What's the most shockingly violent piece?

[liszmaninopin]

Well, just that.  What's the most absolutely violent piece you know of?

[Rob47]

Those rhythmic repeated chords in Rite of Spring are f***ing bad ass...very violent....you know all those "homies" who drive around in their souped up cars bumping 50 cent? Any time I;'m driving through a "hood" i always bump those chords from the Rite of Spring with the windows down. Nobody f***s with me when I got my boy Stravinsky on the box.

your friend
Rob

[Rach3]

Chopin 4th ballade.

And Brahms f minor quintet.

[donjuan]

I would say Liszt - Lyon, Orage

[joell12068]

the last movement of Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto.

[thracozaag]

Well, just that.  What's the most absolutely violent piece you know of?

 Anything by Ornstein.

koji (STSD)

[Max]

Chopin 2nd Sonata Finale

O_O

I've heard it a hundred times probably, and its still great.

[allchopin]

 Anything by Ornstein.

koji (STSD)

Yes, I'd say 'Suicide in an Airplane' is pretty violent.  What's with this guy?

I have to place Cziffra's octave transcription of Flight of the Bumblebee played by Cyprien Katsaris as the most torrential.  Sounds like crap but it's amazing.

[dlu]

After listening to the Rite of Spring....hundreds and hundreds of times it doesn't seem as violent as the first time I heard it and never listened to it again for months and then picked it up again and have been listening ever since. I ordered a bunch of Stravinsky sheetmusic online including the Leyetchkiss piano transcription of the Rite of Spring (I don't much care for the Raphling....it seems too dilluted for some reason)....and It's due to be delivered Monday....I'm so exited!!!! yeah....i'm a dork

Anyways...I just recently got into "modern" music (schoenberg ect...) and bought a recording of Lutoslawski's Cello Concerto...and wow!!!....it is amazing...someone ought to make a piano transcription of it (If I were writing one....which I probably will....It'll have to be for two pianos three hands....yes three....the first piano with two hand will play the orchestral part....and the seconds piano's left hand will be the solo cello....)....It would probably seem violent to someone not into this kind of music (no, it's not atonal....just.....excentric)...I would reccomend you listen to it!!!!!!!!!!! It is awesome...especially the ending but you'll have to listen to it!!!!! I'm gonna go listen to it now....i've gotten myself all excited...!!!! Gosh....I do blabber alot....He has a piano concerto too! But I don't have a recording of that yet.

[ravel]

i am surprised no one mentioned bartoks piano pieces, his  piano sonata and his first and second piano concerto are really violent pieces.
also, prokofievs second concerto  has some really violent momentts , the cadenzas specially.
i dont remember the name exactly , but i heard them in a cd by angela chang playing messiaens piano music, i think they were two of the etudes , something like rhythmic etudes by messiaen, they wer eboth pretty violent, specially the second one.

[zemos]

i must agree, prokofiev 2nd piano concerto is really violent sometimes, but so amazing! it's the most genius piece ever written (i have Kissin play it, wonderful.). and true, some of bartok's music is reallllly violent, have you heard his sonata for two pianos and percussion? or his concerto for two pianos and percussion? hehe... well it's kind of frightening..

[prokanninov]

I'd have to agree with something by bartok, or Prokofievs second, I prefer playing anything by Prokofiev, then again the Khatchaturian toccata or concerto or concert rhapsody and the Prokofiev tocatta are pretty violent

[rph108]

shostakovich fugue which depicts a the massacre of Red Square. Im not sure which one.

[jlh]

Suggestion Diabolique by Prokofieff is pretty violent.  Also, his toccata would a contender.  Kabalevsky's piano works are pretty dark and violent as well -- even the preludes.

[dude110]

there's a lot of fairly esoteric stuff that hasn't made the discussion, particularly stuff written in the past 30 years.  

from the common repertoire i'd probably vote for the prokofiev toccata.

[scarbo87]

going back in time from most of the previous posts here............

Chopin : Parts of ballades 1,2, and 4
        Etude op. 10 no. 4, preludes op. 24 no.16 and 24

Beethoven : (sometimes overlooked as being too cliche...)
           Symphony no. 5 and Appasionata


Rachmaninoff: 3rd concerto ossai cadenza.
Prokofieff : 2nd concerto
and as previously mentionted, Stravinsky rite of spring.

[dude110]

i really don't see 'violent' in chopin ever... nor in beethoven... but obviously that's a very personal perception.

[thracozaag]

i really don't see 'violent' in chopin ever... nor in beethoven... but obviously that's a very personal perception.

 24th  and 18th preludes (Chopin) are about as savage as music gets, and Beethoven not violent ever!?!?  There's a whole littany of violent compositions (we're talking about a guy who destroyed pianos on a consistent basis).

koji (STSD)

[DarkWind]

My vote goes for some Sorabji. That's why I like his music. Crazy and powerful.

[scarbo87]

Koji you know your music  

[dude110]

chopin always has an air of parisian refinement in his music... sure there's passion, but we have to look elsewhere to find savagery and violence.

essentially the same thing with beethoven.

to call either of these guys savage or violent really shows a certain lack of understanding... certainly to offer either of these composers as an answer to the topic starter's question is wrong.   perhaps more than anything this kind of answer shows an unfamiliarity with the 20th century literature where violence is more common.

and my perspective is over 20 years making my living as a concert pianist btw... i have performed all the chopin preludes in concerts, all the beethoven concerti... so yes i think i know my rep too.

oh yeah, and as for beethoven breaking strings all the time... you ever play a piano from that time period?  breaking a string on a "beethoven piano" is not nearly the same as breaking a string on a modern concert grand.

[rph108]

I would call certain compositions of Chopin violent and savage. I would say more violent than savage. The First Scherzo is a very good example of passionate violence. It can be described as fierce, sardonic, demoniacal, and hysterical to name a few words. There was certainly violence and savagery in every time period and in every composers life. Therefore, it would be ridiculous to leave out any possibility of it in your interpretation of pieces such as this.

[rph108]

Also, I think Copland's Passacaglia is pretty violent.

[fnork]

My vote goes for Villa-lobos "Rudepoema", dedicated to Rubinstein. Listen to Marc-Ande Hamelins recording of it, it's great and really... violent!

[Fastzuernst]

I give Prokofiev's second concerto (first movement) my vote. The entire movement is one huge climax, which ends in an explosion.
I would never consider chopin violent, even at his most extreme.

[thracozaag]

I would call certain compositions of Chopin violent and savage. I would say more violent than savage. The First Scherzo is a very good example of passionate violence. It can be described as fierce, sardonic, demoniacal, and hysterical to name a few words. There was certainly violence and savagery in every time period and in every composers life. Therefore, it would be ridiculous to leave out any possibility of it in your interpretation of pieces such as this.

  "If I had your strength, and played this piece as it should be played, there would not be one string left"--Chopin's reaction to a student apologising for breaking a string in the Op. 53 Polonaise.
  Once again, I would direct you to listen to the 18th and 24th preludes..they're quite simply some of the most explosive things I've ever heard.

koji (STSD)

[DarkWind]

You must've not heard much 20th century music. This seems really tame in comparison to, say, Barber's Piano Sonata, or works by Orenstein. One of Sorabji's Sonatas is just plain insane and violent.

[Nightscape]

Or "Threnody for the victims of Hiroshima" by Penderecki

[thracozaag]

You must've not heard much 20th century music. This seems really tame in comparison to, say, Barber's Piano Sonata, or works by Orenstein. One of Sorabji's Sonatas is just plain insane and violent.

  I mentioned Ornstein earlier.

koji (STSD)

[super_ardua]

Ligeti's Desordre,  would be a runner-up

[the_prodigy]

La valse by Ravel


 

[Andreo]

 Anything by Ornstein.

koji (STSD)

Yes, I'd say 'Suicide in an Airplane' is pretty violent.  What's with this guy?

Well, Ornstein lived for about 110 years, so whatever was with him couldn't have been that bad.

[thracozaag]

  Haha, good point.

koji (STSD)

[DarkWind]

You must've not heard much 20th century music. This seems really tame in comparison to, say, Barber's Piano Sonata, or works by Orenstein. One of Sorabji's Sonatas is just plain insane and violent.

  I mentioned Ornstein earlier.

koji (STSD)

Oops, you're right!

La valse by Ravel


 

It certainly is violent, but not the most violent piece out there.

[stefano]

look at rachmaninov's etudes op.33 no. 9 and op. 39 no.6,truly violent pieces. Number 6 is based on little red riding hood! Also Prok 2 is crazy.  I think Barber's  Piano Sonata is very violent.

[Floristan]

Copeland's "Piano Fantasy" has some pretty violent moments, but I think Bartok wins the prize; his music is almost routinely violent, it seems to me...and that's a good thing, as Martha Stuart always says.... 

[Nu-Steinway-Player]

How about the last movement of the Ginastera First Sonata -- unbelieveably violent and dissonant with those HUGE chords all marked FFF. 

[theodopolis]

Messiaen's 'Apparition de l'Eglise Eternelle'

There is a moment when musically, Christ's face is revealed in all his terrible glory. For such a devout man as Messiaen to unleash his beliefs in music is an unbelievably powerful moment indeed.

[abe]

There are some really violent, even scary parts of Shostakovich's 2nd Cello Concerto (I think its this one, not totally sure). I think one of the movements depicts the secret police knocking on doors--scary in itself.

Also, parts of Liszt's B minor Ballade have some pretty shocking parts when contrasting them to the lyrical sections of the Ballade.

[lostinidlewonder]

Rachmaninov Prelude Op32 no 13. It is at least playable by most, but still very hard. You can really bring this piece up to a high level of excitement, especially in the Grave section and leading through to the end. It is standing ovation if played well.

[UofMDLisztian]

Many pieces by Alkan including Le Festin d'Esope, Scherzo diabolique and Etudes dans les tons majeurs.

There are too many to name from Liszt. One that especially comes to my head (although not for piano) is Dante Symphony - Hell.

cheers

[pianowelsh]

Prokofiev Toccata, Prokofiev Suggestion Diabolique, Bartok Allegro Barbaro,sonata for two pianos and percussion is all pretty brutal - some of the Rautavaara etudes and his 'fire sermon'sonata are pretty butch too!!

[moi_not_toi]

There are some really violent, even scary parts of Shostakovich's 2nd Cello Concerto (I think its this one, not totally sure). I think one of the movements depicts the secret police knocking on doors--scary in itself.

Also, parts of Liszt's B minor Ballade have some pretty shocking parts when contrasting them to the lyrical sections of the Ballade.

Speaking of Shosty, I found the Scherzo from his 1st Violin Concerto quite terrifying and nearly depicting a Satanic Ritual in parts. Plus it's beautiful beyond words! Always a standing ovation when played alone (as it was when I saw it for Piano and Violin. She was very good)

Also, Rautaavera has written some amazingly beautiful "Mata Hari" like pieces (as in violent but stunningly beautiful).
I especially like his etude "Fourths" and "Michael defeats the Antichrist"

[verywellmister]

Stravinsky Petrouchka

[houseofblackleaves]

I'd have to say that one of the most violent peices I've ever heard/played is the Corigliano Etude Fantasy.  It's such an amazing peice... I like how Joyce Yang played it at the past Van Cliburn.

[maxreger]

Xenakis- Synaphai.

This is the most violent work, IMO.

[soliloquy]

Xenakis Keqrops
Xenakis Erikhton
Xenakis Persepolis [GRM Remix]
Ginastera Piano Concerto No. 2
Penderecki Partita for Harpsichord and Orchestra
Penderecki Capriccio for Violin and Orchestra
Penderecki Cello Concerto No. 1
Penderecki Kanon
Barrett "Tract"
Finnissy English Country Tunes
Finnissy Solo Piano Concerto No. 4
Corigliano Symphony No. 1 First Movement
Part Lamentate
Gehlhaar "Phase"
Bussotti "Pour Clavier"
Stockhausen Klavierstuck XIII

[jakev2.0]

Hey, how about with the stipulation that the piece is NOT CRAP?

[soliloquy]

Hey, how about with the stipulation that the piece is NOT CRAP?

I'd be surprised if you have heard more than 1/3rd of those.

[retrouvailles]

I've got to agree with much of what soliloquy has there. And yes, I've heard more than a third of them. Actually, almost all of them.