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Teresa Wong
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This page contains viva-voce questions that have been asked in diploma examinations. Any
answers given are those written by the candidate and are not intended to represent good (or
bad) answers to the questions: they are simply the answers the candidate gave. All viva-voces
end with the question Is there anything you would like to add?, it is not necessary to answer
this question (with anything other than no) but if you do want to say something then this is
the time to do so.
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The questions as appearing here have been (lightly) edited for consistency throughout the
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page and to better reperesent the way that examiners are likely to word questions.
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Questions:
Aural Training
How did you choose your programme?
What were the technical challenges you faced when playing the Scriabin preludes?
Where do the opus 11 preludes fit into Scriabins compositional output?
You say the First Movement of the Pathetique is in Sonata form. What is the structure of
Sonata form?
What influence did Beethovens contemporaries have on this piece? In particular, Dussek
(Dusseks influence mentioned in programme notes)
You mention that it was written in Beethovens early period; what characterises his early
period?
How many piano sonatas did Beethoven write?
You said that in his early period, Szymanowski was influenced by Chopin. In what way can
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Teresa Wong
9/24/13 9:28 AM
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What did Bach mean by Well Tempered when he wrote the Well -Tempered Clavier?
How should one approach playing Bach on a piano?
What are stretti?
What sort of answer does the Fugue have?
I noticed that you played from memory today; what effect does that have on the performance?
What does one have to bear in mind when playing the dynamics in, for example, the Debussy,
compared to the Beethoven?
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Who else was writing sonatas/piano music at the same time as Schubert? Name a sonata they
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Talk about the development of the piano from Bachs time to modern day.
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Do you feel that the cross-rhythmns and bi-tonality in Ginastera work against each other?
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How To Do Better In Your SightReading Tests (Part I)
ITS ALL IN YOUR HEAD.
Questions:
Who else other than Bach and Mendelssohn wrote Preludes and Fugues?
What performing difficulties are there in the Mendelssohn prelude?
Is Mendelssohns fugue like a Bach fugue? Show me in the music the subject, and the
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countersubject.
What other piano music did Mendelssohn write? Did he write a concerto?
What traditional harmonies and forms can you point out in Ravels Sonatine?
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Teresa Wong
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Why did you choose the John Ogdon piece to finish with?
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Bach Prelude and Fugue No.5 in D major from Book II of WTC
Beethoven Sonata in C# Minor, Op. 27 No. 2, Moonlight
Brahms Romance in F, No. 5 from Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118
Gerswhin Preludes 2 and 3 from Preludes for Piano
Questions:
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In the Brahms, the melody is doubled in the alto and tenor. How does this affect the way you
play it?
AuralTraining
Beethoven
Brahms
Chopin
ChrisNorton
ChristmasMusic ChristopherNorton
ClassicalPeriod
Barber Baroque
beginners Blues
Classic
Clementi
dipABRSM
Czerny Debussy
DiplomaExams
DipABRSM Programme:
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Chopin Nocturne No.18 in E Major, Op.62 No.2
Beethoven Sonata in F Minor, Op.2 No.1
Debussy Sarabande from the suite Pour le Piano
Schumann Novelette No.1 in F Major, Op.21
Questions:
Gounod grade5
GradedExams
Haydn Haydn
Jazz JSBach
iPhoneApp Janacek
Mozart
PianoDuets
PianoHistory
PianoPerformance
PianoStructure PianoTeaching
PianoTechnique
What is rubato?
PracticeMethods
Rachmaninoff
How different was the piano of Chopin from that of Mozart, and how could that have affected
Chopins composing?
Did Chopin compose anything else that was for piano and orchestra?
What were Beethovens style periods? How many were there?
How big of an influence was Haydn on Beethoven?
Ravel Romantic
SightReading Singing
TrinityExams Wolf
YoshinaoNakada
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Free, improvisatory piece coming from the Romantic period.. ABA form.. written before only
by John Field
Describe basically the difference of parts, how they contrast, possibly modulate to other key,
then come back
A night piece
speeding up and slowing down according to emotions
right hand, left hand keeps constant rhythm
larger range Chopin experiments with all notes.. and better sound quality, allowing for
fleeting scales , etc.
Yes, two piano concerti, but all of his compositions had something to do with the piano
Three style periods Viennese Classical, Heroic, more serene and introverted, talk about
which pieces characterised each period
Significant, was his tutor from 1792
Yes, 5 piano concertos, and 9 piano trios
Not full ones, just separate movements
Stylised old dance, 3-beat meter, Baroque, Debussys tribute to French baroque composers
capturing a certain feeling/atmosphere in a piece
Yes, Claude Monet
Maurice Ravel, Charles Ives
Too much effort to memorize, not very good at it, prefer to have music just in case
Yes, you dont have to spend time glancing at the notes
Made an instrument to strengthen his hand, ended up damaging his nerves
Yes, 1 piano concerto
DipABRSM Programme:
Source
Bach Prelude and Fugue in F# Minor,Well-Tempered Clavier Book I
Beethoven Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op 10 No. 1
Faure Barcarolle No. 6 in Eb, Op. 70
Questions:
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technique, orchestral sounds, and thinking of song/opera followup question asked whether
the composer wrote any songs.)
Who was Beethovens first teacher? (Beethovens first teacher mentioned in programme
notes)
Did Beethoven write any other sonatas in C minor?
Compare the piano Beethoven had to the one in todays exam.
Are there any technical things in the fugue e.g. stretto / inversion? Point them out in the
score.
Did you make any adjustments to the way you played the Bach because you were playing on
the piano?
DipABRSM Programme:
Source
Scarlatti Sonatas K208 and K209
Beethoven Sonata in F Minor, Op.2 No.1
Gershwin Preludes 2 & 3
Questions about the programme:
About the quick study, are there any elements you particularly enjoyed? How did you
approach it?
What key did the QS start in?
What did it modulate to in the second half?
Was the start major or minor?
N.B. Questions about the quick study seem to be very rare: if you are desperate to avoid these
questions simply request to do the viva before the quick study (the syllabus states one can do
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DipABRSM Programme:
Source
Bach Toccata No.2 in E Minor BWV, 914
Beethoven Sonata No.14 in C# Minor, Op. 14 No. 2, Moonlight
Chopin Nocturne in E, Op.62 No.2
Brahms Rhapsody in G minor, Op.79 No. 2
Bartok No. 1 from Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, Microkosmos No. 149
Questions:
You mentioned in your programme notes about the clavichord and the harpsichord being the
prevalent instrument in Bachs time and not the piano. How do these instruments differ from
the piano?
You mentioned in your programme notes about Countess Giudicelli- possibly Beethovens
Immortal Beloved whom Beethoven dedicated the Moonlight. What is the relevance of
stating the possibility of her being his Immortal Beloved in your notes?
And what was the keyboard instrument prevalent in Beethovens time and how did it affect
the music that was composed in his period?
What other non-piano works did Beethoven compose?
Did he also write chamber music?
And what is the trio? What instruments does it consist of?
You mentioned in your programme notes about Bellinis operas having a similiar style to the
Chopins nocturne in E. Can you describe more about Bellinis opera and in what way is it
simliar to the nocturnes?
You mentioned about coloratura in your programme noteswhat does it mean?
What other works did Brahms compose, other than the rhapsody?
You mentioned that Brahms is more of an orchestral composer, can you explain this?
Who were Brahmss contemporaries?
And what kind of music does Liszt write?
What is his music like? Are they easy or difficult to play?
Have you played any of Liszts music?
Why did Bartok write the Mikrokosmos?
Name one contemporary of Barok?
Talked about the make of the instruments and how it affects the sound. For eg, for the
harpsichord, the strings are plucked and as such, no tonal nuances are capable on the piano.
In the clavichord, small metal tangents hit the string when the key is struck and so the sound
is smaller than the pianoforte. etc etc
Obviously, the dedicatee of any work is important and the relationship between the composer
and the dedicatee of the work can help shape how we interpret the piece. Beethoven was said
to have rejected the Countess, when she came back to him for lessons after marrying another
man and going away for several years. There was some bitterness on his part, and this we can
hear in the third movement, which has been said to be composed by Beethoven in a fit of
jealous rage for a lost love. In this context, we would not think of the first movement as a
funeral march as some would like to think it is. Instead, the first movement represents a
certain pining and languishing.
The fortepiano, with a wooden frame and leather hammers, was used etc etc
He wrote nine symphonies, a violin concerto
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Yesthe most famous of his chamber music has to be the Archduke Trio.
If Im not wrong, it consists of the violin, cello and the piano.
Sopranos *examiners laugh* The term generally applies to sopranos..and I do have a
recording of Bellinis La Somnambula with Joan Sutherland singing the lead roleand I
cannot help but notice the similarities in the style of the phrases, the florid passages etc etc
Chopin Liszt
Mainly piano music
It tends to be a little showy sometimesbut generally difficult technically speaking Liszt was
like the Paganini of the pianoso
Yesthe piano sonata.. *exams are shocked* I emphasized that I played only the easier
chordal passages and they laughed
He wrote them as exercises for his son to whom he taught the pianothen they gradually
increased in numbers and became a complete set of exercises over time
Debussy
DipABRSM Programme:
Source
Bach Toccata No.5 in E minor, BWV 914
Mozart Sonata in D, K.311
Gershwin Preludes 2 and 3
Questions:
What is a Toccata?
Did any other composers write toccatas, if so how do they differ?
What are the differences between the harpsichord and the piano youve played today?
How did this affect the way you played this piece?
Guide me through the adagio section, and explain why you played it the way you did.
What do you think of using pedal to play Mozarts pieces?
Would you use any rubato in Mozarts pieces?
What contribution did Gershwin make to the music industry in his time?
Do you know of any other American Composers?
Whats the difference between the conventional american music and his?
DipABRSM Programme:
Source
Bach Toccata No.5 in E minor, BWV 914
Mozart Sonata in D, K.311
Franz Impromptu in G flat, Op.90 No.3, D899/3
Gershwin Prelude I in B flat, Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
Questions:
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Source
Programme includes:
You might not listen to operas much, so why did you choose this Mozart piece?
Give one example of a Mozart comic opera and a Mozart tragic opera.
What technical and musical difficulties did you encounter in playing these (Mozart)
variations?
Why do Scarlattis sonatas have a K. and Longo?
Why did he write these exercises?
Besides what youve said, do you have any idea to whom did he write them for? (Queen Maria
Babara) Which country was she from?
DipABRSM Programme:
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Programme unknown
Questions:
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What key has the music modulated to at the start of the development section?
To read more, go to http://www.forumconcert.co.uk/diplomas/
and http://www.abrsm.org/resources/writingProgNotesApr05.pdf
Teresa Wong
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