Favorite Pieces You've Performed

[jochanaan]

Too many to mention here, but here are some highlights:

Among the first pieces I played with orchestra (at age 17!) were the Evening Prayer and Dream from Hansel und Gretel, and the last movement of Beethoven's Fifth; the occasion was the Nebraska All-State Fine Arts Camp in summer 1975.

In the 1980s I played with the Boulder (Colorado) Philharmonic for a while; highlights from then are a suite from Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen, Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Bruckner's Fourth Symphony, and Beethoven #3, #4 and #9.

Among the great symphonies I've played are:
Mozart #36 "Linz"
Haydn 22 "Philosopher" and 104 "London"
Beethoven Symphonies 1, 2, 3 (twice), 4 (twice), 5, 7, 8 (first movement only) and 9 (twice)
Mendelssohn 5 "Reformation", also his Hebrides Overture
Schumann 1 and 4
Brahms 1 and 2
Balakirev 1
Tchaikovsky 1, 4, 5, 6
Saint Saens 3 "Organ" (very fun!)
Franck
Mahler 1 and 4
Sibelius 2
Kalinnikov 1 (last movement only, band arrangement)
Shostakovich 1, 5 (last movement only, band arrangement)

Concertos for which I've played in the orchestra:
Mozart Piano #20, Violin 3
Haydn Trumpet
Beethoven Piano 1, 3, 4 (the last with Peter Serkin at the piano!)
Mendelssohn Piano 1
Brahms Double
Franck Symphonic Variations
Dvorak Cello (as demanding for the orchestra as many symphonies)
Elgar Cello
Rachmaninoff 2 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Gershwin Piano Concerto and Rhapsody in Blue
Joaquin Rodrigo Concierto Aranjuez and Concierto Andaluz (the last with the Romeros, all four of them!)

Operas and ballets:
Tchaikovsky Nutcracker (many times!)
Puccini Gianni Schicchi
Bernstein Trouble in Tahiti (a very interesting little opera!)

Miscellaneous:
Bach Suite 3
Mozart Overtures to Magic Flute and Don Giovanni
Beethoven Overtures to Egmont and King Stephen
Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien (band arrangement) and 1812 Overture
Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Sibelius Finlandia and Pohjola's Daughter
Holst The Planets (Mars and Jupiter only)
Kodaly Hary Janos suite
Prokofieff Lieutenant Kije suite

[kyjo]

What instrument do you play, Jochanaan?

[jochanaan]

What instrument do you play, Jochanaan?

Oboe:  "The ill wind that no one blows good."

[kyjo]

Oboe:  "The ill wind that no one blows good."

Nice! The oboe is my favorite woodwind instrument. It has such a haunting tone quality.

[jochanaan]

Nice! The oboe is my favorite woodwind instrument. It has such a haunting tone quality.

If I hear that again, I'll haunt the stuffing out of you!

[Karl Henning]

No quarter, jo!

[TheGSMoeller]

Oboe:  "The ill wind that no one blows good."

Awesome! The oboe is my favorite woodwind instrument behind the clarinet, bass clarinet, Eflat clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon and the really small shiny stick looking one.

Totally kidding, joch.    That's a mighty impressive list you compiled, thank you for sharing. 

[Pat B]

I played in high school. Some that stand out:

Corelli: op. 6 no. 8
Night on Bald Mountain
Russian Easter Festival Overture

I don't listen to Russian showpieces much, but they were a lot of fun to play.

[kyjo]

Since joining a local amateur orchestra (I play the cello) last year, we have played and have been playing:

Suppe: Light Calvary Overture
Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody no. 1
Ravel: Alborada del gracioso
Dvorak: Symphony no. 8
Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings
Diamond: Rounds (which we, sadly, didn't perform )
Mendelssohn: VC (1st movement only)
Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor (orch. Stokowski)
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (with some major cuts )
Schubert: Unfinished Symphony
Bernstein: Candide Overture
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture
Wagner: Prelude to Die Meistersinger
Smetana: Die Moldau
Khachaturian: Gayaneh: Suite no. 3 (which our director will probably cut, maybe completely)

Of these, my favorites have been the Dvorak, Berlioz, Ravel, Bach, Schubert, Bernstein, Tchaikovsky Serenade, Diamond and the Wagner. Our director sticks mainly to the Romantic warhorses, which, although fun to play, I wish he would challenge us to some 20th century and/or "unsung" music. I really hope we play some Shosty or Prokofiev at some point!

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

On piano:

Debussy: 1st Arabesque
J.S. Bach: 3 Part Inventions Nos. 2 and 5

On alto recorder:

J.S. Bach: Sarabande from Sonata for unaccompanied flute BWV 1013

[Szykneij]

Playing string bass in college, some of my favorites were:

Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms -- The violins and violas had to sit around for a change while the low strings played.

Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé -- Got to play the bass solo in the Romance.

Sibelius Symphony No. 2 -- Fun pizzicato lines for low strings in the second movement.

Gene Gutchë's Genghis Khan -- Played this one as the only bass player with the wind orchestra.

[kyjo]

Playing string bass in college, some of my favorites were:

Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms -- The violins and violas had to sit around for a change while the low strings played.

Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé -- Got to play the bass solo in the Romance.

Sibelius Symphony No. 2 -- Fun pizzicato lines for low strings in the second movement.

Gene Gutchë's Genghis Khan -- Played this one as the only bass player with the wind orchestra.

Cool, Tony! I'd love to get better at the double bass, but, as I don't own one, that is a pretty difficult goal to achieve! I love the slow movement of Sibelius 2, especially those ominous bass pizzicatos you mentioned.

[kyjo]

I auditioned for a chamber group last Saturday. If I get in (which I'm rather confident I will), this will be my first foray into playing in a small group. I'll be interested to see what pieces we'll be playing and will report back when I find out.

[Szykneij]

I auditioned for a chamber group last Saturday. If I get in (which I'm rather confident I will), this will be my first foray into playing in a small group. I'll be interested to see what pieces we'll be playing and will report back when I find out.

Nice!

[kyjo]

Nice!

Thanks! BTW I play the cello, if you didn't know. Such a beautiful instrument and I think the bass would come quite easily to me since I'm used to large finger stretches. I have tried playing the violin a couple times and I suck at it. It just feels so small! Now if only I could fork out the cash for a decent bass and lessons, as well as enough space to store it in ........

[Karl Henning]

Playing string bass in college, some of my favorites were:

Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms -- The violins and violas had to sit around for a change while the low strings played.

Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé -- Got to play the bass solo in the Romance.

Sibelius Symphony No. 2 -- Fun pizzicato lines for low strings in the second movement.

Gene Gutchë's Genghis Khan -- Played this one as the only bass player with the wind orchestra.

I don't know the last, but the first three are terrific playing experiences, Tony!

[Szykneij]

I don't know the last, but the first three are terrific playing experiences, Tony!

Nice (and only?) recording here --


www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEHUFuBsu6k


Gene Gutchë (1907-2000): Genghis Khan, Op.37 (1963). The Louisville Orchestra.

[PaulR]

As a soloist with or without piano:
-Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata
-Weinberg: Sonata for solo Double Bass
-Larsson: Concertino for Double Bass
-Vanhal: Concerto for Double Bass

Part of an orchestra:
-Mahler 4 (twice played this)
-Rimsky-Korsakov: Sherazade
-Saint Saens Organ Symphony

[relm1]

I play bass trombone and favorite performances for me include:

- Holst The Planets
- Moussorgky Pictures at an Exhibition
- Shostakovich symphony no. 5
- Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis
- Rimsky Korsakov Scheherazade
- Elgar enigma variations
- my own orchestral music I played in premieres ;-)

[Karl Henning]

- Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis

That is a fun piece, and your post reminds me that I once conducted a wind ensemble in a transcription of the Marsch.