And I do like the odd prelude and fugue. I can even play some of them all by myself!

I couldn't agree more. I've decided that four years is a good time frame for playing the entire WTC. No need to build Rome in two days

Quite right you are and I wish you all the best for your recital! I am one who likes varied programmes and by varied I do not mean eccletic. I mean, for example, Bach-Haydn-Beethoven-Schubert-Shostakovich.

I would say what happens is that for one reason or another (pieces too short to be published separately, pieces that centre around one subject - like teaching - or simply posthumous collections that owe nothing to the composer) a whole collection is is gathered together, like the Inventions, the Sinfonias, the Well-Tempered Klavier or, for that matter, Chopin's Preludes (and by the way I DO like two or three of them ) or Songs and for some reason these works that were published together are suddenly expected to be played and listened to together, as if they suddenly had become one work. The Well-Tempered Klavier is not one single work (or two, because there are two volumes), but a collection of Preludes and Fugues. Any one of those pairs is a work of its own and has even been given its own BWV number. While I would not dream to play one of the preludes without its corresponding fugue, I would avoid at all costs playing two (or three or four...) pairs in any fixed order.

One frown upon people who listen only to the Clair de Lune or to the middle movement of Mozart's Piano concerto No 21, yet we accept people who, in the course of two evenings, play the whole Well-Tempered Klavier or Beethoven's 6 quartets op 18.

It brings to mind my father's comment, many years ago, when he saw such a programme (Chopin's complete Etudes it was). "Imagine losing count after the sixth Etude!")

I believe the term is Genre Recitalist. The last of my piano professors was himself a genre recitalist. He would often perform full sets of the Chopin Etudes, Ballades, Scherzos, Debussy Preludes, etc. I have to admit that it was too much of a good thing. OK I like steak (or insert any other food you like) but I don't want 3-5 courses of it. I much prefer the eclectic programs that Richard gave an example of. Right now I'm working on a program with (not necessarily in this order): Rameau, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Ginastera, and Scriabin and Liebich for encores. A smorgasboard if you please.

The only complete set performed at a recital I like is the Chopin Preludes. There is plenty of variety among them and they're not so long.

Where I live they are a plague: Mozart's complete string quartets, Beethoven's complete sonatas and so on. I have not been to a concert in years!

Maybe it is because the performer does not need to think. Alexander's programme and Eddy's future selection for a concert have this in common: you give thought to what you want to play, you try to match the pieces. I always believe in a "master programme", that is, a theme for the concert, this way one has a unity but in this unity, variety. I will give an example: Water. You create a programme that centers around music inspired by water, so, what do you have:

Chopin: "Raindrop" Prelude
Lizst: Les Jeux d'Eau à la Villa d'Este
Ravel: Jeu d'Eaux
Bortkiewicz: Etude "Fontaine Lumineuse"

And so on.

That's a nice idea, Richard, but then you might have music that all sounds a bit similar. Water trickling, water running, water falling, water moving, water dripping, etc.... I think I would get very thirsty at this concert.

Refreshments supplied at the end of the concert!

Either that or need to run to the bathroom a lot.

Will we need to provide nappies (diapers) too?

oh you guys....see what you started with your water concert, Richard?

You are the moderator! You should stop it before it gets that far!

Anyway, it is better than quarelling about likes and dislikes.

I rarely stop a conversation that has strayed off topic unless there is some bad mud-slinging going on. And most often if the conversation has gone off-topic, it usually still involves music in some way. In that regard, and IMHO, any talk is better than no talk.

But anyway, we are still on topic and not quarreling about anything.

I know, I was only half-serious there.

I notice however that no one else, except for you, Eddy and I have given their list in response to Chris. There seems to be a major attack of shyness around.