Hardest piece composed?

[mephisto]

No, I play them because of the technical rewards.

Finnissy is not rewarding, only in sightreading ability.

You mean you think the Chopin Godowsky etudes sound bad!?

[opus10no2]

No, but it's not the primary reason most people learn them.

[ahinton]

No, but it's not the primary reason most people learn them.

What isn't? The "technical rewards"? Not the "primary" reason, indeed (for they are such splendid piaces of music) but a very good, valid and much used reason nonetheless, I think you'll find. There's quite a few pianists out there (not the majority, by any means, but a good many more than used to be the case) who have recourse to some of them in their practice studios for purely pedagogic / technical reasons, even if they do not end up actually performing them publicly.

Like Chopin's own, they are études in the very best sense as well as being concert pieces; in fact, it seems inconceivable to me that a pianist's technique will be anything like fully formed without the benefit of some exploration of these seminal works, for a number of technical areas are covered within that cycle that are not explored anything like so extensively in other études.

Best,

Alistair

[prometheus]

Debussy Symbolism, by your logic ihatepop's parents should keep him off the internet. Maybe you can mail his parents.

[ihatepop]

Debussy Symbolism, by your logic ihatepop's parents should keep him off the internet. Maybe you can mail his parents.

 

[magio]

the hardest is the impossible as they say.
And circus gallop by Hamelin is the hardest because it is simply impossible for sb to play!

[pianoplayjl]

The people united will never be defeated!