Highlands
The Ascent Tier 5, Levels 29-35
Highlands Level 1 (Ascent Level 29)
Dedicated to Franz Joseph Haydn
Repertoire: All Haydn, including Sonata in F Major, Hob. XVI:23, plus any other Haydn selections, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: All Dorian mode scales, hands together, four octaves, up and down, plus any cadence composed by the student, using common tones. Chromatic scale, hands together, four octaves, up and down. Tonic arpeggios, dominant 7 arpeggios, and diminished 7 arpeggios four octaves, each scale. Sing a Dorian mode scale one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 5 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined Dorian mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing Dorian mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a piece of music in Dorian mode and perform in your recital.
Performance: Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 4 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Highlands Level 2 (Ascent Level 30)
Dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven
Repertoire: All Beethoven, including Für Elise, one full piano Sonata (all movements), plus any other Beethoven selections, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: All Phrygian mode scales, hands together, four octaves, up and down, plus any cadence composed by the student, using common tones. Chromatic scale, hands together, four octaves, up and down. Tonic arpeggios, dominant 7 arpeggios, and diminished 7 arpeggios four octaves, each scale. Sing a Phrygian mode scale one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 5 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined Phrygian mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing Phrygian mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a piece of music in Phrygian mode and perform in your recital.
Performance: Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 4 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Highlands Level 3 (Ascent Level 31)
Dedicated to Felix Mendelssohn and Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel
Repertoire: All Mendelssohns, including Felix’s Songs without Words, Op. 62, No. 6 "Spring Song," Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14, and one selection from 12 Gesänge, Op. 8, Fanny’s Notturno in G minor, and one selection from Lieder für das Pianoforte, Op. 8, plus any other Mendelssohn selections, either composer, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: All Lydian mode scales, hands together, four octaves, up and down, plus any cadence composed by the student, using common tones. Chromatic scale, hands together, four octaves, up and down. Tonic arpeggios, dominant 7 arpeggios, and diminished 7 arpeggios four octaves, each scale. Sing a Lydian mode scale one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 5 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined Lydian mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing Lydian mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a piece of music in Lydian mode and perform in your recital.
Performance: Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 4 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Highlands Level 4 (Ascent Level 32)
Dedicated to Alberto Ginastera & Antonín Dvořák
Repertoire: Ginastera’s Danzas Argentinas, two selections from Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, play one primo part, and the other secondo part; plus any other selections, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: All Mixolydian mode scales, hands together, four octaves, up and down, plus any cadence composed by the student, using common tones. Chromatic scale, hands together, four octaves, up and down. Tonic arpeggios, dominant 7 arpeggios, and diminished 7 arpeggios four octaves, each scale. Sing a Mixolydian mode scale one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 5 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined Mixolydian mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing Mixolydian mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a piece of music in Mixolydian mode and perform in your recital.
Performance: Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 4 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Highlands Level 5 (Ascent Level 33)
Dedicated to Claude Debussy
Repertoire: All “Impressionist” period or genre music, including three Debussy Preludes, Claire de Lune, Deux arabesques, L. 66 (both pieces), plus any other selections related to or inspired by the Impressionist genre, period, or composers, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: All Locrian mode scales, hands together, four octaves, up and down, plus any cadence composed by the student, using common tones. Chromatic scale, hands together, four octaves, up and down. Tonic arpeggios, dominant 7 arpeggios, and diminished 7 arpeggios four octaves, each scale. Sing a Locrian mode scale one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 5 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the defined Locrian mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing Locrian mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a piece of music in Locrian mode and perform in your recital.
Performance: Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 5 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Highlands Level 6 (Ascent Level 34)
Dedicated to Frederic Chopin
Repertoire: All Chopin, including two each of his Etudes, Mazurkas, Nocturnes, Waltzes, Polonaises, and one Scherzo or Ballade, plus any other music by Chopin.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: All 7 modal scales, hands together, four octaves, up and down, plus any cadence composed by the student, using common tones. Chromatic scale, hands together, four octaves, up and down. Tonic arpeggios, dominant 7 arpeggios, and diminished 7 arpeggios four octaves, each scale. Sing the Ionian and relative Aeolian mode scales, one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 5 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the Ionian and Aeolian mode vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing Ionian and Aeolian mode triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a piece of music that modulates between Ionian and Aeolian modes and perform in your recital.
Performance: Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 5 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required.
Highlands Level 7 (Ascent Level 35)
Dedicated to Johannes Brahms
Repertoire: All Brahms, including Intermezzo in A Major Op. 118 No. 2, Rhapsody Op. 79 No. 2, one Hungarian Dance WoO 1, Primo part, one Hungarian Dance WoO 1, Secondo part, plusany other Brahms selections, any instrument.
Instruments: Piano, voice, and 2nd instrument (required).
Technical Skill: All 7 modal scales, hands together, four octaves, up and down, plus any cadence composed by the student, using common tones. Chromatic scale, hands together, four octaves, up and down. Tonic arpeggios, dominant 7 arpeggios, and diminished 7 arpeggios four octaves, each scale. Sing all 7 modal scales, one octave, up and down, a cappella or accompanied, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Play 5 minutes of technical skill exercises on 2nd instrument.
Musicianship: Sing the modal vocalises, on moveable-Do solfege, and again on scale degree numbers. Sing a melody on solfege while tapping two rhythms as written. Conduct in 2, 3, and 4, while singing. Sing the chromatic scale up and down on solfege. Sing all 7 modal triads in inversions, up and down.
Project: Compose a piece for chamber orchestra or harpsichord quintet (4 strings plus harpsichord, with basso continuo) and perform in your recital.
Performance: 1) Recital, 55-60 minutes, including minimum 5 minutes singing in primary and secondary language. 2nd instrument required. 2) Perform in an ensemble where you improvise as solosist in Dorian, Mixolydian, or Locrian mode.