the greatest piano work of all time?

[stevie]

hmm, well i dont know how this can be truly objective, but try

what do you think is the single greatest achievment in musical composition for solo piano?

[pies]

Ligeti Etudes

[mrchops10]

I'll just say preemptively: opus clavicembalisticum

Actually I have no idea. This is kind of a dumb thread.

[arensky]

Been sitting here quite a while, thinking; usually I go with my first thought, but this is different; so many first thoughts all at once. But one keeps recurring, and I can't refute it on any grounds, emotional, analytical  or intellectual.....


Preludes op.28. Frederic Chopin.

[arensky]

If we include pre-piano keyboard music, i.e. the harpsichord, clavichord and virginals, there are two more, probably greater than Chopin's op.28...

The Well Tempered Clavier, Books I and II

Goldberg Variations

J.S. Bach

[stevie]

is a whole opus of works allowed? 

i agree chopin's op28 is his greatest work, but also perhaps the ballade 1 and 4....lbut then the preludes have an unfair advantage because they are over 30 minutes long, the ballades just 10 or so.

if we count op39 as one piece, i think it stands a good chance of being the greatest op in the piano literature, though it is a bit uneven.

[superstition2]

Tonal: Rachmaninov sonata #2 unrevised
Atonal: Scriabin sonata #7

[Etude]

I don't believe there is ONE "greatest piano work."  There are loads of great works for piano, each with their own merits.  To chose simply one work would be impossible, especially when most of the piano repetoire is hardly known.  There could be an absolute greatest piece ever written that was never published or performed and didn't receive the recognition it deserved.

[kreso]

Brahms-Piano concertos nos.1,2
Bach-Goldberg variations
Schubert-Sonata in B-flat major D-960
Chopin-4 Ballades, Preludes op.28
Liszt-Transcendental Studies
Debussy-Preludes

[stevie]

Brahms-Piano concertos nos.1,2
Bach-Goldberg variations
Schubert-Sonata in B-flat major D-960
Chopin-4 Ballades, Preludes op.28
Liszt-Transcendental Studies
Debussy-Preludes

true, but im not as sure about the debussy

[contrapunctus]

Goldbergs, there is no better and will never be a better!

[presto agitato]

Beethoven´s  Appassionata

[thierry13]

Beethoven´s  Appassionata

Please, forgive us from your comments.

[apion]

Brahms-Piano concertos nos.1,2
Bach-Goldberg variations
Schubert-Sonata in B-flat major D-960
Chopin-4 Ballades, Preludes op.28
Liszt-Transcendental Studies

I like this.  I would add:

Brahms Op. 24 (handel variations)
Beethoven Op 106 (hammerklavier)
Ligeti Etudes
Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto

[ahinton]

Tonal: Rachmaninov sonata #2 unrevised
Atonal: Scriabin sonata #7

Whilst this kind of thread - of which the present one is sadly but one example of many - is doomed from the very start in terms of informative usefulness, I too have a high regard for both the above works, although I wouldn't insult either by slinging them into an arena such as this - but Skryabin 7th Sonata is ATONAL? Excusez-moi?? Must be a different Skryabin to the one whose music I know...

Best,

Alistair

[arensky]

It is entirely subjective when all is said and done. It is unknowable...

[stevie]

Whilst this kind of thread - of which the present one is sadly but one example of many - is doomed from the very start in terms of informative usefulness, I too have a high regard for both the above works, although I wouldn't insult either by slinging them into an arena such as this - but Skryabin 7th Sonata is ATONAL? Excusez-moi?? Must be a different Skryabin to the one whose music I know...

Best,

Alistair

im afraid your 'best' isnt good enough, youre fired!

[pianiststrongbad]

Tough to decide, but I would say for me it is between these three:

Liszt Sonata
Chopin Preludes
Rachmaninov Preludes op. 23

[arensky]

Alley Cat!

 

[lava]

My nominations:

- Chopin:  études. --> my ultimate goal to master all 27 
- Chopin:  préludes
- Schumann:  Kreisleriana
- Beethoven: late piano sonatas
- Godowsky: transcription of Le Cygne (Saint-Saens)

[AvoidedCadence]

This is a bizarre topic, although I'll answer anyways.

Schumann - Fantasy in C Major

Other close candidates:
Rachmaninoff preludes (if Opuses are allowed)

[ahinton]

im afraid your 'best' isnt good enough, youre fired!

Short as this post is, it raises more questions than it answers, as well as leaving the original one unanswered.

To deal with these in that order, firstly the question is raises, which are

1. "Fired" by whom?
2. "Fired" from what?
3. "Fired" for what reason?

Next, the "unanswered question" (albeit not the one by Ives).

I had questioned another contributor's reference to Skryabin's Seventh Sonata (a splendid work, undoubtedly) as an "atonal" work - which it plainly is not. Whilst "tonality" and "tonal reference" are matters of degree, it is generally understood that a work cannot be sensibly classified as "atonal" if it contains reasonable quantities of traditional tonal harmony - i.e. major and minor, augminished and demented (as my old aural training master used to say). For all that Skryabin's musical language - like the languages of some of his contemporaries - developed in the direction of the weakeneing of tonal strangleholds, this development represents if anything a heightened sense of expanded tonality rather than the rejection of tonality. The nearest that Skryabin ever got to anythying approaching atonality was in his final work, the Five Preludes, Op. 74 - and even these can hardly be described as "atonal".

Best - whether or not it is deemed by you or anyone else to be good enough, bad enough or even Rakhmanenough,

Alistair

[maul]

[arensky]

Music Box Dancer?         

[I Love Xenakis]

Objectively, the Debussy Preludes

Personally, Xenakis "Herma"- Musique Symbolique

[elgreco]

Short as this post is, it raises more questions than it answers, as well as leaving the original one unanswered.

To deal with these in that order, firstly the question is raises, which are

1. "Fired" by whom?
2. "Fired" from what?
3. "Fired" for what reason?

Next, the "unanswered question" (albeit not the one by Ives).

I had questioned another contributor's reference to Skryabin's Seventh Sonata (a splendid work, undoubtedly) as an "atonal" work - which it plainly is not. Whilst "tonality" and "tonal reference" are matters of degree, it is generally understood that a work cannot be sensibly classified as "atonal" if it contains reasonable quantities of traditional tonal harmony - i.e. major and minor, augminished and demented (as my old aural training master used to say). For all that Skryabin's musical language - like the languages of some of his contemporaries - developed in the direction of the weakeneing of tonal strangleholds, this development represents if anything a heightened sense of expanded tonality rather than the rejection of tonality. The nearest that Skryabin ever got to anythying approaching atonality was in his final work, the Five Preludes, Op. 74 - and even these can hardly be described as "atonal".

Best - whether or not it is deemed by you or anyone else to be good enough, bad enough or even Rakhmanenough,

Alistair

      Indeed Skrjabin's music has little to do with atonality. And one should also keep
      in mind, that even a work such as Prométhée, his forward-looking Op.60 and the
      third one in his output which is entirely built on the "mystic chord" (a-b-c#-d#-f#-g),
      ends in pure f-sharp major!

      Unfortunately, we will never know how his musical language would have developed,
      perhaps he would have left tonality (tonality as Alistair defines it above) in order to
      find a music that would have fit his plans for his ultimate work (and probably also
      mankinds ultimate work, if had suceeded): the Mysterium. The 12-tone chord that
      appears in the few surviving sketches of "L'act préalable" and the break of the
      "unio mystica"* of melody and harmony in Op. 74, might also suggest such a thing.
   
          ---
           *In Skrjabin's own words: "There is no difference between melody and harmony.
             They are one and the same." The difference between the chromatism of the
             melodic line and harmonies in Op. 74 is quite obvious, I think.


      Best wishes,

      --ElGreco

[pseudopianist]

Two works come to mind

Bach - Kunst Der Fuge
Sorabji - Opus Clavicembalisticum

[pianalex]

diabelli variations

hammerklavier

op 111

schubert D960

(not counting Bach as piano specific)

[arensky]

Ballade pour Adeline...??   

[ahinton]

Ballade pour Adeline...??   

That's three works, surely?

(not quite my) Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

The greatest ever is Boogie Woogie by Liberace.

[arensky]

That's three works, surely?

(not quite my) Best,

Alistair

Sorry to ruffle your feathers; (maybe)... ; Hey look back to the beginning or near it, I took this very seriously and gave a serious answer(s)!!!!!!!

And now I am having the fun!!!   

[arensky]

The greatest ever is Boogie Woogie by Liberace.

Fo dah real thing, try da greatest Boogie Woogie pregnant cat...da MEADE LUX LEWIS!!!!

https://rapidshare.de/files/8417959/02_Chicago_Flyer_Meade_Lux_Lewis.mp3.html

                   

[da jake]

I'd have to say the Goldberg Variations.

[Kassaa]

Lol, boogie woogie . Reminds me, I'm going to post a recording of a tune I played on a Boogie Woogie festival in Cincinnati right now

[fred smalls]

This is completely pointless. No group of people will ever be able to decide on a greatest work for piano. Even though I don't think this thread makes any sence I will have to say that in my opinion the greatest piano work ever written, NOT for difficulty, NOT for avant-guard, but simply the most esspressive, beautiful piece of music written for the piano is Chopin's Barcarolle Op.60.  Even though I have listened to it many times it is the only piece of music I could never get bored of, and I'm not even a huge Chopin fan.

Barcarolle Op.60: Chopin
Peace
Fred Smalls

[superstition2]

Scriabin's 7th isn't purely atonal, yes. But, it's close enough for the category in my opinion, which is why, for instance, it doesn't have a key signature when it's referred to by the vast majority of sources. It lacks conventional tonality. If it were purely atonal, I probably wouldn't listen to it. 12 tone music like Schoenberg's piano concerto sounds like crap to my ear, but I don't like his earlier tonal work, either.

[magio]

I am not sure about the most significant work but the most emotional is  by far the compilation of Chopin's nocturnes

[54545]

I would say there are several depending on the time period.

1. Bach's 48 preludes are probably on top, not for their musical excellence but their musical significance. For example, After Bach published these preludes, the tuning of the piano changed and so did the entire western music that followed.

2. Beethoven's Pithitique Sonata. This piece started the romantic movement. No other compisition before this has been this bold and emotional. I heard alot of the old timers at that time were stunned at what they heard, and not in a good way.

3. Liszt's Sonata in B minor. Not sure why it's here but it seems like everyone talks about so it must be that good, seeing as how Liszt worked his hardest on this piece.

[iratior]

Greatest piano work of all time -- Beethoven's Appassionata sonata (the greatest musical composition of all time would be Bach's fifth Brandenburg concerto).

[retrouvailles]

Beethoven's Pithitique Sonata

Never heard of it.

[pianowolfi]

Never heard of it.

It's a rarely performed piece. Probably because it's a compisition.  

[ahinton]

I haven't written it yet.

Best,

Alistair

[djealnla]

I haven't written it yet.

Then do it!!!

I'm voting for Beethoven's Op. 109.

[ahinton]

Then do it!!!

I'm voting for Beethoven's Op. 109.

Then there'd be no point in my doing it! I speak from experience; my Sequentia Claviensis for piano was premièred as the second "half" of a programme whose first "half" comprised Chopin's Polonaise-Fantaisie and that sonata - it was hard not to feel like an intruder and I think that I'd have felt even more like one had it not been for the superlative performances of all three works by the pianist...

Best,

Alistair

[pianowolfi]

Then there'd be no point in my doing it! I speak from experience; my Sequentia Claviensis for piano was premièred as the second "half" of a programme whose first "half" comprised Chopin's Polonaise-Fantaisie and that sonata - it was hard not to feel like an intruder and I think that I'd have felt even more like one had it not been for the superlative performances of all three works by the pianist...

Best,

Alistair

That means a lot! Just the fact that you got into this program seems like WOW to me!
But it might be kind of a Zen thing. If you intend to do so it won't work.

[thalbergmad]

I haven't written it yet.

Best,

Alistair

Is it likely?

[thalbergmad]

That means a lot! Just the fact that you got into this program seems like WOW to me!
But it might be kind of a Zen thing. If you intend to do so it won't work.

If I offered you sufficient Euros, would you not perform the above pieces along with my own "Lawnmower" Variations for Piano & Halibut.

Thal

[ahinton]

Is it likely?

Of course not! I really thought that you of all people could take a joke!

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

my own "Lawnmower" Variations

Would that be the cut version?

Best,

Alistair