B. Goren. Posted April 30, 2011 Report Share Posted April 30, 2011 Since I became interested in music, I loved pieces written specifically for piano. There are wonderful pieces of classical music written specifically for piano and I will mention a few of my favorite. Many pianists consider the 32 piano sonatas written by Beethoven as their bible. Among all these sonatas, my favorite are the storm sonata (sonata # 17) and sonata # 8 (the Pathétique). Of all the works of JS Bach I especially like the 6 partitas and to be more specific, Partita # 2. I have in my collection 2 great performances of this Partita: Glenn Gould and Martha Argerich. Claud Debussy also wrote some masterpieces for piano. I consider the Suite Bergamasque to be the highlight of his piano works. Another favorite work for piano written by Debussy is " Cloches à travers les feuilles" (Bells through the leaves). I can't write about piano pieces without mentioning Robert Schumann. Of all his piano works, my favorite is the "Kreisleriana". I still have a long list of favorite piano pieces but at this point I'd love to read what other forum members like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted April 30, 2011 Report Share Posted April 30, 2011 I've always found Charles Ives' solo piano work to be nothing short of amazing. I've got about 5 or 6 discs worth (with some overlap, but not a lot), and it never fails to engage me deeply. As far as specific pieces, I'm pretty partial to Paul Hindemith's Ludus Tonalis (1942), an hour-long work with great gobs of 20th century counterpoint. Also Dmitri Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues (1950/51), again, because of the fugal-writing in a 20th century harmonic context. Practically all my classical CD's are 1,000 miles away from me at the moment, or I could identify a few more (as well as some specific Ives pieces), but I'll try and revisit this thread when I get to DC in a month or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spontooneous Posted April 30, 2011 Report Share Posted April 30, 2011 Beethoven, Diabelli Variations. Schumann, Fantasy in C, Fantasiestuecke. Brahms, Op. 118. Debussy's Preludes and Etudes. Schoenberg's Op. 11 and Webern's Variations. The first four Sonatinas by Busoni. Szymanowski's Masques, Metopes and Mazurkas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teasing the Korean Posted April 30, 2011 Report Share Posted April 30, 2011 Ravel's Sonatine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Goren. Posted May 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 I'll add some more of my favorite piano pieces: Mozart: piano sonatas.Felix Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words.Schubert :4 Impromptus.Franz Liszt: Transcendental Etudes.Maurice Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel A Posted May 3, 2011 Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 Le Tombeau de Couperin by Maurice Ravel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted May 3, 2011 Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 Paul Hindemith - In einer Nacht Arthur Honneger - Toccata et Variations Robert Schumann - Fantasiestücke op.12 (but only by Jörg Demus on a Graf Fortepiano like the one the Schumanns owned) several pieces by Ravel and Debussy (only in their own recordings) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted May 3, 2011 Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 (edited) Since I became interested in music, I loved pieces written specifically for piano. There are wonderful pieces of classical music written specifically for piano and I will mention a few of my favorite. Of all the works of JS Bach I especially like the 6 partitas and to be more specific, Partita # 2. I have in my collection 2 great performances of this Partita: Glenn Gould and Martha Argerich. But I thought the piano didn't exist in Bach's time! Lemmie see, what do I like............. Piano music by La Monte Young (the Well Tuned Piano), Terry Riley, Debussy, Schoenberg, Ravel, Morton Feldman, Messiaen. John Cage's music for prepared piano. I've been getting more exposure to Beethoven's piano music, that's nice but not at the top of my list. edit to add Messiaen, Cage and Feldman. Edited May 13, 2011 by 7/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Goren. Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 (edited) Since I became interested in music, I loved pieces written specifically for piano. There are wonderful pieces of classical music written specifically for piano and I will mention a few of my favorite. Of all the works of JS Bach I especially like the 6 partitas and to be more specific, Partita # 2. I have in my collection 2 great performances of this Partita: Glenn Gould and Martha Argerich. But I thought the piano didn't exist in Bach's time! You are right. I mean harpsichord (clavier). How come nobody mentioned Chopin? Of course his Mazurkas and Nocturnes are my favorite. Edited May 4, 2011 by B. Goren. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKE BBB Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Isaac Albéniz's "Suite Iberia": http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberia_(suite) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 I forgot to mention some other of my desert island piano music: Déodat de Sévérac: Cerdana (I recommend Jean-Joel Barbier's recording) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.D. Posted May 11, 2011 Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 Some "modern" works: Ligeti's solo piano music (Musica Ricercata was quoted in Kubrick's film Eyes Wide Shut) - I own the Aimard recording (Sony), but Ullen on BIS has been recommended by very respectable sources. Morton Feldman Triadic Memories (I can vouch for Louis Goldstein's recording on Offseason Productions) and For Bunita Marcus (ditto for Hildegard Kleeb on Hat Art). Jean Barraqué Piano Sonata (I can recommend Pi-Hsien Chen's recording on Telos, but Stefan Litwin's performance on cpo's otherwise excellent Complete Barraqué box is really sub-par). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Weiss Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 20th century favorites: Anatoly Alexandrov 4 Preludes, op. 10 Samuil Feinberg 4 Preludes, op. 8 Fantasie #2, op. 9 Suite, op. 11 3 Preludes, op. 15 Sonatas 1 - 9, and 12 Robert Helps Shall We Dance Ligeti Etude #4 "Fanfares" Etude #5 "Arc-en-ciel" Messiaen 8 Preludes Vingt Regards... Nikolai Obouhov Prelude & Prieres Roslavets Prelude (1915) Sonata #2 Scriabin Sonatas, especially #8 Preludes, especially op. 67 & 74 Etudes, esp. op. 42, #5 Vers la Flamme Szymanowski Etude, op. 4#2 Metopes, op. 29 Etudes, op. 33 Masques, op. 34 3rd Sonata, op. 36 Mazurkas, op. 50 2 Mazurkas, op. 62 Waltz Romantique (1925) 4 Polish Dances (1926) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Goren. Posted May 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 Scriabin Sonatas, especially #8 Preludes, especially op. 67 & 74 Etudes, esp. op. 42, #5 Vers la Flamme Scriabin is also one of my favorite composers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Weiss Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 If you like Scriabin then you should check out his disciples - Feinberg, Roslavets, Obouhov and Szymanowski! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I'm a dilettante in this subject. I do love Beethoven's solo piano music - particularly the final 5 sonatas and the Diabelli Variations. Scriabin is brilliant as well - my faves are the last 2 sonatas. And Debussy's solo piano music is brilliant. On the other hand, Chopin doesn't really excite me. In general I greatly prefer solo piano music to piano concertos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Goren. Posted May 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 If you like Scriabin then you should check out his disciples - Feinberg, Roslavets, Obouhov and Szymanowski! Thanks for the tip Michael. Can you recommend specific CDs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I've never cared much for Chopin myself. Too overwrought, and I've heard too many 'overly-romantic' interpretations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Weiss Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 (edited) If you like Scriabin then you should check out his disciples - Feinberg, Roslavets, Obouhov and Szymanowski! Thanks for the tip Michael. Can you recommend specific CDs? The Alexandrov, Obouhov and Feinberg preludes can be heard here The Feinberg Sonatas can be heard here and here The Szymanowski Mazurkas here The Szymanowski Masques, Metopes and 3rd Sonata here Edited May 12, 2011 by Michael Weiss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Goren. Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 If you like Scriabin then you should check out his disciples - Feinberg, Roslavets, Obouhov and Szymanowski! Thanks for the tip Michael. Can you recommend specific CDs? The Alexandrov, Obouhov and Feinberg preludes can be heard here The Feinberg Sonatas can be heard here and here The Szymanowski Mazurkas here The Szymanowski Masques, Metopes and 3rd Sonata here Thanks again Michael. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Д.Д. Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 I've never cared much for Chopin myself. Too overwrought, and I've heard too many 'overly-romantic' interpretations. This is the reason why I tolerate Chopin in Sviatoslav Richter's interpretation only - not too much Romanticism there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ-NAgDpRVs There are two volumes of excellent solo piano works by Russian / Soviet composers on the early XX century (Roslavits, Lourie, Mossolov, Polovonkin, Protopopov) on hat[now]ART: Then there is Leo Ornstein - very wild stuff. I have this CD - highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.L.M Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Chopin: Andante Spianote e Grande Polacca Brillante op.2 (Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli) Scriabin: prélude opus 11 (Vesselin Stanev) Szymanowski: Masques op.34 (Michal Wesolowski) Debussy: Jeux(Alice Adler) Ravel: Miroirs (Alain Neveux) Bartok: Mikromkosmos (excerpts by Bela Bartok) Schoenberg: Suite For Piano op. 25 (Maurizio Pollini) Berg: Sonata Für Klavier (Daniel Barenboim) Webern: Variation Für Klavier Opus 27 (Charles Rosen) Boulez: Troisième Sonate (idil Biret) Ligeti: Musica Ricercata (Pierre-Laurent Aimard) Scelsi: Preludi série I-IV (Alessandra Ammara) Jean Barraqué: Sonate pour Piano (Herbert Henck) Ustvolskaya: Sonata Number 3 for Piano (Oleg Malov) Morton Feldman: Palais De Mari (Aki Takahashi) Weston: Tessellations 1 (Leo Svirsky) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Goren. Posted June 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2012 After listening this evening to Beethoven's "Eroica Variations" (played by Glenn Gould), I think it definately can be added to the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted June 2, 2012 Report Share Posted June 2, 2012 I've heard some classical piano pieces all my life, but I'm really just beginning to explore. My favorites though are pieces by Satie, Debussy, Chopin, Lizst and Beethoven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted June 2, 2012 Report Share Posted June 2, 2012 (edited) Debussy has always been the centre for me; I like Ravel in piano music too, but don't get quite the same magic. Very fond of the piano music of John Ireland too. Albeiniz is another favourite. Edited June 2, 2012 by A Lark Ascending Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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