Qualifying exam

• What to prepare?

  Main subject

  Artistic-practical group examination; examination duration 180 minutes
  The examination comprises four areas (areas 1-3 consist of tasks to be performed spontaneously, area 4 can be prepared at home):

  • Handling the voice
    • Singing folk songs
    • melodic improvisation
    • sight-singing
    • Experimental use of the voice, recitation of a poem
  • Elementary music making
    • Body percussion
    • Using percussion instruments
    • Free use of one's own additional specialised instrument
    • rhythmic and melodic improvisation
    • use of instruments in connection with song and text
    • Experimental use of sounds
  • basics of movement / dance
    • translating musical impulses into movement
    • Dealing with predetermined structured movement sequences
    • Movement/dance improvisation in connection with music
  • Instruction of a group
    • Instruction of a group of competitors (max. 10 minutes) without sheet music, e.g. development of a song with or without accompaniment, an instrumental piece (e.g. for Orff instruments, body percussion or freely selectable instruments), development of a musical/dance text or a dance.

  Additional subject

  Practical artistic examination; examination duration 15-20 minutes
  A written examination programme must be brought to the examination.

  • Baroque bassoon/dulcian and baroque oboe
    • three works from different styles, including one slow and one fast movement of a baroque sonata (e.g. Corelli, Bach, Handel)
    • another piece of your choice
  • Baroque trumpet/baroque trombone
    • three works of different styles
  • Baroque violin/Baroque viola
    • one slow and one fast movement from a baroque Basso Continuo sonata in Italian style or mixed flavours
    • one further work of your choice, with Basso Continuo or solo
  • Baroque violoncello
    • three works in different styles
  • harpsichord
    • one work of the 17th century
    • one work by Bach
    • two works in the French Baroque style or sonatas by D. Scarlatti or Soler
  • fortepiano
    • one work from the Viennese Classical period (J. Haydn or W. A. Mozart)
    • a work by one of Bach's sons
  • Lute/theorbo
    • three works of different styles
  • Transverse flute
    • one slow and one fast movement from a baroque Basso Continuo sonata in Italian or mixed style
    • three movements of a sonata or suite in the French style
    • two movements of a sonata in the sensitive style
    • sight-reading
  • viola da gamba
    • an unaccompanied Ricercar by D. Ortiz
    • any movement from a sonata by Bach
    • one movement from a sonata by Abel
    • another piece of your choice
    • sight-reading

  Compulsory instrumental subject

  Practical artistic examination; examination duration 8-12 minutes
  (not applicable for additional subject harpsichord, main subject fortepiano, main subject lute and main subject theorbo)

  • Practical handling of the main triads and their inversions in keys with up to three accidentals (major and minor)
  • Playing scales with up to three accidentals (major and minor)
  • Performance of two piano pieces of different character, at a level of difficulty of e.g.
    • Bach: Little Prelude in C major (from "Kl. Präludien und Fughetten": III,1 BWV 939 [Henle 106])
    • Haydn: Scherzo (3rd movement from "Sonata in F" Hoboken XVI: 9 [Henle 238])
    • Schumann: Melody ("Album for the Youth" op. 68, no. 1 [Henle 108])
    • Hajdu: The Pendulum ("The Milky Way" vol. 1, no. 1 [Sikorski 1701])
    • Bartók: Accompaniment with broken triads ("Mikrokosmos" vol. 2, no. 42 [Boosey & Hawkes H.15197])

  Ear training

  Written and oral examination; examination lasts 35 minutes

  Music theory

  Written and oral examination; examination duration 35 minutes