Opinions on the most impressive piece ever written...

[tompilk]

I have searched the forum for impressive pieces, but there are no single threads discussing this... there is a hardest piece thread but not most impressive... so put your thoughts here.
Mine is probably either Polka Italienne, Islamey or Hamelin's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 with his own cadenza... and Rach 3 is amazing, but there is an orchestra there...

[apion]

Brahms piano concerti -- they've got it all!

[rob47]

I have only recently heard Godowsky's Passacalglia and it is an epic. Collosal is an understatement. If you have not heard this I recommend listening to it.  This piece shows tha GODz genius moreso than his chopet remixes.  I think.  I've only heard Hamelins rec though would love to hear others.

[Etude]

Pieces that impress piano players, pianists, or audiences?

[burstroman]

goldberg variations impress mind and heart.

[superstition2]

One piece is too narrow. However, If I have to pick...

tonal: Rachmaninov sonata 2, original version.
"atonal": Scriabin's 7th.

[quantum]

Cesar Franck - Prelude, Chorale and Fugue

[pianoperfmajor]

One piece is too narrow. However, if I have to pick one, I think I'll choose the Rachmaninov sonata 2, original version. It's difficult to choose this one over Scriabin's 7th.

I agree completely.  That's like saying pick your favorite ingredient in this pound cake.. impossible to do.  Sure there are great pieces that everyone agrees stand out, but to say that there is one piece that is the best (or most impressive) really is unfair to composers and pianists alike.  It contradicts the very nature of a pianist..  for he must like every piece he studies; find every piece to be 'impressive' and consider all pieces in his repertoire exciting and worthy of his skill.  If he is not interested in all his studies and therefore does not revere them in their derserved light, then I say he is a forlorn human being.  the necessary course of action is to use any and all power to reverse this curse by bringing to fruition those ever-present desires.  Simplicity is the voice of reason--  which most often tends to iterate into desire.  So eradicate those muddled desires and bring to light the true necessities...whether they are popular or numerous is irrelevant; only bring fourth those which form congruency with your clever inhibition, and present that which inspires your most evident curiosity.

[jehangircama]

what about the 9th symphony ? or the emperor or the 4th beethoven pc? for solo piano for me it's probably the HR2

[sharon_f]

Bach: Goldberg Variations
Beethoven: Hammerklavier & Diabelli Variations
Liszt: B-minor Sonata
Messiaen: Vingts Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus

[superstition2]

what about the 9th symphony ? or the emperor or the 4th beethoven pc? for solo piano for me it's probably the HR2

I loathe Ode of Joy. I'm not a fan of choppy Christian bombast. I don't like the end of the Messiah, either.

[phil13]

Liszt B min. Sonata
Beethoven Op.111
Chopin Piano Concerto No.1
Chopin Grande Polonaise for Piano and Orchestra Op.22
Scriabin Etude Op.8, No.12 in D# minor
Scriabin Etude Op.42, No.5 in C# minor
Chopin Scherzo No.3 in C# minor
Chopin Ballade No.4 in F minor
Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.3
Rachmaninoff Sonata No.2
Beethoven Op.106 'Hammerklavier' Sonata
Brahms Symphony No.4
Mahler Symphonies (all 9 of them)
Liszt Mazeppa
Liszt Mephisto Waltz No.1
Balakirev Islamey
Ravel Gaspard de la nuit
Liszt Spanish Rhapsody
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies Nos. 2, 6, 11, 15, 19
Mendelssohn Songs Without Words
Beethoven 'Moonlight' Sonata
Liszt Feux Follets
Liszt La Campanella
Schumann Carnaval
Grieg Concerto in A minor
Grieg Ballade Op.24 in G minor
Sorabji le jardin parfume
Chopin Sonata No.3 in B minor
Chopin Sonata No.2 in Bb minor
Grieg Peer Gynt Suite
Bach Goldberg Variations
Bach Keyboard Concerto in D minor
Scriabin Sonata No.10
Scriabin Vers la Flamme

and...

Sorabji Opus Clavicembalisticum, I'd assume.

There are MANY more, these are just the ones I remember offhand.

This is just as hard to answer as all the other threads of the 'What is the most ...?' variety. I give you credit for at least not starting a 'What's hardest?' thread.

Phil

[donjuan]

Liszt: Les Preludes

[stevie]

I have only recently heard Godowsky's Passacalglia and it is an epic. Collosal is an understatement. If you have not heard this I recommend listening to it.  This piece shows tha GODz genius moreso than his chopet remixes.  I think.  I've only heard Hamelins rec though would love to hear others.

ah, which LEGEND sent you that recording?

believe me, i have heard other recordings, they pale in hamelin's shadow.

id LOVE to see a video of him playing it...

but the most impressive piece would be alkan concerto for solo piano

like, on a first hearing, its both appealing, overwhelming in every way, and just absolutely insane.

[lau]

volodos- variations on ruslan and ludmilla

[cjp_piano]

Pieces that impress piano players, pianists, or audiences?

Good question.  I've "impressed" audiences with "crowd pleasers", but I'd rather not play something simply to "wow" people.  Yes, there were lots of notes and fast loud things, but it really wasn't that difficult.  I hoped that pianists in the room were impressed with my Mozart or Bach, not because I'm wonderful, but because the pieces impress me. 

So I guess it all depends on who is being impressed     But there are so many pieces.  Phil3 has a good list, start with those.

[bflatminor24]

I have only recently heard Godowsky's Passacalglia and it is an epic. Collosal is an understatement. If you have not heard this I recommend listening to it.  This piece shows tha GODz genius moreso than his chopet remixes.  I think.  I've only heard Hamelins rec though would love to hear others.

I completely agree. The Passacaglia is one of the most moving and poignant works for the piano. It's grandiosity is unparalleled and it's structure and style are paramount. I love this piece.

I have three out of the four extant recordings. Please contact me via AIM at BflatMinor24 if you want any Godowsky music - I have the complete Godowsky recordings except for one old CD.

My vote for the most impressive piece goes to the Alkan Solo Concerto or the Alkan Symphony. Nuff said.

~Max~

[pita bread]

Barber - Sonata Mvt. 4 "Fugue"
Rachmaninoff - Sonatas #1, 2
Ravel - Scarbo
Stravinsky - Petrushka
Sorabji - Sonata #1
Vine - Sonata #1

[panic]

Personally I think the first movement of the Alkan Concerto can't be beaten.

[alejo_90]

Liszt + Cziffra = Impressive

Grand Galop Chromatique or Mephisto Waltz No.1 for example...

Best
Aelx

[nanabush]

Liszt :  HR #2 or 6, Etude #3, 4 or 10
Chopin: Etude Op 25 #11, Prelude #16
Rachmaninoff: Prelude Op 32 E major, Etudes Tableaux Op 39 #3, 5 or 6
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit [namely Scarbo]
Prokofiev: Toccata
Schumann: Symphonic Etudes
Ginastera: 3rd Danza Argentina

That put into a recital is a heart attack in the making 

[dough_mouse]

Rachmaninoff: Prelude Op 32 E major, Etudes Tableaux Op 39 #3, 5 or 6

Aww BOOO!!!! What about 39/1??

[nanabush]

Whoops, thought I wrote that 


I am deeply sorry if I offended you in anyway   

[bflatminor24]

What does "I love lamp" mean?

And what does "A and B the C of D" mean?

Will people PLEASE explain their signatures? Thank.

~Max~

[jre58591]

What does "I love lamp" mean?

its a CLASSIC quote taken from "anchorman: legend of ron burgundy".

[nanabush]

I oughta change my quote now... I've had it since the movie came out 
...

 

[jre58591]

I oughta change my quote now... I've had it since the movie came out

hahahaha anotehr classic quote, but this time from "super troopers".

[bella musica]

And what does "A and B the C of D" mean?


~Max~

Above and beyond the call of duty.   

[jre58591]

back on topic

hamelin's prelude and fugue. talk about impressive.

[mephisto]

back on topic

hamelin's prelude and fugue. talk about impressive.

Yes it is great. Would love it if MAH composed more pieces in that harmonic language.

Ornstein`s 8th sonata and Messiaen`s Vingt regards should definetly belong there to.

[stevie]

back on topic

hamelin's prelude and fugue. talk about impressive.

ive read through some of the score, and in its time range, its the most difficult piece ive ever seen that sounds so wikid, its rather terrifying.

[moi_not_toi]

Choral: Ivan the Terrible by Prokofiev
Orchestral: The Mahler Symphonies
Choral and Orchestral: Beethoven Symphony 9
Piano: Too many pieces to tell.
Piano and Orchestra: Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini
Violin and Orchestra: Prokofiev and Shostakovich Concerti
Violin: Paganini 24 caprices
Cello: Elegie by Faure
Electronic Chamber: Glassworks
Chamber: Capriol Suite

this is not written in stone.

[jakev2.0]

Imo, the single most impressive work to play in concert is the Goldberg Variations.

[ahinton]

Hamelin's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 with his own cadenza

Yes, that might possibly be pretty impressive - if it existed...

Best,

Alistair

[dnephi]

Liszt: Les Preludes

Very impressive, considering it was written for an orchestra, and reduced to two pianos, but never to one piano by  the composer. .

I assume a single piano reduction would be quite impressive, nonetheless.

Dan

[ahinton]

"atonal": Scriabin's 7th.

Since when was Skryabin's Seventh sonata "atonal"?...

Best,

Alistair

[henrah]

Liszt + Cziffra = Impressive

Grand Galop Chromatique or Mephisto Waltz No.1 for example...

Best
Aelx

If you could point me towards his Mephisto Waltz No.1 I'd be much obliged

And I completely agree on his Grand Galop Chromatique, insanely impressive

[dnephi]

If you could point me towards his Mephisto Waltz No.1 I'd be much obliged

And I completely agree on his Grand Galop Chromatique, insanely impressive

https://cliburn.org/index.php?page=arcperformances

Look around some of the people who didn't make it past the first round.  A good number of them played Mephisto Waltz #1 as their finale.
Some of the others did too, but this lets you see a world-class pianist playing it live.

Dan

[opus10no2]

He's talking about Cziffra's recording, which is very impressive actually, one of the best ever.

I still stand by the Alkan Concerto being the most stunning piece, in concept, and execution.

[numerian]

Certainly a lot of virtuosic pieces can "wow" audiences, but the hardest thing to do is hold an audience absolutely captive to your playing - complete attention, no coughing, synchronized breathing, gasps of delight at the end.  I've only heard/seen this happen twice.  Once was Horowitz playing Traumerei, and then Rubinstein playing a Chopin Mazurka.  Horowitz apparently had the audience crying in Moscow when he encored Traumerei at his farewell concert there.

One of my aunts said she had a similar experience in the 1930's at a Rachmaninoff concert when he played a Chopin Nocturne for an encore.  There was no applause until about a minute after the end; the audience had completely forgotten where they were.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Not truly an answer to the question, but I think the last 4 pages of the Alkan Symphonie constitute the most dramatic and incredible ending that I have ever encountered in piano music.

[thalbergmad]

I assume a single piano reduction would be quite impressive, nonetheless.

Indeed, as Listz's pupil Tausig clearly demonstrated.

Thal

[jakev2.0]

One of my aunts said she had a similar experience in the 1930's at a Rachmaninoff concert when he played a Chopin Nocturne for an encore.  There was no applause until about a minute after the end; the audience had completely forgotten where they were.

I love Rachmaninov. Thanks for this wonderful anecdote!

[soliloquy]

Dutilleux Cello Concerto

[counterpoint]

Saint Saens  2nd Concerto

and

Schumann Fantasie C

[ihatepop]

The 24 Chopin etudes, and the transcedental etudes by Liszt.

ihatepop

[soliloquy]

Yes, that might possibly be pretty impressive - if it existed...

Best,

Alistair

Oh snap.  Whose cadenza is this then?

[dnephi]

Oh snap. Whose cadenza is this then?

It's his own .

[mephisto]

Oh snap.  Whose cadenza is this then?

You have read wrong. Tomplik wrote "Hamelin's HR2 with his own cadenza". Hinton was correct in pointing out that such thing does not exist. What exists is Liszt's HR2 with MAH's cadenza.

[soliloquy]

Oh nah I just assumed nobody actually thought there was an entire like... encore version of the complete HR2 by Hamelin.  Just assumed he was talking about the Cadenza.  That's why I said, as you may have read right or wrong [or correctly or incorrectly, more appropriately], "whose cadenza is this".