What is your favorite Challenge piece?

[nanabush]

PRELUDE IN E FLAT MAJOR BY CHOPIN O man that's frustrating!

[Barbosa-piano]

         *Chopin and Liszt Etudes.
         *Grand Galop Chromatique
         *Rachmaninoff 3# Piano Concerto   

[jason2711]

Wow, I just found G minor and it looks way more doable, there are not running third passages, but a lot of fast passages, I listened and it's Incredible!  I also kill octaves and same notes at fast speed, so I think i'll test my skillz at this instead of F minor..

yeah... the G minor has become my recent 'challenge' piece as well... its great.  So far its been going pretty well... there are some crazy runs in the middle and the presto con fuoco near the end is simply incredible.  I've gotten satisfyingly quite far with this piece... the runs are giving me a bit of trouble but i think i should get there by saturday fortnight... where i'm playing it at a concert run by the local piano teachers association.  I find that once i start practising it, i can't stop... which really helps you motivate.

After this one's learnt i'm hoping to have a look at the  A minor... the first three are apparently of similar difficulties, its the F minor which is the most difficult.  Maybe the F minor might become my summer project (its not like there's ever much sun to enjoy in Northern Ireland anyway )

[nanabush]

Hmmm, Mazeppa too, do you think this is harder than Wild Jagd?  I saw a video of some guy who looked like 17-18 who played Mazeppa, he's CRAZY!!  It's on the site that some ppl on this forum are, and it shows their repertoire and stuff.  If you know what I'm talking about look around and youll see it. 

I think Mazeppa is next hardest to Feux Follets, and is like the hardest challenge piece I think...

[thierry13]

I would agree on Mazeppa and feux-follet too. There is rigoletto paraphrase too. And lyapunov's 11th etude. It's really a great piece!

[C-A]

Any piece that meets around 5/9 of my criteria:

Criteria:
A piece-
1. in a key with 4 flats or sharps and more.
2. Full of or has a few/some massive chords and octaves
3. has incredible leaps and stretches
4. has at least one cadenza
5. is either energetic, playful, quirky or relaxing, but not too light and gay, like Haydn's Sonatas.
6. at least 5 minutes long
7. at least 4 pages
8. that is famous
9. that is very difficult to interpret

3 examples:
 Chopin's Barcarolle in F-sharp Major Op.60- it meets all my requirements. It's in F#Major- 6 sharps(1), has lots of massive chords and octaves at the recap of the theme(2), like all the Chopin pieces, it has wide leaps and stretches(3), has a cadenza at the end(4), it's relaxing and peaceful(5), it's around 9 minutes(6), 9 pages(7), it's a famous Chopin piece(, and it's difficult to interpret(9).
This one meets all my criteria- 9/9.
This one is my favorite.

Chopin's Nocturne in B-flat minor Op.9, no.1- it meets some of my requirements.
It's in B-flat minor- 5 flats(1), it doesn't have massive chords, but it has a lot of octaves in the middle(2) and wide stretches(3), but almost no wide leaps of faith, and it doesn't have a cadenza. It's relaxing(4), around 6 minutes(5), 4 pages(6), famous(7), but not difficult to interpret.
This one passes the requirements- 7/9

Chopin's "3 new etudes" no.1 in F minor
Doesn't pass the requirements. It's in F minor(1), but it has no massive chords, nor wide leaps of faith, and the stretches isn't that wide, no cadenza. It's relaxing(2), around 2 mins, 2 pages, not difficult to interpret. It's a little-known piece.
This one fails- 2/9

[kaiwin]

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 Musically beautifully, fun, and challenging.

[mandragora]

Nope, that's the thing, he sucks at straight up classical music.

Well, you are entitled you opinion.