Usukimo's Piano World: Music theory appreciation: Sonatas and Sonata form

Guide to Passing the ATCL Piano Recital Diploma Exams!

What is ATCL Piano Recital Diploma Exam all about????

This is a guide with resources and pointers to prepare for the most basic ATCL piano Recital Diploma. Most of us, after passing ABRSM Grade 8, will be considering the Diploma Syllabus in our next phase of pianistic achievements. Here, I recommend ATCL(Recital) as the window and the stepping stone to other more sophisticated qualifications. ATCL is the first level diploma offered by the Trinity College Examinations Board.

Here is a copy of the latest exam syllabus

Pls read through it carefully. I will summarise the important feature of the exam:

1. Recital Exams only requires performance of a set of pieces, no scales, no sight reading, no aural tests, no verbal QnA

2. There is a long list ( check the syllabus ) of pieces to assimilate your program from. You can choose to play anything from the list as long as you can make the entire duration last somewhere 32-38 minutes. Timing is important!

3. Sensible choice of pieces is half of the battle. I will explain this further.

4. Candidates are to treat the exam like a professional Recital performance. (ie. Mini-concert) So, just imagine all the features you observe when you attend other pianists' recital concerts. You need to prepare a set of program notes, dressed in professional attire, carry yourself with a professional aura. To be perfectly professional, most pianists play from memory. But, you don't get penalized for playing with scores either. It is the overall impression you portray that matters.

This is an expensive exam to take. Do be fluent in your playing first before you register for the exams. This is different from the lower graded exams where you can register first to “push” yourself to practise harder. But still, it is one of the most fulfilling and the most forgiving diploma exam! It is stated that the expected level of playing is at first year of undergraduate studies in degree course. You are expected to be advanced and reasonably technically fluent player, but not virtuoso.

In ATCL, in depth knowledge of music theory provides the foundation to insightful performance. For those who are taking the equialent diploma from ABRSM, the knowledge is essential for Viva Voce, which is an oral examination on musical knowledge. Here, I would like to discuss the common misconceptual between Sonatas and Sonata form.

The term, Sonata, has been used by composers since 16th Century, before the Baroque period. Generally, people misunderstand that "Sonata" started in the Classical period. Basically, Sonata simply meant, a piece to be "played" or "sounded" ( sonata ) as opposed to "sung" ( cantata ).

Then, during the Classical Period, Sonata became the title for a work in three and four contrasting movements. The title Sonata appears frequently in many works of composers from this era onwards. Usually, the first movement is fairly fast with 1 or 2 distinctive motif, second movement is rather slow and lyrical, third movement and fourth movements are usually minuet and trio, and rondo respectively.

Each of these movements itself, especially the first movement that has 1 or 2 theme, can be written in a structure called the "Sonata-form". This is a musical structure used to develop music with themes. A plan of the sonata form looks like this:

Guide to Passing the ATCL Piano Recital Diploma Exams!

Music theory appreciation: Sonatas and Sonata form

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