romantic pieces with grand openings

[andhow04]

what are some romantic piano pieces with grand, exciting openings. none of this dark to light business. i am thinking along the lines of Chopin A-flat polonaise or Schumann Toccata. no extended sonatas

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Liszt - S. 254 Spanish Rhapsody immediately comes to mind. So does Alkan - Op. 39 nos. 8-10 Concerto for Solo Piano (Jack Gibbons has an incredible performance of it that's broken up into it's movements.

Also Liszt - S. 219 Grand Galop Chromatique (Cziffra).

Why do you want pieces with "grand openings?" Plenty of incredible pieces (Liszt - S. 420 La Clochette, Chopin and Fauré Ballades, Alkan Le Festin d'Ésope, etc.) start slow and build up.

[andhow04]

Liszt - S. 254 Spanish Rhapsody immediately comes to mind. So does Alkan - Op. 39 nos. 8-10 Concerto for Solo Piano (Jack Gibbons has an incredible performance of it that's broken up into it's movements.

Also Liszt - S. 219 Grand Galop Chromatique (Cziffra).

Why do you want pieces with "grand openings?" Plenty of incredible pieces (Liszt - S. 420 La Clochette, Chopin and Fauré Ballades, Alkan Le Festin d'Ésope, etc.) start slow and build up.

becasue they are so much more rare !

[essence]

I thought the rach 2nd sonata and chopin 3rd sonata start with strong opening statement?

Schumann fantasie also springs to mind.

Isn;t the opening of Beethoven Hammerklavier grand enough for you?

Aha - I see you say no sonatas.

What exactly is the purpose behind your request? Then we may be able to help you.

Maybe you want to play something at the start of a school assembly and want to stop the chatter?

Liszt mephisto waltz comes to mind. Maybe not grand, but distinctive.

The last of the Rach etudes op 39 starts dramatic.

If you want a challenge, Albeniz Lavapies.

The first of the Messiaen Vingt Regards is maybe not so dramatic.

[andhow04]

I thought the rach 2nd sonata and chopin 3rd sonata start with strong opening statement?

Schumann fantasie also springs to mind.

Isn;t the opening of Beethoven Hammerklavier grand enough for you?

Aha - I see you say no sonatas.

What exactly is the purpose behind your request? Then we may be able to help you.

Maybe you want to play something at the start of a school assembly and want to stop the chatter?

Liszt mephisto waltz comes to mind. Maybe not grand, but distinctive.

The last of the Rach etudes op 39 starts dramatic.

If you want a challenge, Albeniz Lavapies.

The first of the Messiaen Vingt Regards is maybe not so dramatic.

the purpose is a fifteen minute slot opening a large gala concert

[thorn]

I'm assuming it's not 15 mins all at once, you can have your grand opening and then fill the time with other material? What about Liszt Orage?

[liszt-and-the-galops]

the purpose is a fifteen minute slot opening a large gala concert

Then why no sonatas? Plenty of sonatas are short enough for that (Scriabin, Scarlatti, etc.) and have "grand openings." Also, why Romantic specifically?

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Does the opening tempo need to be fast?

In terms of "grand" Wagner/Liszt Rienzi fits (and I've opened many concerts with it). In a similar vein the famous Brassin transcription of the Magic Fire Music. Then something else to fill the 15 mins. 15 mins (ish) why not the Liszt Tannhauser? I know it's difficult and I wouldn't normally suggest it, but you're a very capable pianist.

[dizzyfingers]

what are some romantic piano pieces with grand, exciting openings. none of this dark to light business. i am thinking along the lines of Chopin A-flat polonaise or Schumann Toccata. no extended sonatas

I'd recommend
- Liszt Mazeppa from the Transcendental etudes
- Chopin Grande Polonaise Brilliante (skip the Andante Spianato, it's not required) op 22

[lelle]

Do you need one piece that fills most of those 15 minutes or multiple pieces?

[thorn]

Another that came to mind is the Tchaikovsky-Pletnev Sleeping Beauty suite. It has the grand opening you want and you could use some of the other pieces to get your 15 minutes (think the opening is about half that)

[frodo10]

How about Schumann Carnaval op. 9?  Play opening and a few other selections from Op. 9 to fill up 15 minutes.  Can't get much more grand than the opening to Carnaval!

[frodo10]

Already mentioned - but what about 2nd mvt of Schumann op 17?  Starts at 12:20.  Also grand!

1&t=757s

[liszt-and-the-galops]

One that just came to mind was Alkan's Etude Op. 39 no.2 "En Rythme Molossique." Assuming you have good octave technique, it's probably the easiest or second-easiest of Alkan's Minor Key Etudes, plus it has a "grand opening," is just under eight minutes long (at Jack Gibbons' tempo; you could probably go a little slower), and is an absolutely incredible piece.

From the same set is Op. 39 no. 11 "Ouverture." It's almost exactly 15 minutes (again, at Gibbons' tempo) and is IMO somewhat better of a piece, though the opening isn't as "grand." It's roughly the same difficulty as no. 2 (probably a bit harder) as well.