Favourite Solo Piano Works
- Thread starter rojo
- Start date
giovannimusica
Commodore de Cavaille-Coll
Hi Ms. RoJo,
As you probably know I like all of Rachmaninoff's solo piano works. I have lately started to take a shining to all of Brahms' solo piano works. Likewise the solo piano works of Nikolai Medtner. So much to learn and only 24 hours in a day, 365 days a year. :banghead:
As you probably know I like all of Rachmaninoff's solo piano works. I have lately started to take a shining to all of Brahms' solo piano works. Likewise the solo piano works of Nikolai Medtner. So much to learn and only 24 hours in a day, 365 days a year. :banghead:
Rune Vejby
Commodore of Water Music
Debussy - Lent
Debussy - Hommage a Rameau
Debussy - Clair de Lune
Debussy - Pour la Piano (the whole suite)
Debussy - Arabesque no. 1
Debussy - Pour invoquer Pan
All the above are the reason i chose to play piano.
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition
Bach - The first prelude from Das Volltemperirte Klavier
Kuhlau - Sonatine
Beethoven - Monnlight Sonata
The impressionist wrote the best and most challeging piano music, I think.
Debussy - Hommage a Rameau
Debussy - Clair de Lune
Debussy - Pour la Piano (the whole suite)
Debussy - Arabesque no. 1
Debussy - Pour invoquer Pan
All the above are the reason i chose to play piano.
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition
Bach - The first prelude from Das Volltemperirte Klavier
Kuhlau - Sonatine
Beethoven - Monnlight Sonata
The impressionist wrote the best and most challeging piano music, I think.
Rune Vejby
Commodore of Water Music
Then a question comes to mind: How do YOU define what is good piano music.
With you ears?
With you mind?
With your heart?
Or is a piece just good if it awakes something inside of you? A desire to listen to the particular work again bescause you felt something the first time you listened to it???
When I decide what is good music and what is not, I always choose with my heart. I let myself feel if I connect with this piece of music, regardless what century if was composed and who composed it!
I like Debussy because the music makes me feel something special. As I pianist I am also fascinated by his works, because it is copmlex and at the same time incredibly beautiful.
Piano works by composers who lived centuries before Debussy seldom moves me. I don't like the sound, it is too strucured and too perfect. When I play smaller piano works by Bach and Mozart I often have a hard time playing them. It is much easier for me to play Debussy. Maybe because impressionistic music is more free - I don't have to play it exactly like it was written, I can just play it how I feel like.... Music from the 1600-1700 is very rythmical perfect and I don't like that. It is hard for me to play without getting....well.... bored! Perfection is not nesscesarily a good thing in music.
Sorry, this was a leap away from the original question. How do you define a good piece of piano music?*
With you ears?
With you mind?
With your heart?
Or is a piece just good if it awakes something inside of you? A desire to listen to the particular work again bescause you felt something the first time you listened to it???
When I decide what is good music and what is not, I always choose with my heart. I let myself feel if I connect with this piece of music, regardless what century if was composed and who composed it!
I like Debussy because the music makes me feel something special. As I pianist I am also fascinated by his works, because it is copmlex and at the same time incredibly beautiful.
Piano works by composers who lived centuries before Debussy seldom moves me. I don't like the sound, it is too strucured and too perfect. When I play smaller piano works by Bach and Mozart I often have a hard time playing them. It is much easier for me to play Debussy. Maybe because impressionistic music is more free - I don't have to play it exactly like it was written, I can just play it how I feel like.... Music from the 1600-1700 is very rythmical perfect and I don't like that. It is hard for me to play without getting....well.... bored! Perfection is not nesscesarily a good thing in music.
Sorry, this was a leap away from the original question. How do you define a good piece of piano music?*
Todd
New member
I love solo piano music, and as one could guess from my prior posts, I rather fancy Beethovens sonatas, and I also like the Diabelli Variations. But there is much beyond LvB. Perhaps too much. I cant really narrow down my selections to ten favorites, or anything like that. The repertoire is too rich. Below is an incomplete list.
Ill start with Debussy, perhaps my next favorite (if such selections are possible): Estampes, Images I & II, Preludes (yes, all of them), Arabesque
Next Chopin: Scherzi; Ballades; Sonatas 2 & 3; Etudes Op 10; Nocturnes, especially 27/1; Barcorolle
Who doesnt love Schubert? Sonatas D664, D784, D850 (particularly in Andsnes recording), D894, D958, D959, D960; Wanderer Fantasie
Szymanowski: Metopes, Masques, Sonatas 2 & 3
Schumann: Carnaval; Symphonic Etudes; Kreisleriana; Davidsbundlertanze; Sonatas Opp 14 & 22;
Fantasie
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (its so much better than Ravels orchestration)
Schoenberg: Pieces for piano, Op 11
Messiaen: Vingt Regards (the greatest post-war solo piano work?)
Boulez: Sonatas 1 & 2
Albeniz: Iberia
Berg: Piano Sonata
Mozart: Sonatas K310, K331, K575
Stravinsky: Three Movements from Petrushka
Janacek: Sonata; In the Mists; On an Overgrown Path
Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit; Le Tombeau de Couperin; Miroirs; Jeux deau
Faure: Nocturnes (with a special weakness for the first one) and Barcarolles
Bartok: 14 Bagatelles; Sonata; Sonatine
Ligeti: Etudes
And Ill just leave off the keyboard works of Bach and Scarlatti for now . . .
Ill start with Debussy, perhaps my next favorite (if such selections are possible): Estampes, Images I & II, Preludes (yes, all of them), Arabesque
Next Chopin: Scherzi; Ballades; Sonatas 2 & 3; Etudes Op 10; Nocturnes, especially 27/1; Barcorolle
Who doesnt love Schubert? Sonatas D664, D784, D850 (particularly in Andsnes recording), D894, D958, D959, D960; Wanderer Fantasie
Szymanowski: Metopes, Masques, Sonatas 2 & 3
Schumann: Carnaval; Symphonic Etudes; Kreisleriana; Davidsbundlertanze; Sonatas Opp 14 & 22;
Fantasie
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (its so much better than Ravels orchestration)
Schoenberg: Pieces for piano, Op 11
Messiaen: Vingt Regards (the greatest post-war solo piano work?)
Boulez: Sonatas 1 & 2
Albeniz: Iberia
Berg: Piano Sonata
Mozart: Sonatas K310, K331, K575
Stravinsky: Three Movements from Petrushka
Janacek: Sonata; In the Mists; On an Overgrown Path
Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit; Le Tombeau de Couperin; Miroirs; Jeux deau
Faure: Nocturnes (with a special weakness for the first one) and Barcarolles
Bartok: 14 Bagatelles; Sonata; Sonatine
Ligeti: Etudes
And Ill just leave off the keyboard works of Bach and Scarlatti for now . . .
rojo
(Ret)
Hey Rune,
You know how I feel about Debussy; your post about his music was the reason I joined this place- we both love Debussy. So I definitely understand you. There is definitely lots of freedom in his music; plenty of room for rubato, dynamics and so on. I like Chopin for this as well, but the harmonies and chord progressions are spellbinding in Debussy`s works. Tbh, nothing has topped the effect that Debussy`s music has had on me. Especially La Mer.
You know how I feel about Debussy; your post about his music was the reason I joined this place- we both love Debussy. So I definitely understand you. There is definitely lots of freedom in his music; plenty of room for rubato, dynamics and so on. I like Chopin for this as well, but the harmonies and chord progressions are spellbinding in Debussy`s works. Tbh, nothing has topped the effect that Debussy`s music has had on me. Especially La Mer.
Rune Vejby
Commodore of Water Music
Hi rojo,
I guess we feel the same way about piano music
Actually, I have only briefly heard works of Chopin so I can't say if I like his music or not. Debussy wrote so many good piano works, so I have not yet been able to listen to and play works of other composers. Chopin will be an interesting study in the future
"Spellbinding" is a good word to describe Debussys music. My favourite Debussy-work so far is "Lent" (maybe you know that, rojo?) which is just so brilliantly composed and yet not reckognized as one of his better works....
I guess we feel the same way about piano music
Actually, I have only briefly heard works of Chopin so I can't say if I like his music or not. Debussy wrote so many good piano works, so I have not yet been able to listen to and play works of other composers. Chopin will be an interesting study in the future "Spellbinding" is a good word to describe Debussys music. My favourite Debussy-work so far is "Lent" (maybe you know that, rojo?) which is just so brilliantly composed and yet not reckognized as one of his better works....
rojo
(Ret)
Hey Rune,
Couldn`t find 'Lent', (I don`t know it), but I did find this one that I like; maybe you`ll like it too? It`s Michelangeli playing Debussy Images.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bKaqAbUVEM&mode=related&search=
I find it a very good interpretation.
I`ll go look for a good example of Chopin, but there are so many different kinds of pieces! It`ll be hard to pick just one; maybe I`ll post a couple... :grin:
Couldn`t find 'Lent', (I don`t know it), but I did find this one that I like; maybe you`ll like it too? It`s Michelangeli playing Debussy Images.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bKaqAbUVEM&mode=related&search=
I find it a very good interpretation.
I`ll go look for a good example of Chopin, but there are so many different kinds of pieces! It`ll be hard to pick just one; maybe I`ll post a couple... :grin:
rojo
(Ret)
I just had to post this one- Ravel`s La Valse, the piano version. The piano transcription apparently came after the orchestrated one. It`s excellent, although I still prefer the orchestral one. I`ve heard it (piano) played by Glenn Gould as well. That was fantastic. This is excellent also.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epGEg-bNkm8&mode=related&search=
I adore this work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epGEg-bNkm8&mode=related&search=
I adore this work.
Rune Vejby
Commodore of Water Music
Thanks for posting those videos, Rojo. Quite funny some of them
Stealthjet
New member
Chopin's Polonaise in f# minor is my absolute favorite song!! I also like his polonaise in c minor and the funeral march. And Beethoven's Presto Agitado movement of Moonlight Sonata (that's the third movement) is really cool.
ParryHotter
New member
Lecuona's Malaguena, anyone? A fun piece to play and to listen to. Still have to get into the rest of the Andalucia Suite though...
ParryHotter
New member
Again, you like a piece more arranged for a different instrument than me !
I don't recall any repeating notes in that Malaguena, but I've only played through the rest of Andalucia once so there could be some there. If I get the chance I'll try to make a recording at my church (the worst they can say is no, right).
!I don't recall any repeating notes in that Malaguena, but I've only played through the rest of Andalucia once so there could be some there. If I get the chance I'll try to make a recording at my church (the worst they can say is no, right).