What are the saddest piano pieces? Can you name some of them?

[musicioso]

Hallo dear people of the forum,

I need some really sad piano pieces. What is in your opinion most sad or even sentimental music written for piano?

[emilye]

Bach/Busoni - Chaccone in d-minor

[kantsuiex]

Chopin Funeral Match

[noambenhamou]

chacone is not sad in my opinion. Dramatic.
Sonata by chopin - funeral, also not. Maybe the the name of it I guess is misleading.

I think chopin waltz oddly enough Op 34, No. 2 (the transistion back into the minor key)

Maybe also: Chopin Nocturne in C# minor op. posthumous (who knows what he was doing with the middle "happy" section)

I don't know if this one is "sad".

Some Brahms could be perceived as "sad", but I don't think any Brahms is really sad. Just mesterious and dramatic. Maybe the opening of his 3rd mov of symphony III

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Liszt, nothing close that I know. Totentanz def NOT "sad".
Schubert? Starts sad and the quickly likes to transition into major.

Another great example of schubert doing this to a very emotional begining:

Mendelssohn. He has one song without words that is sad I guess. Most of his compositions are not.
Maybe this one:

Schumann, nothing comes to mind.

Beat-hoven? Def. the 3rd mov of tempest:

Pour alise is sad I think. I know it's overdone but still a very nice composition.

Like I said, I dont think there are many "sad" piano peices. Emotional NOT = sad. There are loads of emotional compositions.


Come to think of it, there aren't many "sad" or melancholy piano compositions out there. But it all depends on your perceptions.

You guys will laugh, but Eleana played by Clayderman is sad in my opinion. Written by some french guy I think:

Just my 2 cents, with interest.

[invictious]

I think a recent thread would provide a good starting point:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=40833.0

Hope you find it useful.

[quantum]

Beethoven - Op 10/3, 2nd Mvt

Bach - F minor Sinfonia

Brahms - Op 118/6

Suk - Things Lived and Dreamed Op. 30.  There are quite a few in here. 


It's not piano, but if you want really sad check out Bach - Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder Coro 68 from the St. Matthew Passion. 

Starts at 3:15

[redbaron]

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata 1st mvmt
Chopin - Funeral March
Mendelssohn - Venetian Gondola Song Op 19, No 6
Mussogsky - The Old Castle from Pictures at an Exhibition
Rachmaninov - many, many pieces but Moment Musical in B minor springs to mind
Ravel - Le Gibet from Gaspard de la nuit, extremely oppressive atmosphere
Scriabin - Etude Op 2, No 1

[maykapar1]

Giazotto-Albinoni - Adagio in G minor, reduction for piano
and at an intermediate level, Catherine Rollin - Lament   

[richterfan1]

Debussy: Arabesque No.1 in E Major is touching my heart
Beethoven: Pathetique Sonata 2nd movement
Chopin: Nocturne C sharp Posthumne, Nocturne Op.9 No.1, Nocturne Op.27 No.2
Schubert Impromptu No.4 Op.90, Sonata D960 2nd movement
Mozart Sonata K330 C Major 2nd movement
Beethoven Sonata 32 last movement
Chopin piano concerto No.2 in f minor 2nd movement, prelude No.4 in E minor

[lohshuhan]

Il Lamento by Liszt

[philb]

,

I don't know if this counts as a piano piece, but nonetheless, sad.

[scottmcc]

the 2nd "mvt" of the Wanderer fantasie by Schubert is certainly "sad."  or at least, I think so.  but the other 3 "mvts" are ever so joyous that it's hard to call the whole piece "sad."

I think the problem with this thread is that most of classical music strives for more emotional complexity than just "happy" or "sad."  there's a whole range of nuanced emotion between and beyond those two words.

[djealnla]

Deleted

[scottmcc]

oy!  that's a rather large rant you linked to.  I like pop music too...some of it.  I think there are good artists out there in all genres, but I agree that a lot of pop music tends toward the superficial.  but look at bands like muse, mars volta, tool, primus, radiohead, killswitch engage, mudvayne, rush, king crimson, etc, and you will see that there are some very talented musicians who go way beyond just the simple pop conventions.  you want complex time signatures?  try lateralus by tool.  you want polyrhythms?  try knights of cydonia by muse, or just about anything by mudvayne or killswitch.  you want a large scale work?  try any number of rush songs, such as 2112 or anything else from this era.

anyway, back to the topic at hand.  "sad" pieces.  what about beethoven op 26 (3rd mvt)?  it is after all the funeral march sonata, and was played at his death.

not for solo piano, but what about Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings?  Seems to be played just about any time someone dies.

[orangesodaking]

Ravel: Pavane for a Dead Princess
Ravel: Concerto in G, middle movement
Schubert: Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3

[noambenhamou]

djealnla, I agree.
Sadness and happiness are somewhat initial emotions. For example, when someone is angry, many call it a SECONDARY emotion. Anger due to agitation that stemmed from sadness.
So we could say that classical music and yes - many modern music is not so 2 dimentional.
When I hear agitato portions of a peace, I could say the base emotion is sadness, then agitation.
I think the minor key is definatley associated with core feelings of sadness, which lead to agistation, anger etc... Major progressions are the opposite, base feelings of happiness, leading the joy, victory etc...

A think to keep in mind is that a peace of music, generally the longer ones (flight of bumblebee, minute waltz exluded) are generally more like a story. For those who read novels, there are happy and sad moments. I guess they create contrast.

Speaking of contrast, I used to HATE going to the symphony. I'll go watch a chopin piano concerto, but the 1st 30 minutes they are playing some modern garbage in which I cannot even defirentiate what key it's in. I used to hate it and just show up when it's time for the peice I actually wanted to watch. I still can't stand the modern crap. But now I love being tourchered throughout the entire 30 minute modern symphony because it makes the Brahms Symphony so much more enjoyable - CONTRAST. I think they do it on purpose.

Yesterday we went to a piano recital. 4 chopin, 4 Liszt etudes - obscure. The crowd was much more on they toes  in the chopin part, then when the 2nd and 3rd Liszt, I can tell everyone just wanted to get the hell out of there. It was just ass backwards. You end with the stuff that leaves you in a dreamlike world. Chopin tends to do it to most people. I myself have heard ALL chopin so many times, I can rarly feel anything anymore. Now, that's sad

[stoudemirestat]

Rachmaninoff Elegy Op 3 no 1.

[iratior]

This is an interesting exercise.  The Passepied from Debussy's Suite Bergamasque conveys a lot of sadness.  Chopin opus 25 no.7, Bach F-sharp minor prelude from WTC vol. II, about the same.  Chopin op. 25 no. 12 beats Rachmaninoff prelude in F-sharp minor.  Everybody does know that the melodic line of DIES IRAE is in that Chopin etude, don't they?  Just commenting.  But the grand prize goes to Chopin opus 48 no. 1, the nocturne.  In the mid-section is what amounts, in effect, to an anthem, but it gets crushed by gunfire.  If I had all the technique to do what this etude should be thought of as requiring, I would not even strive to make the piano "sing".  I would strive to make the piano testify, as though it were a witness before, say, the International Court of Justice at the Hague, testifying about, say, the experience of the Bosnians.

[chopinaninoff]

A lot of overplayed pieces in the previous responses...but I would say
1. Chopin etude op 25 no 7
2. Chopin Nocturne op 48 no 1
3. Chopin Nocturne op 62 no 2
4. Rachmaninoff piano concerto no 2
5. Scriabin op 8 no 12
6. Scriabin piano concerto no 1
7. Scriabin preludes op 11 no 7,10,14,20, 22,24
8. Rachmaninoff elegie op 3 no 1
9. Liszt - Canzone Napolitana "Notturno"
10. Tchaikovsky= None but the lonely heart
11. Rachmaninoff Vocalise.
So many more

[eminemvsrach]

Aside from the ones that are overplayed, I have:

1. Rachmaninoff Prelude Op. 23 No. 1 F# minor
2. Rachmaninoff Etude-Tableaux Op. 33 No. 8 G minor
3. Tchaikovsky Dumka Op. 59

I can't think of anymore on the spot, I will search up more! =]

[wildman]

Beethoven's Moonlight sonata 1st movt. is definitely one of the most depressing pieces of any music I've ever heard.

[chopinaninoff]

Beethoven's Moonlight sonata 1st movt. is definitely one of the most depressing pieces of any music I've ever heard.

I think its a more reflective piece of music...
Richard

[mussels_with_nutella]

Slavische tanze (Slavonic dance) no. 2 opus 72, Antonín Dvorak
It's my favourite piano piece and the saddest I've ever heard. It makes me shudder, if that's the word (i am spanish), and...

However, it is worth it to hear it in its later version, also made by Dvorak:

[chopinaninoff]

Slavische tanze (Slavonic dance) no. 2 opus 72, Antonín Dvorak
It's my favourite piano piece and the saddest I've ever heard. It makes me shudder, if that's the word (i am spanish), and...

However, it is worth it to hear it in its later version, also made by Dvorak:

WOW! i just fell in love! Thank you!

[dyltron]

This thread needs a lot more Schubert.

For me, Chopin and Brahms can make music sound sad (and with tremendous skill) but Schubert made a lot of sincerely sad music. It was his destiny to live a short, sad and unfulfilled life, and to convert the emotions that go along with that sort of life into music.  

Sonata D. 959

Moment Musicaux No. 3

His most explicitly sad piano music was in his many songs.

Winterreise - Der Leiermann  

[chopinlover23]

These are the pieces that I love that have a ''sad'' atmosphere

1. Etude op. 10 no. 3 by Chopin
2. Moonlight Sonata 1st movement by Beethoven
3. Theme and Variations in A- Mozart (its dramatic)

[gerryjay]

The Gluck-Sgambati melody, specially when played by Nelson Freire, is quite sad. His use of this work as an encore have a magical power, you fell absolutely alone in a theatre with another two thousand persons.
Sad regards,
Jay.

[remy]

Karol Szymanowski's Etude Op.4 No.3 in b flat minor is heartbreakingly beautiful:

Vasily Kalinnikov's Moderato in e flat minor is dark and richly beautiful.


Another favorite of mine is Cesar Cui's Prelude Op.64 No.2:

jeremy

[lostinidlewonder]

I find Grieg's Ase's Death from Peer Gynt Suite excessively sad.

[zax102]

This thread needs a lot more Schubert.

For me, Chopin and Brahms can make music sound sad (and with tremendous skill) but Schubert made a lot of sincerely sad music. It was his destiny to live a short, sad and unfulfilled life, and to convert the emotions that go along with that sort of life into music.  

Lol, why even say something like that? Chopin has plenty of "sincere" sadness. I highly doubt he was sitting there trying to come up with something "sad", especially if you read anything about him. He favored restraint in writing emotionally, but very ironically wrote brilliant romantic era music. He had family die, was basically exiled from two homes, and had a very unsuccessful marriage that ended badly, not to mention the other unrequited loves.

Chopin has deeply emotional music, but it is very often subtle throughout, sometimes erupting violently but then quickly escaping back into a quiet, defeated voice. Schubert, of course, has highly emotional music, but it is DIFFERENTLY emotional, not MORE. If I had to compare the two, Chopin sings, quietly, sometimes desperately. Schubert punches you in the face with it and makes no apologies.

[ahinton]

I find Grieg's Ase's Death from Peer Gynt Suite excessively sad.

Then I wonder how you'd find almost an hour of variations for piano on it?...

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Extremely sad???

[djealnla]

Extremely sad???

Extremely Hintonian, perhaps?

[costicina]

My suggestion is   Rachmaninov, Etude tableau op 39 n 2: far from  overplayed, moving, mesmerizing (when properly performed), not too difficult (apart from some pretty nasty sections). It’s the piece I’m planning to study this summer…
Cheers
Margherita

[lostinidlewonder]

Then I wonder how you'd find almost an hour of variations for piano on it?...

Best,

Alistair

I think extremely sad like thal said, but also extremely tired. I don't like crying myself to sleep.

[gep]

I think extremely sad like thal said, but also extremely tired. I don't like crying myself to sleep.

From this I would guess you haven't heard that hour of variations on the Grieg, since I would guess, based on my experience of actually hearing those variations, that they are not at all sad. Rather quite enjoyable, actually. In fact, if you indeed haven't heard them, I would most happily suggest you get the CD of those variations!

all best,
gep

[eleanorrigby]

The Parents Day episode song from Hey Arnold, no? No??

Erik Satie - Gnossienne No. 4

[lostinidlewonder]

From this I would guess you haven't heard that hour of variations on the Grieg, since I would guess, based on my experience of actually hearing those variations, that they are not at all sad. Rather quite enjoyable, actually. In fact, if you indeed haven't heard them, I would most happily suggest you get the CD of those variations!

all best,
gep

Although I love piano I can't stand listening to large work 30-40 minutes is really my limit, and when pieces hit that range I am generally struggling to stay "with it". Are there any online recordings of the variations you could point me to?

[ahinton]

Chopin Funeral Match

Sounds like a sporting fixture; I wonder what would be sad about that?

Best,

Alistair

[gep]

Although I love piano I can't stand listening to large work 30-40 minutes is really my limit, and when pieces hit that range I am generally struggling to stay "with it".

Really?? I think that if I were present at a good performance of the Goldberg Variations I'd hardly know time had passed at all, leave alone how much, when it was over. That piece is about twice your limit, but surely you could "stay with it"!...

Are there any online recordings of the variations you could point me to?

Not that I know of. However, the CD of this wonderful piece is out there, played by Donna Amato. I would warmly recommend it!

all best,
gep

[ahinton]

Although I love piano I can't stand listening to large work 30-40 minutes is really my limit, and when pieces hit that range I am generally struggling to stay "with it".

Why so? And what does that say about your response to such solo piano works as the Hammerklavier Sonata, Goldberg Variations, Stevenson's Passacaglia or any number of larger works by Sorabji? - or indeed piano concertos such as the two by Brahms, the Busoni, the (Alan) Bush and the big one by Skalkottas or piano quintets such as those by Schmitt and Schmidt? In short, is the problem that of the composer concerned in each such case or your own personal attention span?

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Wow, the forum was almost Sorabji free for 2 minutes.

Thal

[ahinton]

Wow, the forum was almost Sorabji free for 2 minutes.

1. Are you quite sure of that?
2. If so, how did you calculate this?
3. How can the forum be "almost" free of anything? - would it not have to be either free of it or not free of it?
4. Does it matter?
5. What makes you think that Sorabji, or indeed any other composer whose work remains in copyright, can be "free" in any case?

Best,

Alistair

[djealnla]

1. Are you quite sure of that?
2. If so, how did you calculate this?
3. How can the forum be "almost" free of anything? - would it not have to be either free of it or not free of it?
4. Does it matter?
5. What makes you think that Sorabji, or indeed any other composer whose work remains in copyright, can be "free" in any case?

Best,

Alistair

Generally I dislike this type of posts, but point no. 5 really made me laugh.

[pianowolfi]

Wow, the forum was almost Sorabji free for 2 minutes.

Thal

*bangs tambourine* 

[thalbergmad]

1. Are you quite sure of that?
2. If so, how did you calculate this? 
3. How can the forum be "almost" free of anything? - would it not have to be either free of it or not free of it?
4. Does it matter?
5. What makes you think that Sorabji, or indeed any other composer whose work remains in copyright, can be "free" in any case?

1. No.
2. I used something called a clock.
3. What are you on about?
4. Yes
5. A huge amount of Sorabji is free.

Thal

[djealnla]

5. A huge amount of Sorabji is free.

I smell an argument.

[djealnla]

Here is some recommended reading:

https://imslpforums.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3977

[thalbergmad]

How hintoresting.

Thal

[thalbergmad]

I smell an argument.

I have no idea what an argument smells like