My lis(z)t of the 30 greatest piano works

[ansgarpiano]

Here is my personal list of the 30 greatest piano works. Etudes not included as I see them as small seperate pieces. There is no specific order apart from the cronological. Feel free to agree/disagree and let me know what i missed!

Bach:
- Goldberg Variations

- Kunst der fuge

Beethoven:
- Sonata no 23 op 57 in F minor "Appasionata"

- Concerto no 5 op 73 "Emperor"

- Sonata no 29 op 106 "Hammerklavier"

Grieg:
- Piano Concerto op 16 in A minor

Tchaikovsky
- Piano Concerto no 1 op 23 in Bb minor

- Grand Sonata op 37 in G major

- Piano Concerto no 2 op 44 in G major

Liszt:
- Sonata in B minor

Chopin:
- Piano Concerto no 1 op 11 in E minor

- Piano Concerto no 2 op 21 in F minor

- Sonata no 2 op 35 in Bb minor

- Sonata no 3 op 58 in B minor

Brahms:
- Piano Concerto no 1 op 15 in D minor

- Variations on a theme of Paganini op 35

- Piano Concerto no 2 op 83 in Bb major

Rachmaninov:
- Piano Concerto 1 op 1 in F# minor

- Piano Concerto 2 op 18 in C minor

- Sonata no 1 op 28 in D minor

- Piano Concerto 3 op 30 in D minor

- Sonata no 2 op 36 in Bb minor

- Piano Concerto 4 op 40 in G minor

- Variations on a theme of Corelli op 42

- Rhapsodie on a theme of Paganini op 43

Ravel:
- Gaspard de la nuit

Prokofjev:
- Concerto no 2 op 16 in G minor

- Concerto 3 no op 26 in C major

- Sonata no 6 op 82 in A major

- Sonata no 7 op 83 in Bb Major

[chopinawesome]

Interesting list. Here is my list:
Bach:
-Goldberg BWV 988
Mozart:
-His Piano Concerti
Beethoven:
-His last 2 concerti
-Sonatas Op.90-111,53
Schumann:
-Symphonic Etudes Op.13
-Fantasy Op.17
Chopin:
-Sonata Op.58
Liszt:
-Anees de Pelerinage(taken as a whole set)
-sonata in b minor
Brahms:
-Schumann variations op.9
-handel variations op.24
Debussy:
-Images
-Preludes
-L'isle Joyeuse
Ravel:
-Jeux d'eau
-gaspard
Rach:
-Piano Concerti 1,2,3,4
-Piano sonatas 1 and 2
-Preludes Op.32
Prokofiev:
-Sonatas 6 and 8
-Concerto no.2 in g minor
-The last piece from Romeo and Juliet

Pretty sure that is more than 30 pieces but oh well...

[beethovenfan01]

I'm not disagreeing with any of your choices ... but I surely would have put more Chopin on the list! His Ballades? Or at least Op. 54. And what about Brahms' Intermezzi and the Rhapsodies Op. 79? Those are far more mature, I think, than the variations you put up. My own opinion!

[nw746]

The Goldberg Variations are very specifically for two-manual harpsichord, and any performance on piano is technically a transcription /pedantry


I'm going to date mine from roughly when music started being composed specifically for piano:

Mozart - Piano Concertos Nos. 9, 17, 24
Beethoven - Piano Sonatas Op. 57, 106, 111, Diabelli Variations, Piano Concerto No. 4
Schubert - Piano Sonata D.960, 3 Klavierstücke D.946
Schumann - Carnaval, Davidsbündlertänze, Kreisleriana, Fantasie, Humoreske
Chopin - Ballade No. 4, Scherzi Nos. 1, 2 and 3, Sonata Op. 58, Polonaise-Fantaisie Op. 61
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1
Debussy - Preludes I & II, Etudes
Ravel - Gaspard de la nuit, Miroirs, Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Schoenberg - Suite Op. 25
Bartók - Out of Doors, Piano Concerto No. 1
Szymanowski - Masques, Piano Sonata No. 3, Symphonie Concertante
Rachmaninov - Paganini Variations
Prokofiev - Piano Sonata No. 6
Messiaen - 20 Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus
Rzewski - The People United Will Never Be Defeated!
Stockhausen - Klavierstück X
Finnissy - English Country Tunes

That's 40 but who's counting? >.>

[beethovenfan01]

Mozart--Piano Concerto No. 20, 21, 23
Beethoven--Piano Sonatas Op. 57 "Appassionata", 106 "Hammerklavier," 111, Piano Concerto No. 3, Piano Concerto No. 5.
Schubert--Piano Sonata in B-flat D960
Schumann--Fantasie Op. 17
Chopin--Ballade No. 1 and 4, Nocturne in C minor Op. 48 No. 1
Liszt--Dante Sonata, Sonata in B minor, Petrarch's 123rd Sonnet
Tchaikovsky--Piano Concerto No. 1
Brahms--Rhapsodies Op. 79, Intermezzi Op. 117, Op. 118, Op. 119
Debussy--Preludes Books I and II
Ravel--Gaspard de la nuit
Rachmaninoff--Paganini Rhapsody, Piano Concertos No. 2 and 3, Prelude in B minor Op. 32 No. 10, Sonata No. 2
Prokofiev--Sonata No. 7, Piano Concerto No. 2
Stravinsky--Petrushka

I know that's 32, but ...

[cuberdrift]

Should't the Opus Clavicembalisticum be the No. 1? 

[immisk]

Finnissy - English Country Tunes

Will you explain this to me please?
I'd never heard this composer until now and I'm genuinely curious.

[mjames]

Chopin Op. 35 ---->Op. 65
Chopin Op. 10, Op. 25
Chopin Op. 23
Chopin Op. 31
Chopin Op. 11
Chopin Op. 21
Chopin Op. 28
Chopin Op. 22
Chopin Op. 27
Chopin Op. 16

Notable exceptions:

Liszt Sonata B minor
Liszt etudes (pretty much all of them)
Bach's Goldberg Variations
Rest of Bach's keyboard works
All of Scarlatti
Scriabin sonatas no. 2- no. 10
Last 6 Schubert piano sonatas
Schubert Impromptus

[themeandvariation]

NW- "The Goldberg Variations are very specifically for two-manual harpsichord, and any performance on piano is technically a transcription /pedantry"

Yes the hands cross in a few places - not so difficult to manage.. Also, it is possible to draw tonal distinction between the hands to accentuate (more) the idea of another keyboard- should one wish.
 One wonders though, by your logic  if Any pieces by Bach should be played on ('specifically') the piano.. though he Was interested and offered advice to Silberman - the piano maker - after giving them a whirl.. (his criticism was that the action was too heavy. After being disappointed by his reaction, he did indeed go to work on the action).

NW- It Is refreshing to see your mention of a few 20th century works.. Have you heard the Ligeti etudes?   or Takemitsu's piano music?

ImmIsk- ("explain"?)  try googling it    

[toughbo]

Is no-one gonna include Chopin's barcarolle??

[mjames]

Is no-one gonna include Chopin's barcarolle??

I did?

[toughbo]

Haha, I see, you just included 30 opuses in one swoop 

[klavieronin]

I wonder if I'm about to ruffle a few feathers here 🤔

In no particular order;

Shostakovich: 24 Preludes & Fugues Op.87
Godowsky: Java Suite
Szymanowsky: Etudes Op.33
Liszt: Totentanz (for piano & orchestra)
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.2
Ravel: Menuet Antique
Yoshimatsu: Threnody to Toki Op.12
Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur L'Enfant-Jésus
Ifukube: Ritmica Ostinata
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No.3
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances (for two pianos)
Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.2
Scriabin: Piano Sonata No.5
Erik Satie: Sports Et Divertissements
Kapustin: Toccata Op.8
Chopin: Impromptu No.3, Op. 51
Beethoven: Diabelli Variations
Beethoven: Bagattelles Op.126
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.4
Beethoven: Piano Sonata Op.111
J.S. Bach: 2 & 3 Part Inventions

Not quite 30 but many of these are large collections so that should make up for it.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I'll have a go. I'm sure my opinions change regularly..

Also, viewing some collections as single items.

Bach WTC
Haydn F min variations
Beethoven op 57, op 110, op 111, 4th piano concerto
Schubert D960
Chopin 4th Ballade, 3rd sonata
Liszt B min Sonata, complete Annees de Pelerinage, Don Juan, Liebestod transcription, Totentanz, Harmonies poetique et religieuses
Alkan Symphonie
Brahms both piano concerti, Paganini variations
Franck Prelude chorale and fugue
Rachmaninov third piano concerto
Scriabin Black Mass Sonata
Ravel Gaspard
Debussy Images
Liapunov Transcendental etudes
Busoni piano concerto
Prokofiev 7th sonata
Bartok 3rd piano concerto
Messiaen Vingt Regards
Ligeti Etudes

[nw746]

Will you explain this to me please?
I'd never heard this composer until now and I'm genuinely curious.

Michael Finnissy is a British composer and virtuoso pianist whose music has at times been associated with the "new complexity" movement. That is an overly reductive label in my view, but his piano music is indeed very difficult to play for the most part. English Country-Tunes is a piece lasting approximately 50 minutes whose movements are all based on English folk melodies, although due to the way these are embedded into the texture, it's hard to tell without a score. It is one of a number of large-scale works he composed and imo his masterpiece.

This is the beginning of the first movement. If you don't like it, you probably won't enjoy the rest of his music >.>

NW- "The Goldberg Variations are very specifically for two-manual harpsichord, and any performance on piano is technically a transcription /pedantry"

Yes the hands cross in a few places - not so difficult to manage.. Also, it is possible to draw tonal distinction between the hands to accentuate (more) the idea of another keyboard- should one wish.
 One wonders though, by your logic  if Any pieces by Bach should be played on ('specifically') the piano.. though he Was interested and offered advice to Silberman - the piano maker - after giving them a whirl.. (his criticism was that the action was too heavy. After being disappointed by his reaction, he did indeed go to work on the action).

Technically none of Bach's music is specifically for the piano, although there has been some speculation about the three- and six-voice ricercars from the Musical Offering. That said, most of his keyboard works are educational in nature and thus weren't intended to be played on any specific keyboard instrument but rather whatever was available at hand: virginal, spinet, clavichord, harpsichord, fortepiano, organ, etc. The Goldberg Variations, with their specific manual instructions ("a 1 o 2 clav." etc) are an exception to this rule and are specifically a harpsichord work. One can obviously play them on the piano quite successfully, but one may as well just play the Busoni transcription, it's just as authentic :p

NW- It Is refreshing to see your mention of a few 20th century works.. Have you heard the Ligeti etudes?   or Takemitsu's piano music?

Yes and yes, no room for them in my list though, lol

[torandrekongelf]

Since I am a huge Bach-fan it would be for me a random selection from his keyboard works.

Well Tempered Clavier would be one of them. There is nothing like it in our history of music.

[fftransform]

lolololol

Bartok Concerto 1 & 3 but not 2...
Tchaikovsky Sonata...
Ravel Minuet Antique...

Ifukube, Szymanowski, Satie, Godowsky, Villa-Lobos but no Albeniz or Ginastera, Rzewski, Kapustin, Schoenberg Op. 25, Stockhausen and Finnissy but no Boulez or Xenakis...


Y'all need Jesus.  Also, what's up with all this Totentanz?  Was it in an episode of Rick and Morty or something?


Anyway, the question is too preposterous, but here are a few pieces that should definitely have been mentioned by now:

[klavieronin]

lolololol

Bartok Concerto 1 & 3 but not 2...
Tchaikovsky Sonata...
Ravel Minuet Antique...

Ifukube, Szymanowski, Satie, Godowsky, Villa-Lobos but no Albeniz or Ginastera, Rzewski, Kapustin, Schoenberg Op. 25, Stockhausen and Finnissy but no Boulez or Xenakis...

Y'all need Jesus.…

Glad to know you and Jesus are here to save us all from our horrible taste in music  .

[xdjuicebox]

No Scriabin?

[cfluke]

I humbly suggest that Mephisto Waltz #1 is superior to the other Liszt pieces suggested. It feels like an epic journey to listen to (and certainly to play), every programmatic element of it being so vivid and dramatic. The slower, romantic sections sound sultry while the beginning and end buzz with furious energy, exploring a wide range of musical possibilities.

Totentanz is a lot of fun, but sounds aimless and clangy by comparison. And the B minor sonata has some thrilling passages, but as a whole, it doesn't quite live up to the promise of the brilliant introduction. Just my opinion.

[ahinton]

Should't the Opus Clavicembalisticum be the No. 1? 

You tell us!...

Best,

Alistair