Suggestions for a new piece to learn

[iansinclair]

I have the oddest holes in my musical knowledge...

Such as.  I love Sibelius -- almost anything by Sibelius.  But I find to my dismay that I don't know what he wrote for piano -- must be something -- nor what difficulty.

So the question is, if I wanted to add some Sibelius to my repertoire, what?

My current concert repertoire is rather limited, for historical reasons -- but to give you an idea of the level I'm working at:  Chopin, any of the Nocturnes.  Schubert, any of the Impromptus (either opus 90 or 142).  Previously (on organ) Bach (of course...), Sweelinck; Langlais pretty widely, Franck pretty widely, Widor...

Thanks!

[indianajo]

When you watch the travel shows, you see in Grieg's studio, his treasured piano:  which Rick Steves actually got to play a little bit.  Sibelius, by contrast, they show the restaurant where he used to hang around with his buddies.  So what did he do, slip the house band his drafts on Tuesday nights, along with a big tip?  (Classical Destinations TV show, Sibelius episode).
I've gotten 6 Sibelius LP albums from the charity resale shops lately; all the doctors are dieing off and their children don't need any PVC, thank you. Besides several un-distinguished symphonies, there is an album of short orchestral pieces with titles from Finnish mythology.  No piano music.  
So I'd say start with Wedding at Trollhausen by Grieg, for a breath of air from the frozen north.  It is on my list of music to do in my life, about entry 800 or so. 

[iansinclair]

When you watch the travel shows, you see in Grieg's studio, his treasured piano:  which Rick Steves actually got to play a little bit.  Sibelius, by contrast, they show the restaurant where he used to hang around with his buddies.  So what did he do, slip the house band his drafts on Tuesday nights, along with a big tip?  (Classical Destinations TV show, Sibelius episode).
I've gotten 6 Sibelius LP albums from the charity resale shops lately; all the doctors are dieing off and their children don't need any PVC, thank you. Besides several un-distinguished symphonies, there is an album of short orchestral pieces with titles from Finnish mythology.  No piano music.  
So I'd say start with Wedding at Trollhausen by Grieg, for a breath of air from the frozen north.  It is on my list of music to do in my life, about entry 800 or so. 

Chortle!  I'll take a look at the Grieg.  Also thinking about Carl Nielsen.  Anything from him?

[redbaron]

Sibelius actually wrote a lot of piano music (I have the complete works and it runs to five discs). It's simply that it has never really taken off, probably due to Sibelius himself having made some casual remark about how 'the piano doesn't sing' which in turn has led to decades worth of music critics writing that his piano pieces must therefore be a load of rubbish, an opinion which the record-buying, concert-going public largely seems to have bought into rather than make up their own minds about it.

Sibelius' piano output is a delight and worth anyone's time. I would recommend:

Six Impromptus Op 5
Ten Piano Pieces Op 24 (No 9 is probably his most famous piano piece)
Piano Sonata
The Bells of Kallio Church
The Trees Op 75
The Flowers Op 85
Five Characteristic Impressions Op 103
Five Esquisses Op 114
Valse Lyrique Op 96a (this is not a transcription, the piano version came first)

[j_menz]

Why not just pick up the Dover collection and have a play through? It's opretty cheap and fine for exploration.

[iansinclair]

Why not just pick up the Dover collection and have a play through? It's opretty cheap and fine for exploration.

Because I'm a little slow sometimes and wasn't aware of it.  Just what I wanted!  Thank you!  It's on order...