Favorite Pieces

[smithreeseii]

I'm sure there is something like this, but I didn't see it in the search.

I was just wanted to start something where people could list some of their favorite works to listen to, piano or otherwise.  Just a few specific things from your favorite composers, as tempting as it is to just say "everything."

Some of mine (just a small fraction of course):

Schubert: "Death and the Maiden" String Quartet (especially movement II), Symphony No. 8

Beethoven: Symphonies 5, 6, 7, and 9, string quartet No. 7 (Razumovsky), Piano Sonatas 8, 14, 21

Bruckner: Symphonies 1, 4, 7, 8  (Bruckner fans come forth...)

Chopin: Opus 9 nocturnes, Opus 28 preludes

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini  

Just a few to start it off...

[end]

Liszt: almost everything I've ever heard composed by him. I'm a compulsive Liszt addict.

Paganini: everything, but Cantabile.

Chopin: almost everything.

Barrios: everything.

Villa-Lobos: all works for the guitar, plus Trenzinho do Caipira. His first étude for the guitar is one of the most exciting pieces I know, and I listen to it and play it compulsively.

Sarasate: everything. Everything.

Bach: so many things... but not everything. I'm particular to his 3rd partita (violin), his violin sonatas (oh, it's so beautiful, so hauntingly beautiful... so beautiful...)

Grigoras Dinicu: music's fun!!

Piazzolla: Milonga del Angel, Oblivion and many others.

These are the ones I listen to the most. There are others, of course. One I can't love (I try hard): Mozart. It's just too happy...

[smithreeseii]

I agree, Mozart can be too light and playful at times, but there is quite a bit of it that isn't as well.  His early works are a little too light for me.


Another thing that came to my mind after end brought up guitar: Rodrigo: Concerto de Aranjuez

[eminemvsrach]

Rach 3

Stravinsky's rite of spring

Prokofiev 2nd concerto

Beethoven 9th symphony

Tchaikovsky 1812 overture

just a few 

[orangesodaking]

This is definitely not limited to just Alkan, but a lot of his music is really good so I will dedicate this post just to him:

-Sonate de Concert for Piano and Cello Op. 47
-Concerto for Solo Piano Op. 39 Nos. 8-10
-Symphonie for Solo Piano Op. 39 Nos. 4-7
-Trois Morceaux dans le genre pathetique Op. 15
-Tre Scherzi de Bravoura Op. 16
-3 Concerti da Camara Op. 10 (although the third is just a reconstruction)
-Chant in E Major Op. 38a. No. 1 (Like Mendelssohn's Song Without Words Op. 19 No. 1, but more interesting)
-Etudes in the Major Keys Op. 35 (the whole set)
-Grande Sonate Op. 33
-Funeral March on the Death of a Parrot (for laughs!)

[smithreeseii]

So, just curious, how did you come to be such an avid Alkan fan?

[orangesodaking]

smithreeseii:

I did a piano camp the summer after 6th grade (I was new to classical music) and during the piano music history classes, the teacher talked about composers in every period. In the Romantic era, he included Alkan with all the other big-name Romantics (Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, etc.) so his music has always seemed just as valid as anybody else's. I actually kind of forgot about him for a little while, but when I started using Youtube to find recordings of classical music, I found some of his pieces too! I listened and was like "whoa! These are good!" I then started doing research about him. The best resource I know of so far is William Alexander Eddie's book "Charles-Valentin Alkan: His Life and Music." Ronald Smith wrote a book that's supposed to be really good too... I'm looking into it.

But yeah, he really isn't my favorite composer. Ravel is my favorited, followed closely by Beethoven. To me, Alkan just seems like another Romantic composer, and I don't think he is as important as Chopin and Liszt (and maybe Brahms). But sadly his music doesn't seem important at all, so I want to raise a little awareness in time for his 200th birthday in 2013! I don't want it to go by unnoticed. But more importantly, I think more people should be familiar with his compositions and maybe try at least some of the etudes Op. 35 or smaller works.

[peterjmathis]

I love me some Chopin, but if you ask me my favorite I'd have to say everything by Nobuo Uematsu. I'm a huge video game music fan.

[smithreeseii]

smithreeseii:

I did a piano camp the summer after 6th grade (I was new to classical music) and during the piano music history classes, the teacher talked about composers in every period. In the Romantic era, he included Alkan with all the other big-name Romantics (Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, etc.) so his music has always seemed just as valid as anybody else's. I actually kind of forgot about him for a little while, but when I started using Youtube to find recordings of classical music, I found some of his pieces too! I listened and was like "whoa! These are good!" I then started doing research about him. The best resource I know of so far is William Alexander Eddie's book "Charles-Valentin Alkan: His Life and Music." Ronald Smith wrote a book that's supposed to be really good too... I'm looking into it.

But yeah, he really isn't my favorite composer. Ravel is my favorited, followed closely by Beethoven. To me, Alkan just seems like another Romantic composer, and I don't think he is as important as Chopin and Liszt (and maybe Brahms). But sadly his music doesn't seem important at all, so I want to raise a little awareness in time for his 200th birthday in 2013! I don't want it to go by unnoticed. But more importantly, I think more people should be familiar with his compositions and maybe try at least some of the etudes Op. 35 or smaller works.

Interesting story OrangeSodaKing, and I'm glad that you have taken an interest in a lesser-known composer.  It is good for us to explore music we are not familiar with:  we may find something we love.

[orangesodaking]

Mmhmm, and I'm trying to take the next step (and encourage others to) and LEARN and PERFORM and (hopefully when I'm older) RECORD some of his music too, even if it's just the "easier" stuff like the Chants, Preludes, or Nocturnes.

Another thing that I like about Alkan. His melodies are SO cantabile, so catchy, and once you hear it a couple times, it gets stuck in your head!

 

[pianowolfi]

Since you ask for "piano or otherwise" I'll pick two of my very favorites, one piano and one other:
Beethoven's Sonata op. 111
Dvořák's Stabat Mater

Both of these are the kind of musical pieces where I ask myself every time I listen: What the heck can be written after this?

[point of grace]

i enjoy Prokofieff Piano Concerto 2 and 3
Rachmaninoff piano concerto 2
Mozart piano concerto 23
Brahms 1 and 4 symphony
beethoven 7th symphony
Dvorak cello concerto
and Ray Charles music 

[smithreeseii]

Since you ask for "piano or otherwise" I'll pick two of my very favorites, one piano and one other:
Beethoven's Sonata op. 111
Dvořák's Stabat Mater

Both of these are the kind of musical pieces where I ask myself every time I listen: What the heck can be written after this?

What exactly do you mean by that last sentence pianowolfi?

A couple of really good picks there point of grace.

[pianowolfi]

What exactly do you mean by that last sentence pianowolfi?

After listening to these I feel like: well that's the essence of music, even of life, which composer could write anything better?

Well of course this doesn't stay and we go on, but that's the feeling.

[furtwaengler]

Dvořák's Stabat Mater

Ah, and Talich is heaven.

[smithreeseii]

After listening to these I feel like: well that's the essence of music, even of life, which composer could write anything better?

Well of course this doesn't stay and we go on, but that's the feeling.

Ah, I see.  I know what you mean, pianowolfi.