down (IMO). Same with Ibert. Ibert really shows off the technical chops. The 1st movement just starts out with a BANG. Both concertos are extremely impressive, but very very very hard. If you have the chops, DO it. When you pull it off, it's like murder...and if you don't have chops, it will be very obvious, and the results won't be good...

Then you have that good ol classical Mozart concerto G or in D. Ehh. Within the grasp of advanced high schoolers, most definitely, but it takes a lot of polishing. Mozart is see-through alright. I don't really find Mozart to be a favorite with concerto competitions (unless it's impressive, interesting, and very very very well played), although it is a standard in auditions.

But then again, is it allowed to repeat Poem? Poem is a wonderful, interesting piece. I always find revisiting pieces a good idea. You can realllly polish it, and totally have it in your grasp. It has the potential to bloom and become much much more than it was.

Martin Ballade, too. Hard piece. It is pretty modern, but impressive. I find it a very dark and exciting piece. Counting is a bit of a challenge, and you need some good triple tonguing to pull off the piece.

Chaminade's Concertino. Ugh. Not a good idea for a standard audition. But could be in a concerto competition! Definitely something to pull off if you have your scales down very well. It'll take some time to truly polish the piece and make it your own...but it's certainly easier than Martin or Nielsen/Ibert. I've seen some kids win with this concertino, but it all depends on the kind of competition. If it's a competition with a major, professional orchestra (which I doubt, based on previous concerto winners you mentioned), Chaminade is not really a good idea (nor would be Mozart, imo).

Then there's Liebermann...and Jolivet...yeahhhhh. They're tough alright I'm not sure what kind of concerto competition it is, but if it is a HS one, don't even bother. Well unless you are a machine. Now that would be something. /raiseseyebrow

As for Otaka, I've heard one performance of it...by Mina Kitamura I think? It was fantastic, but I think I would go for the standard flute concertos. This is just my opinion.

Here's a good link with standard flute repertoire, the starred pieces are good for concerto competitions. http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~leonard ... edrep.html

[AurokeFlute]

It depends all on your playing ability and how much you're willing to work on it.

There's Reinecke, which is pretty and romantic. I think advanced high schoolers can definitely play this piece. I think this concerto is a very good option.

There's Nielsen...which is not something every advanced HS can bust. Very difficult. It will absolutely take more than a month to get this piece down (IMO). Same with Ibert. Ibert really shows off the technical chops. The 1st movement just starts out with a BANG. Both concertos are extremely impressive, but very very very hard. If you have the chops, DO it. When you pull it off, it's like murder...and if you don't have chops, it will be very obvious, and the results won't be good...

Then you have that good ol classical Mozart concerto G or in D. Ehh. Within the grasp of advanced high schoolers, most definitely, but it takes a lot of polishing. Mozart is see-through alright. I don't really find Mozart to be a favorite with concerto competitions (unless it's impressive, interesting, and very very very well played), although it is a standard in auditions.

But then again, is it allowed to repeat Poem? Poem is a wonderful, interesting piece. I always find revisiting pieces a good idea. You can realllly polish it, and totally have it in your grasp. It has the potential to bloom and become much much more than it was.

Martin Ballade, too. Hard piece. It is pretty modern, but impressive. I find it a very dark and exciting piece. Counting is a bit of a challenge, and you need some good triple tonguing to pull off the piece.

Chaminade's Concertino. Ugh. Not a good idea for a standard audition. But could be in a concerto competition! Definitely something to pull off if you have your scales down very well. It'll take some time to truly polish the piece and make it your own...but it's certainly easier than Martin or Nielsen/Ibert. I've seen some kids win with this concertino, but it all depends on the kind of competition. If it's a competition with a major, professional orchestra (which I doubt, based on previous concerto winners you mentioned), Chaminade is not really a good idea (nor would be Mozart, imo).

Then there's Liebermann...and Jolivet...yeahhhhh. They're tough alright I'm not sure what kind of concerto competition it is, but if it is a HS one, don't even bother. Well unless you are a machine. Now that would be something. /raiseseyebrow

Here's a good link with standard flute repertoire, the starred pieces are good for concerto competitions. http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~leonard ... edrep.html

Wow, thank you for the time you put into the response! It is a young artist competition with an orchestra close by. I believe they are semi-professional, but they have a big pull in the community and at Florida Southern College. I thought about repeating poem, because it is an awesome concerto, but I dont think it would be allowed. I am a senior, and completely addicted to any flute literature I can get my hands on. The Nielsen and Ibert concertos are awesome, I'm considering them. I am preparing both of the Mozart concertos, just because its standard.

[sidekicker]

What about the Jean Rivier Concerto? It's a terrific piece and has a very showy last movement.
Just a suggestion based on the genre you seem to prefer.

SK

[fluteguy18]

I learned the name of the game with Concerto Competitions pretty quickly. If it's flashy, showy, has a good lyrical line in it somewhere, and you play it well, your odds of winning are much better. Mozart is some of the most difficult literature imo because it's NEVER good enough. It can never be clean enough, the phrasing can't ever be clear enough, and interpretations/preferences are all over the board. Furthermore, even if you do play it spectacularly it never sounds like it's very difficult (even though it is).

I too would avoid Poem. This is because I once auditioned with this piece for a similar competition too. Poem (like the Nielsen) is a 'journey' type of piece. With Concerti, most audiences want almost instant gratification. Even though pieces like Poem and Nielsen show a lot of maturity if they are played well, from what I have seen they sometimes lack the 'sparkle' that makes pieces interesting to the casual listener. You want something that draws the listener in, and then never lets them go.

You have to consider that when the judges are listening, they are programming the concert as well. You have to have a piece that stands out from the others and that lends itself easily to satisfactory concert programming. If you know what other pieces are going to be played by the orchestra (and if there is only going to be one soloist that evening), I would choose a contrasting concerto. If the orchestra is playing really technical pieces I would not opt for Ibert for example. If there's going to be multiple soloists that night, go for something that has a lot of contrast and feels 'complete.'

For your age level, Chaminade (or in fact ANY of the great French Conservatory pieces) is a good choice I think. I'm not saying that because I won a similar competition on that piece, but because of what these type of pieces show. If played well they show great musicality, technical facility, and they keep the listener interested. I would only approach pieces like the Ibert or Jolivet with a teacher's guidance and approval. Like the Nielsen they are beastly hard, take years to master, and come off poorly if played well. I personally feel that the Nielsen and Ibert feel 'incomplete' without all of the movements. If there is a time restriction, that is something to consider. I wouldn't let a selection for a competition like this go over 10 minutes unless it's a real killer like Jolivet.

Other things to consider are: memorization? If you can do it and do it well, it's a definite bonus if you play well. Attire? I would wear something memorable but not over the top though. A tux or evening gown is overpowering in an audition, and anything too revealing only asks for the wrong kind of attention. Scheduling? If you can sign up for times/audition slots, I would use this gift carefully. If I can sign up for the time slot myself I NEVER play in the midst of other wind players, and if I can manage it I try to play between big groups of girls (since I'm a guy). The year I won my University's Concerto Competition I played right in the middle of a slew of female string players. I played from memory and I wore all black but with a vivid scarlet red tie. Even though small things like this MAY NOT do anything, they MAY help too. If you play badly though, they can hurt you too. It's all a gamble.

[sidekicker]

Fluteguy is correct on all counts. I totally agree with all he has said. But take a look at the Rivier. I say that because (a) the last movement is not too long, very flashy (with a very memorable tune), has several places to shine in musicianship and is very appealing to an "average" listener; (b) the piano reduction is good, unlike the Ibert and Nielsen (which is important when you audition -- it doesn't seem "empty"); (c) I won my university concerto competition playing this piece; and (d) if your orchestra conductor is there -- and s/he is bound to be --- the score/parts (string orchestra only; no wind parts) are very accessible and can be played reasonably well by even a mediocre university orchestra. Also, it's not hard to memorize if that is one of your qualifications.

SK