Nicest piece (aka most beautiful piece)

[nanabush]

Just list songs that you think sound really nice, not difficult, well most difficult songs will sound nice, but the ones you like the most...

-un sospiro
-cathedrale englouttie ... especially the last stretch with the run in the left hand..
-jeux d'eau
-heart asks pleasure first
-prelude in C# major WTK don't know which book, it's in triplets though...
-first movement of Waldstein sonata
-middle movement of pathetique sonata
-etude in c major by chopin,... um not op.10 n 1 but the other one, the crazy one...
-winterwind etude

[porilo]

What is "heart asks pleasure first" ??  Can you enlighten me please?

Personally I think the following are beautiful and always enjoy playing them:

Poulenc's first Nocturne
Chopin D flat nocturne
Liszt's 3 Petrarch sonnets
Maxwell Davis - Farewell to Stromness
Godowsky's transcription of Schubert's "Good Night"
Godowsky's transcription of Schubert's "Litany"

Regards,

Gregory

[bernhard]

What is "heart asks pleasure first" ??  Can you enlighten me please?

Minimalist piano piece composed by English contemporary composer Michael Nyman as part (it is actually the main theme) of the soundtrack for the Jane Campion's movie "The Piano" with Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel (apparently Holy Hunter polished her piano skills and played all the pieces in the movie).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[nicko124]

Yes the Heart Asks Pleasure First would be in my list, it's a very sad piece though.

For porilo or anyone else that hasn't heard this piece, you can watch a video at this site: https://www.tiscali.co.uk/music/features/i040315_michael_nyman_the_heart_asks_pleasure_first.html

[Etude]

Still think 2nd movement of Ravel G major concerto is the most beautiful piano piece I have heard.

[hodi]

just heard the piece, it's nice, but too much repeatitive.. not much deveplopment

[porilo]

Just listened to it.  I find it reasonably nice and pleasant to listen to, although I don't think I'd list it as one of my favourites. I live in London, England, but have never heard of Michael Nyman, neither have I seen, or heard of, the film! 

Regards,

Gregory

[Glyptodont]

Ravel, "Pavane for a Dead Princess."

Debussy Preludes, "The Girl With the Flaxen Hair"

[Chrysalis]

Most debussy pieces are brilliantly beautiful

The preludes, the reverie, the suite burgamesque,, almost everything is pure brilliance

also masterpieces are

chopin - ballade in gminor and etude 10:3
liszt - liebenstraumen no3
mendelssohn - spring song//fruhlungslied
schubert - impromptu opus 90:3
beethoven -  moonlight adagio...

[nanabush]

Also adding on, Chopin's preludes in C major, G major and E flat major, C and G are quite easy but the E flat major I find is semi crazy to play..

[musik_man]

Chopin-E minor Nocturne op72.1
        -C Minor Nocturne op48.1
        -B minor Prelude
Scriabin-Etude in C sharp minor op2.1
Beethoven-3rd movement of op109
Rachmaninoff-Prelude in D major op23.4
Stravinsky-The last section of the Petrushka transcription
Bartok-Stamping Dance from 6 Romanian Folk Dances
Bach-Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland
      -Wachet auf und ruft uns die Stimme
Mendelssohn-Venetian Boat Song
Schumann-Traümerei

Gregory, is the Godowsky transcription of "Good Night" based off of the song from Winterreise?

[nanabush]

Rachmaninoff Prelude in C sharp minor "coffin song", and first movement to moonlight sonata, and also wihch venetian boatsong were you talking about... there's a few...

[pianonut]

MacDowell's 'To A Wild Rose.' 

[porilo]

Yes, the Godowsky transcription is based on the Schubert song from Winterreise.  In all, Godowsky did 12 Schubert song transcriptions though not all of them come from Winterreise. There's a great transcription of The Trout, for example.

Regards,

Gregory

[paris]

LISZT-
faust waltz
la campanella
hungarian rhapsodies 2,8,13,14...
spanish rhapsody
orage
gnomenreigen
CHOPIN
ballade g-minor, f major
scherzo b flat minor, b minor
polonaise op.44, op.53
etude op.10/1 op.25/11, 12
nocturne op.48 n.2
BEETHOVEN
5th simphony, 3rd movement-scherzo
moonlight sonata 3rd movement
waldstein sonata
BALAKIREV islamey

my gorgeus number one  DANTE SONATA

[gabriel]

Anyone have the sheet music for the Heart Asks Pleasures First? I love the piece alot. Thanks =)

[hodi]

https://www.geocities.com/evil_chocnut/
enjoy ;-)

[gabriel]

 

[nanabush]

Heart asks pleasure first is a good sounding intermediate piece, want a piece that sounds good and isn't that hard, well hard to memorize but that's all?  HAPF ( short for heart asks pleasure first).... yaaa... ill stop talking...

[lostinidlewonder]

Holst: The Planets- Neptune for piano duet. Angelic voices on the piano and the watery arpeggio effects, and how at the end it just fades away to silence, as if it is music that plays forever but we are moving farther away from it until we cant hear it any more. Echoes life and death at the same time for me, nothing ever is destroyed, it just moves from our abilty to observe it.

[nanabush]

Sounds really cool, recording?  sheet music?

[presto agitato]

Schumann Romance Op 28-2 and Mendelssohn Op 19-1  Period

[lostinidlewonder]

Sounds really cool, recording? sheet music?

I can't find you recording of the piano Duet online, however you can easily find it for orchestra. If you download a file sharing program such as (www.warez.com) and search for "planets" you will find them there, and most probably the Berlin Philharmonic which is a great choice.

The sheet music should be held at good libraries that hold musical scores as well. Usually the state libraries of your country will definatly have them and they are of course free to take on loan. If you can't get near state libraries then your local library can definatly order in the scores for you, you may just have to wait, but it is worth it if you are tight on cash.

Funny thing, the piano duets of the planets sound better than the orchestration in my opinion. They where afterall written first for piano duet then later transcribed to orchestra so I guess that is why it sounds so right for the piano.

[nicko124]

Heart asks pleasure first is a good sounding intermediate piece, want a piece that sounds good and isn't that hard, well hard to memorize but that's all?  HAPF ( short for heart asks pleasure first).... yaaa... ill stop talking...

To say that the heart asks pleasure first is intrmediate can be a bit misleading. The piece is actually a challenge and an advanced pianist definately wouldn't be able to sightread it.

I don't know how you can call a fairly complex syncopated piece intermediate. It is obviously early advanced at least.

[nanabush]

Well I played it for my grade 9 at RCM examinations in Canada, which I believe is about 8 in US?  I'm not sure what it would be but same category as minute waltz, girl with the flaxen hair, ummmmmmmmmmmm   Prelude Fugue in C minor, ummm June barcarolle by Tchaikovsky.  Liebestraum is Grade 10, a level higher... I meant to say that it was extremely hard to memorize, not easy to memorize lol, but there are not any huge leaps, it's just a matter of putting left and right together...  But you can't say it is extremely difficult. 

[hodi]

To say that the heart asks pleasure first is intrmediate can be a bit misleading. The piece is actually a challenge and an advanced pianist definately wouldn't be able to sightread it.

I don't know how you can call a fairly complex syncopated piece intermediate. It is obviously early advanced at least.

i disagree with you, i printed the sheet music and sight-read some of it and it was preety easy

[Demidoff]

Ravel:         Ma mere l´oye, especially the last movement, Le Jardin Feerique.
                   (Orch. version)
Ravel:         Piano concerto for the left hand
Ravel:         Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (piano version)
Prokofiev:   Piano concerto no. 2 (and 3)
Takemitsu:  In an Autumn Garden, November Steps
Hindemith:  Love´s Shrine from Six songs on old Texts, op. 33
Beethoven: Egmont Overture, Appassionata.
Bartok:       Music for strings, percussion and celeste
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no. 3

[dlu]

I think Debussy's L'isle Joyeuse is a beautiful piece. Minimalism appeals to my sense of beauty...simply...of course. Although not a minimalist, Giacinto Scelsi's Suite No. 9 "Ttai" ("Peace") is very beautiful.
DLu

[Floristan]

Brahms Op. 118, No. 2

(I didn't know all the obnoxious things one can do with fonts at this site  )

[thorn]

Ravel: Ondine
Ravel: Une barque sur l'ocean
Debussy- La Cathedrale Engloutie
Debussy- Reflets dans l'eau
Debussy- Nocturne No 3 (orchestra): Sirenes
Chopin- Nocturne in C minor- Op 48 No 1 (i think)
Takemitsu- Rain Tree Sketch II

[ligurian]

Without a doubt Shubert Impromptu Opus 90 no 3. All other pieces pale in comparison.

[greyrune]

Brahms Op. 118, No. 2

I prefer no 3 but 2 is nice as well.  Also hungarian dance no 1 in G, the opening bit.  I don't like the development so much but it's still awsome, wish i could play it.

[ligurian]

LISZT-
faust waltz
la campanella
hungarian rhapsodies 2,8,13,14...
spanish rhapsody
orage
gnomenreigen
CHOPIN
ballade g-minor, f major
scherzo b flat minor, b minor
polonaise op.44, op.53
etude op.10/1 op.25/11, 12
nocturne op.48 n.2
BEETHOVEN
5th simphony, 3rd movement-scherzo
moonlight sonata 3rd movement
waldstein sonata
BALAKIREV islamey

my gorgeus number one  DANTE SONATA

Uhhh...what. The Spanish Rhapsody !! That's one of the most beatiful pieces of all time??? Sorry man, but that's just wierd. This isn't a discussion on the HARDEST pieces of all time. I personally would go with some lovely schubert (namely the Gb Major Impromtptu)

This will not stand...this horrible taste will not stand...*makes karate chopping motions with both hands on the podium*

[Nightscape]

Ravel:         Ma mere l´oye, especially the last movement, Le Jardin Feerique.
                   (Orch. version)
Ravel:         Piano concerto for the left hand
Ravel:         Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (piano version)
Prokofiev:   Piano concerto no. 2 (and 3)
Takemitsu:  In an Autumn Garden, November Steps
Hindemith:  Love´s Shrine from Six songs on old Texts, op. 33
Beethoven: Egmont Overture, Appassionata.
Bartok:       Music for strings, percussion and celeste
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no. 3

Somebody's got good taste!  I'm playing the Valses Nobles et Sentimentales this Saturday in a competition.... hoping to put up a recording in the audition room this week to get some feedback.  Anyways, those are great pieces!

[pianocrazy]

fantasie impromptu op 66 is gd as well. just that the hands are a little hard to coordinate

[WizardHowl]

What do people think about the chopin Barcarolle i think it's one of the most beatiful pieces for piano, along with the chopin c # minor nocturne posthumus.

[CATFANNY]

Schubert Sonata op.960
Brahms Two Rhapsodies op.79
Brahms Op.118 no.3
Beethoven Waldstein sonata
Prokofiev piano sonata no.3

[MattL]

Andante section of the Liszt Sonata in B minor, if played well (Argerich)