[AdamP88]

The thread about Beethoven sonatas and the discussions about other music and practicing got me thinking. My rather limited music collection is getting a little stale, and well, I'd like some recommendations for maybe lesser-known composers or popular composers and pieces that you've played and really enjoyed.

To give you an idea of where I am skill-wise, the Chaconne in D minor (Bach-Busoni) is what I'm currently working on and it is definitely approaching the high end of my capabilities, and in a few passages pushing my skills, which admittedly aren't quite as sharp as they were in college when I was practicing 4-5 hours a day (yikes!). Probably the most challenging pieces I've performed in recital are Liszt's Vallée d'Obermann and the Chopin Polonaise in F#m, Op. 44, and those really pushed my abilities. Not that I'm looking for big epic, technically showy or challenging showpieces, but this gives you an idea of my limits.

So what recommendations, if any, do you have for satisfying pieces to look for, or even just composers in general to check out? ones that have been in your repertoire for ages, ones that you're currently working on, or ones that you want to work on. I'd say I'm a little more biased towards romantic/post-romantic/impressionistic (though Bach holds a special place for me), but I'm open to almost anything as long as there's some vestiges of tonality left (Schoenberg etc just doesn't do much for me, but I do enjoy Prokofiev and Bartok).

Enough babbling on...I'll start with my recommendation to the group:

Shostakovich Preludes, Op. 34 - This set is really a gem. One of these days I'd really love to learn the whole set (I used 8 as a set in my junior recital). This is Shostakovich before he was freed from Stalin's ideas about music, and yet the music is still extremely entertaining, expressive, imaginative and just plain fun to play. They range from technically easy to fairly advanced, and have a distinctly Russian/slavic feel to them, and range from playful light pieces to brooding, introspective and stormy. Some highlights: Nos. 2, 9, 10, 13-17, 19, 22.

Fire away!

 

[DanG]

I love the Shostakovich preludes... I think I played #15 a few years ago when I was still playing classical piano.

A fun piece to play is Franck's famous sonata for violin and piano... if you listen to the second movement you'll think it's a virtuoso piece but it's really quite easy. It's also a great piece if you want to play a duet with a decent violinist. Since it's so fun to play and beautiful, many experienced violinists will have played it before and would be happy to play it again.

 

[Lindy]

Have you ever checked out Poulenc's "Three Novellettes"? They're a lot of fun, though probably well below the difficulty level of the pieces you listed. Nevertheless, played well they're charming. I've tried a few other Poulenc pieces (e.g. the Perpetual Movements), but don't find them as fun or rewarding as the Novellettes.

 

[fiddler]

Hehe.. not a pianist, but I played a transcription of the Shostakovich Preludes. Lots of fun to play.

DanG, that Franck sonata is awesome. It's on my to-do list.

Right now, I'm doing Brahms A major with a pianist at my music school. We're supposed to perform it in less than a month and we haven't even started rehearsing yet!

Here's a killer violin-piano duo for you pianists: Schubert Fantasie. It's murderous for violin (I performed it this summer, trust me it's hard...), but when you utter the words in front of a pianist who's played it (or tried) before, MAN do they turn pale.

 

[RobertR]

Chopin has to be on any list.

My favorite is the Ballade #1 which I had been trying to conquer but alas there are sections which are beyond me.

In most challenging pieces there are those areas of transition from easy to hard passages that pose the biggest problem.

Bach well temp clavier & the inventions should be a daily practice.

 

[AdamP88]

Quote:

Originally posted by RobertR Bach well temp clavier & the inventions should be a daily practice.

Agreed. And I love Chopin's Ballade #1, although I haven't ever really given it a thorough shot. Actually, Chopin just might be the composer who's work I enjoy playing the most. Brings out my Polish heritage or something

. The Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No. 1 is easily one of my favorite pieces of piano literature.

Another easy but rewarding set is Liszt's Six Consolations. #6 is a little tricky, but overall the set just works together so well (particularly 1-4) that I almost never tire playing it. Plus #3 has to be one of the most effective and beautiful simple piano pieces out there.

 

[AdamP88]

Quote:

Originally posted by fiddler Right now, I'm doing Brahms A major with a pianist at my music school. We're supposed to perform it in less than a month and we haven't even started rehearsing yet!

That happened a couple times with a friend of mine. He would have a recital coming up, and I'd be busy on mine, and about 3-4 weeks before his recital, we'd realize that he needed to do Tartini's "devil's trill" sonata or a beethoven violin sonata, and so would begin several weeks of fiendish practicing and (sssh, don't tell our profs) some rather sneaky simplification of a few parts

.

 

[thomas]

Quote:

Probably the most challenging pieces I've performed in recital are Liszt's Vallée d'Obermann and the Chopin Nocturne in Fm, Op. 44, and those really pushed my abilities.

Hey,

Do you mean Op 48 no 2 in f# minor , or Op 55 no 1 in f minor?

I just started learning 48 no 2, and have been working on Op 9 (1,2,3)and OP 27 (1+2) . The nocturnes as a set are probably my favourite set of music, and i hope to eventaully learn them all... 48 no 1 is also one of my favourites, but also looks the hardest so it'll have to wait

I also have to agree with you about the Liszt consolations, i haven't looked at them in a few years, but i think i'll take another look at them... I remember sending you a (crappy) recording of No 3 a loooong time ago

Some recommendations are:

- Chopin Barcarolle Op 60
- Granados The maiden and the nightingale
- Rachmaninoff - Prelude 23 no 4
- Debussy- La plus que lente

BTW, if you love the Gminor ballade, you have to watch the move
The Pianist , watching Szpilman play the ballade was one of the most moving scenes i've seen in any movie

 

[AdamP88]

Quote:

Originally posted by thomas Hey, Do you mean Op 48 no 2 in f# minor , or Op 55 no 1 in f minor?

Oops! Thanks for responding to that - I got the opus number right, but the type of piece and key wrong (heh, it's been a while). It was actually the Polonaise in F#m, Op. 44. Awesome piece but damn it takes A LOT out of ya!

Quote:

48 no 1 is also one of my favourites, but also looks the hardest so it'll have to wait

It is one of the more challenging ones, but it's actually not quite as hard as it sounds (though it definitely isn't easy

). Of course it helps if you've got big hands like I do (a tenth is no problem for me, I can hit 11ths fairly easily, too). I just love the tone of the piece - very noble and impassioned.

Quote:

I also have to agree with you about the Liszt consolations, i haven't looked at them in a few years, but i think i'll take another look at them... I remember sending you a (crappy) recording of No 3 a loooong time ago

I remember someone on headfi posting an mp3 of that...I forgot who it was though

.


Quote:

Some recommendations are: - Chopin Barcarolle Op 60 - Granados The maiden and the nightingale - Rachmaninoff - Prelude 23 no 4 - Debussy- La plus que lente

The Granados sounds interesting - think I'll check that out. I have the Barcarolle around here somewhere, and I really should give that a try - I love that piece.

I've also got the Rachmaninoff preludes. Op 32. #10 is a really great piece - definitely one of my favorite of his preludes.

If you want a simple but effective Rachmaninoff piece, check out his Melodie, Op. 3 No. 3. Some of his Moments Musicaux are also fairly easy to manage (3 & 5 in particular).

 

[enak]

Im currently working on a few Chopin Nocturnes, ill probably complete the set sooner or later, as well as the complete Beethoven sonatas, maybe even the Rachmaninov Preludes

 

[jim]

cool thread.

As I mentioned in the beethoven thread, I've found it hard to practice while at school these days. But in highschool I was a huge fan of Debussy and Ravel. Some of my favorites by Debussy were Estampes (esp. Jardins sous la pluie) and Children's Corner. Very fun to play.

Another favorite is Ravel's Sonatine pour piano, and his Alborada del Grasioso from Miroirs.

If you can swing it, Gaspard de la nuit (Ravel) and L'Isle joyeuse (Debussy) are also incredible, though much too hard for me to play.

Also, if you guys didn't know about it already, check out this website.

 

[attnet]

Try the Grieg Sonata in E Minor.

 

[AdamP88]

I played that one.

Too bad it's often overlooked, it's a really good piece.

 

[phonatic]

I'm playing Bach's E minor suite for lute or harpsichord... fun and not very difficult.

His Goldberg variations are enough to keep a player busy for a while, with a range of challenges and exceptional composition, even for old J.S.

 

[daycart1]

Wish I could play--no talent

The best I can do is follow the sheet music while listening.

How about the Chopin Mazurkas? Fun to learn because they are short. Some tricky cross rhythms, but no real technical problems compared to e.g. Obermann.

I just got a CD of super-old recordings by Moritz Rosenthal--amazing!