The Rach3, OC, Gaspard, Islamey of other instruments

[dlu]

What are considered some of the hardest pieces for other instruments? etc.

D.

[stevie]

at the time they were written, paganini's music (especially the caprices) was pretty much the hardest music ever written for violin.

[Barbosa-piano]

at the time they were written, paganini's music (especially the caprices) was pretty much the hardest music ever written for violin.

I believe Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is pretty violent too...

[thalbergmad]

A violinist friend of mine reckons the Sibelius Concerto is the hardest.

[Nightscape]

Paganini's Moto Perpetuo and Variations on "moses" on one string sound awfully difficult.  Though they aren't on the same scale as a concerto.... but difficult in different ways.  The Moto Perpetuo is funny, because the piano is playing really easy, bouncy chords, but the violinist is going insane, playing a constant neverending stream of blazing fast notes.

There is also some really hard chamber music, like Bartok's 4th string quartet.

[Waldszenen]

I have a violinist friend (plays in an orchestra) and he says the hardest violin concerti are:

(in no order)

- Brahms
- Brahms Double Concerto, Violin Part
- Tschaikowsky (he says it's too overrated in terms of difficulty though)
- Paganini (pretty much all of them)
- Sibelius
- Sarasate: Symphonie Espagnole
- Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen
- Lots of relatively unknown Spanish music that is actually harder than the Brahms VC

In his opinion the hardest concerti are the Brahms and Paganini No. 1.


EDIT: For other instruments...

- Timpani: First movement of Brahms PC No. 1, Rossini's Guillaume Tell (entire opera)
- Flute: Tschaikowsky's Manfred Symphony, Rachmaninoff PC No. 3 finale, Beethoven Symphony No. 9
- Double Bass: Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
- Voice: Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Rossini's Guillaume Tell, Mahler's Symphony No. 8

Obviously there are heaps more, but that's what I can remember from reading.

[thalbergmad]

The hardest piece for the triangle is the Liszt Concerto No1

[dlu]

The hardest piece for the triangle is the Liszt Concerto No1

ha...hahaha

D.

[Waldszenen]

Funnily enough, it's true....

[canucks13]

- Sarasate: Symphonie Espagnole

By Lalo, not Sarasate

[pita bread]

Violin:

Ravel - Tzigane

Flute:

Dutilleux - Sonatina for flute & piano

[mikey6]

Bolero for trombone! (just an excert i know).  I've heard many a funny story of people freezing before they have to come in on a top db after letting there chops go cold for 6 minutes.

[Waldszenen]

By Lalo, not Sarasate

yeah whoops