Intense Moments in Piano Music

[bjm412]

A few days ago I was driving a few people to a restaurant during our lunch break, and we happened to be listening to NPR. Rach 3 comes on; I didn't hear who the pianist was. At the climax about halfway through the first movement, the pianist and orchestra just sort of let loose, producing one of the wildest, most intense moments I've ever heard in music. I got goosebumps, and one of the other people in the car (a guy who doesn't like "classical" music) whispered "Wow."

What do you think is the most intense moment in music you've ever heard?

[airasia]

probably the entire appassionata sonata.  especially some parts of the 1st movement.  Also  basically every middle to late Beethoven sonata.  I agree about the Rach 3 too, but I find solo pieces more intense because it's a very personal intensity that only you are creating, not a whole orchestra.  Like you could imagine a dark, deranged, beethoven by himself lamenting through his piano, but it would be totally different if a whole orchestra were there.   

[rapmasterb]

I agree about rachmaninovs d minor but i feel that better candidates would be a moment from the climax of the second movement and also about 30 seconds before the end of the final statement of the theme in the third movement. (Sorry about the clumsy phrasing but its hard to specify moments without bar numbers!)

[stucoy]

An excellent question. As you haven't specified PIANO music, I would have to say the last section of Mahler's Second Symphony 'The Resurrection', from the Mysterioso onwards. As for piano music, it's difficult, but maybe Horowitz's 1941 recording of Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto with Barbirolli, which is pretty mind-blowing, especially the third movement. Or maybe the finale of Argerich's Tchaikovsky 1st with Abbado, or Richter's live Mussorgsky Pictures, especially the Gates of Kiev, or Jorge Bolet's live recording of the Liszt-Wagner Tannhauser Overture at Carnegie Hall.

[dnephi]

For piano solo, it's the Mazeppa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   
After that, I'd say Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto, live anywhere because live is 1000x better than recorded, 1st movement cadenza.  It's about as good as the Mazeppa . 

[musik_man]

Well, this isn't quite the 'intense' you're looking for, but Beethoven/Liszt's Auf dem Huegel from An die ferne Geliebte.  In the opening line the chord on the German word 'dich' is obscenely beautiful.  It really has no business being that great.

Other candidates might be sections of Suggestion Diabolique and Prokofiev's Toccata.  Also the Liszt/Horowitz Rackoczy March.

[pita bread]

Barber Piano Concerto
Corigliano Etude Fantasy
Liszt-Wagner Tannhauser Overture
Prokofiev Piano Concerto #2
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #3, Sonata #2
Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit
Scriabin Sonata #5

[Ruro]

Alkan Concerto For Solo Piano - First Movement Finale (Sweet!)
Balakirev Islamey Oriental Fantasy (About Half Way; Poco Pui Mosso, Energico)
Beethovens Ninth - Fourth Movement Finale (Classic!)
Liszt Études D'exécution Transcendante - No.11 Harmonies Du Soir (Omg O_o)
Medtner Piano Concerto No.2 - Finale To Third Movement (Short, But Breath Taking!!)
Medtners Night Wind Sonata - Both Movements! (Absolutely Apocalyptic!) <- Winner Imo.

Agreed on the Prok 2, Rach 3 & Tchaik 1 I am still indeed thinking of Intense moments, but naturally the climax's are usually... well, like the culmination of it all!

[acha114]

Rachmaninov piano concerto number 2, at the last minute of the second movement with those chords in the right hand. Probably the most intense for me.

[donjuan]

attached are my favorite Cziffra moments.

Cziffra_1:  is from his recording of Totentanz with his son.  This is the moment that showed me the amazing power in Cziffra's bass

Cziffra_2: is the ending from his live Totentanz recording.  Whenever I hear it, I wanna stamp my feet and punch a hole through the wall

Cziffra_3: is from his Die Fledermaus fantasy.  I like the change in touch.  It shows his precise control over the sound and rhythm.

Enjoy!

[donjuan]

whoops; I forgot another favorite Cziffra moment:

This one is from his live Liszt: Ballade No. 2 recording

[apion]

The opening movements of:

Brahms Piano Concerto no. 1

Rach Piano Concerto no. 3

[soliloquy]

Corigliano Etude Fantasy 1st Movement- David Jalbert
Corigliano Etude Fantasy 4th Movement- Joyce Yang, 2005 Van Cliburn Competition
Wagner-Liszt Tannhauser Overture- Jorge Bolet, Studio Recording
Penderecki Cello Concerto No. 1- EMI Classics Early Penderecki Works Disc
Beethoven Sonata "Appassionata"- Rudolf Serkin, "Great Recordings of the Century" Label
Messiaen "Regard de l'Esprit de Joie"- Peter Serkin, "RCA Red Seal" Label
Vine Sonata No. 1- Joyce Yang, 2005 Van Cliburn Competition
Paganini Caprices Op. 1 No. 5 in A Minor- Midori, "Great Recordings of the Century" Label
Schnittke Sonata for Cello and Piano (1978)- Maria Kliegel, Naxos Label
Kodaly Solo Cello Sonata Op. 8- Maria Kliegel, Naxos Label
Liszt "Funerailles"- Vladimir Horowitz, "RCA Red Seal" Label
Xenakis "Herma"- Musique Symbolique, Aki Takahashi, "X" Series


Those are the most hair-raising performances I've heard.  The first time I heard any of those I was like

[moi69]

Rach 2 and Tannhöser Overture Wagner/Liszt! i can add the last movement of schumann, fantaisie in C.

[sinspawnammes]

The last few seconds of Rach 3 are very thrilling, especially during that gigantic crescendo with the strings.  By the way, what day was it on?  I always listen to NPR, and they never play Rach, just Mozart and 20th century people. =(

[klavierkonzerte]

coda of schumans florestan woow, actually the whole piece is very intense

chopin etude in c#minor op.25 when the left hand plays the fast decending scales

scriabin piano concerto about half way thru the first movment when the orchestra plays the main them, very intense and very touching

[stucoy]

attached are my favorite Cziffra moments.

Cziffra_1:  is from his recording of Totentanz with his son.  This is the moment that showed me the amazing power in Cziffra's bass

Cziffra_2: is the ending from his live Totentanz recording.  Whenever I hear it, I wanna stamp my feet and punch a hole through the wall

Cziffra_3: is from his Die Fledermaus fantasy.  I like the change in touch.  It shows his precise control over the sound and rhythm.

Could you recommend a CD which has the live Totentanz on? It would preferably have other pieces on it which show him at his best, e.g. some of his own transcriptions, etc..   Thanks. P.S. I love his recording of  'Les Jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este'.
Enjoy!

[elias89]

Rach 3
Bach/Busoni Chaconne
Beethoven op.110
Schubert G Major Sonata
......

[donjuan]

Could you recommend a CD which has the live Totentanz on? It would preferably have other pieces on it which show him at his best, e.g. some of his own transcriptions, etc..   Thanks. P.S. I love his recording of  'Les Jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este'.

i actually got that live totentanz from SDC... I dont know what CD it is on.  At the same concert, he played Grieg Concerto

sorry the only Cziffra CD I have with his own transcriptions is:

https://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005Q6L4/qid=1150997864/sr=1-27/ref=sr_1_0_27/702-4130686-4762457

everything else.... downloaded from here and there

[jre58591]

the end of the 1st movt and start of the 2nd movt of medtner's sonata romantica is one of the most intense moments of solo piano music i can think of.