Big Chords

[alzado]

My piano teacher and I seem to enjoy pieces filled with big chords. 

How big are "big?"

Well, "Pictures at an Exhibition" has huge chords, such as in the selection, "The Great Gate at Kiev." 

Some of Edward MacDowell's pieces have huge chords where you play one set presented in the score as grace notes.  Then with the sustain down, you immediately overlay another 9-note chord on top of it.  It has a kind of "tum-tum" effect.  Makes a lot of noise.

I am playing a Christmas piece with numerous 5-note chords in the right hand requiring you press two neighboring keys with a single finger.  It works but you have to position your hand carefully.

Do you know of pieces with lots of big chords?  Examples?

[general disarray]

Third movement of the Rachmaninov 2nd concerto.

Many chords, in both hands, particularly in the coda, require every finger.

In the first movement, wrapping up the development, there's a handful of bruiser chords climaxing with the Maestoso section.  If you aren't sweating at the end of those two pages, well, you don't have a pulse.

And of course Rach 3.  Please.  The longer cadenza is a monster chord-fest.

[mike_lang]

Best,
ML

[retrouvailles]

The Busoni Concerto takes the cake I think. Moreso than Rach 3, which is just a little runt compared to it. There are numerous 20thcentury/contemporary pieces that would qualify, but my brain hurts too much right now to think of one.

[general disarray]

Best,
ML

That's worthy of Victor Borge.  Thanks!   

[dnephi]

The Busoni Concerto takes the cake I think. Moreso than Rach 3, which is just a little runt compared to it. There are numerous 20thcentury/contemporary pieces that would qualify, but my brain hurts too much right now to think of one.

Messiaen and Barber have my votes as composers I like who have huge chords.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

The "skyscraper chords" (as Raymond Lewenthal termed them) in Alkan's op 33 should surely be mentioned.

[chopininov]

The "skyscraper chords" (as Raymond Lewenthal termed them) in Alkan's op 33 should surely be mentioned.

What do you mean [or more Lewenthal] by "skyscraper chords"? And what movement are these in?

[ronde_des_sylphes]

They are in the Quasi-Faust movement (2nd movement).

There are about 20 notes in each chord, iirc (I don't have the score to hand just now). Obviously the chords are broken. I'm guessing he used the term "skyscraper chords" because of their visual impact.

[retrouvailles]

This is what he is referring to.



I'd like to see/hear someone play those without rolling.

[gerry]

Lizst "Harmonies du soir" No 11 of the Transcendental Etudes is choc full of "big" chords.

[ilikepie]

Gaspard de la nuit -  Le Gibet makes my hands weep, although it's probably because my hands are small.