What's the most dramatic piano piece ever written?

[eusebius12]

If true, would you make - or have you made - similar suggestions to people who want to discuss Liszt, Henselt, Alkan or - heaven forfend - Thalberg - on this forum rather than having recourse instead to fora devoted to those composers (assuming that such fora exist)?

Best,

Alistair

How dare one discuss Sorabji piano music on a board dedicated to piano music?  /sarcasm mode off

[eusebius12]

As far as dramatic piano works are concerned, the Scriabin pieces mentioned are all highly dramatic. Consider also his preludes (hardly mentioned as far as I can see in this thread) from the op. 11 set nos 6, 10, 14,18 and 24 are all highly dramatic. I love 13/6, what a barnstormer. Also 17/2, 5 and 7, 27/1 and 31/3. 33/4 is dramatic in a slightly different idiom. As far as the op. 8 etudes are concerned, you should try nos 3, 7 and 9. But one should really try to read through all of the short Scriabin pieces, so many gems.

Schumann should not be neglected for drama, witness his f# and g minor sonatas, the symphonic etudes, In Der Nacht, and many moments in the Davidsbuendlertaenze and the Kreisleriana (yes also moments of great joy and introspection....)

Chopin and Rachmaninov have been mentioned, but I can't recall seeing the d minor prelude (tricky) or the 1st 3 scherzi or the C Minor Polonaise of Chopin, or the C# Minor and G Minor (probably the E Minor also from book 2) of Rach...One ought not to forget the Pathetique, Moonlight, Tempest and Appassionata of Beethoven (obviously). The 1st movement of op. 111 is also intensely dramatic. But it is also other things, other states....

I love the 12th and 13th rhapsodies, the tarantella and the Dante Fantasia of Liszt (also his Erlkoenig arrangement and even the Don Juan Fantasy), but less for overwhelmingly musical values

One ought to be acquainted with the Mozart CMinor (Fantasia+) and A Minro sonatas plus the 2 minor key concerti. These are crucial milestones in the development of 'dramatic' style for the keyboard.