Show off pieces

[elevateme]

no i totally agree with bflatminor here, half of the pieces listed are not show pieces at all, more like masterpieces. and although they might have flashy sections in them they are more music than technique.

a lot of liszt studies are show off pieces. also most works by kapustin? they leave a good impression. um, what else.. a few of brahms' hungarian dances are always good as an encore. i think kissin used to do them

[beethoven2]

Wasn't Pathetique (by beethoven) written as a piece to show off skills?  I read that somewhere...

[bflatminor24]

No, it wasn't.

Did I mention showpieces like Dohnanyi Concert Etude No. 6 in F minor, Villalobos Rudepoema, Liszt GGC, Norma, Don Juan, Spanish Rhapsody, all of the Hungarian Rhapsodies, Transcendental Etudes (minus 6 and 11).

Actually, pretty much 60-70% of Liszt is "showmusic" although I think it is wonderful.

~Max~

[verywellmister]

Ravel's Toccata from Le Tombeau de Couperin and
Shchedrin Basso Ostinato are 2 tough pieces that  I think were deliberately written to be showy.  I would recommend them, but i heard they were as hard as Liszt Mazeppa

[elevateme]

Wasn't Pathetique (by beethoven) written as a piece to show off skills?  I read that somewhere...

Thats the moonlight sonata. he wrote the first movement to be easy so that the girl he fancied could play it. and the last movement he wrote so he could show off to her

[kelly_kelly]

Thats the moonlight sonata. he wrote the first movement to be easy so that the girl he fancied could play it. and the last movement he wrote so he could show off to her

Really? I heard that the last mvt was written in revenge after she ditched him (made so hard she couldn't play it).

[skve]

No, it wasn't.

Did I mention showpieces like Dohnanyi Concert Etude No. 6 in F minor, Villalobos Rudepoema, Liszt GGC, Norma, Don Juan, Spanish Rhapsody, all of the Hungarian Rhapsodies, Transcendental Etudes (minus 6 and 11).

Actually, pretty much 60-70% of Liszt is "showmusic" although I think it is wonderful.

~Max~

Why not the sixth TE?

[dnephi]

Why not the sixth TE?

Or the 11th?  Have you seen it?

[bflatminor24]

Played it. and the 6th. Neither are showpieces. Examine them a bit more.

[opus10no2]

flat , you are full of shiz

[dnephi]

Played it. and the 6th. Neither are showpieces. Examine them a bit more.

They may not be made only to show off, but they are still impressive when well executed.

[elevateme]

flat , you are full of shiz

why, because he thinks TEs 6 & 11 arent showpieces?

[soliloquy]

Yeah I wouldn't really call Harmonies du Soir or La Vision "show-off" or "encore" pieces.


Bowen Toccata Op. 155
Prokofiev Toccata Op. 11
Alkan Etude Op. 17 "Le Preux"
Alkan Etudes Op. 39 Nos. 1, 7, 10 and 12
Alkan Etude Op. 33 No. 5
Sciarrino De la Nuit
Sciarrino Etude de Concert
Sciarrino Estudio
Tchaikovsky-Pletnev Adagio from the Ballet Suite "Sleeping Beauty"
Liebermann Gargoyles No. 4
Liszt Transcendental Etudes Nos. 2, 4, 5, 8 and 12
Liszt Etudes Transcendentales de Paganini Nos. 3 and 6
Stravinsky Etude No. 4 Op. 7
Scriabin Poeme "Vers la Flamme" Op. 72
Scriabin Etude Op. 65 No. 3
Rachmaninov Etude Op. 33 No. 8 in C Sharp Minor
Rachmaninov Etudes Op. 39 Nos. 1, 5, 6 and 9
Debussy L'Isle Joyeuse
Debussy Etudes Nos. 7 and 12
Debussy Preludes "Ce Qu'a vu le Vient d'Ouest" and "Feux d'Artifice"
Alkan Chemin de Fer
Stravinsky-Agosti "Danse Infernale" from Firebird
Ornstein Danse Sauvage
Antheil Sonate Sauvage
Antheil Jazz Sonata
Chopin-Godowsky "Winter Wind"
Boulez Sur Incises
De Falla Fantasia Baetica
Albeniz Triana
Chopin Preludes Op. 28 Nos. 12, 16 and 24
Schumann Toccata Op. 7
Ruatavaara Etudes Op. 42 Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 6
Bartok Two Rumanian Danses Op. 8a
Bartok Etudes Op. 18
Vine Sonata No. 1

[pita bread]

definitive list

[bflatminor24]

Yeah I wouldn't really call Harmonies du Soir or La Vision "show-off" or "encore" pieces.


Bowen Toccata Op. 155
Prokofiev Toccata Op. 11
Alkan Etude Op. 17 "Le Preux"
Alkan Etudes Op. 39 Nos. 1, 7, 10 and 12
Alkan Etude Op. 33 No. 5
Sciarrino De la Nuit
Sciarrino Etude de Concert
Sciarrino Estudio
Tchaikovsky-Pletnev Adagio from the Ballet Suite "Sleeping Beauty"
Liebermann Gargoyles No. 4
Liszt Transcendental Etudes Nos. 2, 4, 5, 8 and 12
Liszt Etudes Transcendentales de Paganini Nos. 3 and 6
Stravinsky Etude No. 4 Op. 7
Scriabin Poeme "Vers la Flamme" Op. 72
Scriabin Etude Op. 65 No. 3
Rachmaninov Etude Op. 33 No. 8 in C Sharp Minor
Rachmaninov Etudes Op. 39 Nos. 1, 5, 6 and 9
Debussy L'Isle Joyeuse
Debussy Etudes Nos. 7 and 12
Debussy Preludes "Ce Qu'a vu le Vient d'Ouest" and "Feux d'Artifice"
Alkan Chemin de Fer
Stravinsky-Agosti "Danse Infernale" from Firebird
Ornstein Danse Sauvage
Antheil Sonate Sauvage
Antheil Jazz Sonata
Chopin-Godowsky "Winter Wind"
Boulez Sur Incises
De Falla Fantasia Baetica
Albeniz Triana
Chopin Preludes Op. 28 Nos. 12, 16 and 24
Schumann Toccata Op. 7
Ruatavaara Etudes Op. 42 Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 6
Bartok Two Rumanian Danses Op. 8a
Bartok Etudes Op. 18
Vine Sonata No. 1

I agree with all of these, but you could easily add more...the list is endless.

Rachmaninoff Preludes Op. 23 2, 5, 7
Scriabin Etudes Op. 8 3, 12

F*ck it, it's not worth listing them, my brain hurts.

Virtuosic sections of works by Michael Finnissy...if that doesn't impress, you're playing to the wrong audience.

~Max~

[opus10no2]

I've yet to hear a recording of Finnissy that has impressed me.

[pita bread]

And I have yet to hear a recording of yours that impresses me.

[bflatminor24]

I've yet to hear a recording of Finnissy that has impressed me.

Yeah you just like to contradict me out of spite.

You're not a very impressive person, stevie. Is there anything that you do well?

[elevateme]

And I have yet to hear a recording of yours that impresses me.

you mean... star wars didnt impress you? ? ? ? well said

[skve]

I wouldn't call the 12th TE, the "snowstorm", a mere showoff piece either

[bflatminor24]

Chasse-Neige brings tears to my eyes.

[dnephi]

Chasse-Neige brings tears to my eyes.

And me as well.  I think a lot of things on that List are masterpieces that just require fantastic technique to execute and end up being showy.  I don't think that we can all even agree on what we think is the line between drama and theatrics.

[mephisto]

Yeah I wouldn't really call Harmonies du Soir or La Vision "show-off" or "encore" pieces.


Bowen Toccata Op. 155
Prokofiev Toccata Op. 11
Alkan Etude Op. 17 "Le Preux"
Alkan Etudes Op. 39 Nos. 1, 7, 10 and 12
Alkan Etude Op. 33 No. 5
Sciarrino De la Nuit
Sciarrino Etude de Concert
Sciarrino Estudio
Tchaikovsky-Pletnev Adagio from the Ballet Suite "Sleeping Beauty"
Liebermann Gargoyles No. 4
Liszt Transcendental Etudes Nos. 2, 4, 5, 8 and 12
Liszt Etudes Transcendentales de Paganini Nos. 3 and 6
Stravinsky Etude No. 4 Op. 7
Scriabin Poeme "Vers la Flamme" Op. 72
Scriabin Etude Op. 65 No. 3
Rachmaninov Etude Op. 33 No. 8 in C Sharp Minor
Rachmaninov Etudes Op. 39 Nos. 1, 5, 6 and 9
Debussy L'Isle Joyeuse
Debussy Etudes Nos. 7 and 12
Debussy Preludes "Ce Qu'a vu le Vient d'Ouest" and "Feux d'Artifice"
Alkan Chemin de Fer
Stravinsky-Agosti "Danse Infernale" from Firebird
Ornstein Danse Sauvage
Antheil Sonate Sauvage
Antheil Jazz Sonata
Chopin-Godowsky "Winter Wind"
Boulez Sur Incises
De Falla Fantasia Baetica
Albeniz Triana
Chopin Preludes Op. 28 Nos. 12, 16 and 24
Schumann Toccata Op. 7
Ruatavaara Etudes Op. 42 Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 6
Bartok Two Rumanian Danses Op. 8a
Bartok Etudes Op. 18
Vine Sonata No. 1

Er, what's next, Liszt's Sonata? Perphas Beethoven 111?

 

Not that I in anyway would consider 100% of your choices bullshit. It is obvious that we have COMPLETLY different perceptions of what a show-off piece is.

Scriabin`s Verse La Flammes - Dark, mysterious, difficult, doesn't sound difficult at all, will sound boring to a normal person. Definetly not a show-off piece.
 
Mozkowski - 72.6. Fast, shallow, happy. Definetly a show-off piece.

[soliloquy]

Yeah Vers la Flamme might actually not be a great one.  I have used it as an encore where I had Scriabin programmed a couple times though so I probably threw it in there without much thought =/

[opus10no2]

And I have yet to hear a recording of yours that impresses me.

Pity, die hollow worm.

Yeah you just like to contradict me out of spite.

You're not a very impressive person, stevie. Is there anything that you do well?

I wouldn't wish to plesure you

I'm not contradicting you out of spite, I jut find that the form of virtuosity required to perform Finnissy is counterproductive in developing and displaying dexterity.

It's largely about geographical command and memory/sightreading ability in a non-patterned way, which is very difficult to most of us.

[elevateme]

Pity, die hollow worm.

It's largely about geographical command and memory/sightreading ability in a non-patterned way, which is very difficult to most of us.

whats the hollow worm bit about?

and... this may sound stupid, but.. how can you say its about memory/sightreading ability? the two are total opposites

[opus10no2]

No, I mention them seperately, but they're similar in this context.

What I mean is that we are used to recognizing patterns when we read and memorize music.

Finnissy is generally patternless, and therefore every note has to be looked at and read/memorized individually, and any grouping can only be worked out by 'rote'.

[soliloquy]

Pity, die hollow worm.

I wouldn't wish to plesure you

I'm not contradicting you out of spite, I jut find that the form of virtuosity required to perform Finnissy is counterproductive in developing and displaying dexterity.

It's largely about geographical command and memory/sightreading ability in a non-patterned way, which is very difficult to most of us.

Part of that is semi-true.  The form of virtuosity required to play the works of Finnissy is more in the mind than in the fingers, similar to the works of Ferneyhough or the Boulez Troisieme Sonate.  It's being able to mentally keep up with your hands and follow the lightning-fast music that only seems to have short, Gestaltian bursts of rhythmic, dynamic or melodic center.  When you say "geographical command" do you mean being able to perform the tremendous leaps across the entire keyboard?  That would be arm dexterity, true?  Also, many of his works, particularly his earlier ones such as all.fall.down., English Country Tunes, Solo Piano Concerto No. 4, Snowdrifts, Folklore, Hikkai etc. will have large passages of rapid 64th/128th notes that certainly require huge amounts of dexterity.  But above all, Finnissy requires speed; I thought that got you all hot

[blsd32]

i played toccata khachaturian for an intermational competittion and i won 1st place!gold medal....my teacher said that it would be hard before i got th piece but i realy liked it... its so surprisingly easy but i have so much problems with sonata by clementi and chopin nocturne post hum.  its really hard for me.........

[bellywelly]

moszkowski's op72 etudes are cool. i wowed my high school population with no2, which was one of my grade8 peice 
not that most of them now anything about piano, let alone classical. -shrugs-
no2's alright i guess, focuses on both technical stuff and musicality.

[antichrist]

undead post ,but I just love it.
Recently vote cadenza of tchai 1 and rach 2 (both's third mov before the climax)
Cziffra Sabre dance
usual suspects:etudes