Show off piece

[BuyBuy]

I wanted to learn, for a change, a show off piece (we need them too), with technical brilliance, exuberant mood, but not overwhelming difficulty (so refrain yourself from suggesting horrible things such as Prokovieff toccata or things like that, Idon'e want to spend 2 years learning it).

I was hesitating between Liszt transcription of Gounod waltz from the Faust opera, and his Spanish rhapsody. Which one is easier ? Any other idea ? How about Debussy L'Isle Joyeuse ? How hard is it ?

[pskim]

Liszt's pieces are great show off pieces.  I'd recommend the transcription of Rigaletto (spelling miss) of Verdi, Grand gallop chromatique, to start with.

Rachmaninoff's transcription of the Flight of the Bumblebee is good too.  Also his Moment Musical # 4 or #6.  Now these are showy pieces.

[ThEmUsIcMaNBJ]

I really liked Rach's Moment Musical #4 when I heard it the first time VERY showy.  But once you start playing it....  it's just really fast exhuberent peice... really LOUD...  I think theres one pp for a phrase and then everything else is from f-fff...  I find that theres not a lot musicality to it though...  Just really loud and fast...   But hey I like playing it...  It is very showy though nevertheless fun to play  

[chopinetta]

beethoven's moonlight sonata 3rd movement is show-offy, but i prefer liszt pieces!

[chopinetta]

toccatas!! one specifically by argentinian A. Tauriello

[roman]

A great showoff piece eh?  I have quite a few that I have used, and that are 100% Guaranteed to blow people away.

1. Chopin's Waltz(sorry I dont' remember what it's in, but I currently play it)
2. I'm not sure who it is, but I have this awesome Etude with 32 notes, the whole etude is for the right hand, and you can blow any one away with it.
3.  Bach's Prelude in D-Minor, it's totally awesome.

[dschoenenberger]

hi

ravel: scarbo/ondine (from "gaspard de la nuit")
scarbo lasts 9 minutes however

hey roman, to test whether you're actually a prospective genius start rachmaninov concerti no 2 and 3, and then lets see how you sail through world's hardest piano thing!
if ur intention is to play professionally you'll have to play other pieces from all epochs. if your talent and motivation exclusively depend on fun with mozart and bach etc, you'll have a hard time at conservatory.
cheers, dominic.

[frederic]

Roman, you did not give one specific piece when you suggested to BuyBuy. Maybe you were talking about the E minor Waltz by Chopin? And this Etude... with 32 notes for the right hand?? How are we supposed to guess that? Bach prelude in D minor. The prelude from the 48 prelude and fugues? And then again, there are two, one in each Book. Maybe you were talking about the one in book 1? I don't know....

[Black_Key]

Roman, could you be talking about Waltz Op. 42, or Waltz Op. Post. in E- like Frederic said?  For the 32nds etude, could it be by Alkan?

Maybe those bits of info could trigger your memory

As for a show off piece, I'd go with Chopin's Waltz Opus 42 (), Chopin's Prelude Opus 28, No. 16  and...I'll think of more later

[liszmaninopin]

It might depend to a degree on what audience you want to show off in front of.  If it is just normal people who don't really listen to much music at a casual gathering, nearly any fast piece will do the trick.  An example would be most of Chopin's etudes.  One monster of a piece is Debussey's Feux de Artifice.  (Sorry if the spelling is off) If you want to impress somebody with lots and lots of musical experience, you might want to go for a piece that really expresses alot of passion and energy.  They hear plenty of people with fast fingers, but someone who can really express passion and poetry in their playing is much more pleasurable for them to listen to.

[88keys]

Speaking of Chopin...

His etude #4 from Op. 10, in C# minor. It sounds much harder than it really is. Not that it is easy... But you ain't going to find easy pieces which sound difficult.

Other pieces which sound much harder than they really are:

Chopin's Waltz in E minor, Op. 70 (I think).

Beethoven's Sonata #5 in C minor, Op. 10/1 - The finale sounds quite impressive, yet it is an relatively easy piece.

This is all I can come up with right now.

P.S.
Someone mentioned Chopin's Prelude Op. 28, No. 16. Is this piece really any eaiser than it looks?

[BoliverAllmon]

It really depends on your audience. My friend can pull out great balls of fire and get everyone going if the crowd is a non-classical crowd, but relies on Mozart's fantasie in D minor for the classical crowd. I think pieces that make you want to cry are some of the best showy pieces. I would look into Mozart's Fantasie in Dminor. My friend says that it isn't that difficult, but it does have 3 fast scale sections to show off some technicality.



BoliverAllmon

[Hmoll]

BuyBuy,

What other pieces have you played. There is "impressive" music from different levels - ranging from some of Bach's 3 part inventions to Gaspard de le Nuit by Ravel.
Tell us what else you have been playing, and we might be able to suggest something at your level.

[BuyBuy]

Well, my technical level is not very high. Among the most difficult pieces I've played are Chopin Barcarolle, Chopin impromptu nº 2, Liszt Les Cloches de Genève... I am currently working on Brahms sonata for viola and piano in f minor.

I thought, though, that Liszt transcription of Gounod Faust was challenging, but not impossible. A great showy piece, I think, and not as widely played as the Rigoletto or Don Juan transcritions,for example.

[Hmoll]

BuyBuy,

If you are playing the Barcarolle and any Brahms chamber music, you must be playing at an advanced level.

Have you taken a look at "Orage" from one of Liszt's Years of Pilgrimage? That is a pretty loud and bombastic piece, and it would be good if paired with something contrasting by him.

[PoSeiDoN]

Busoni's Toccata.  I needn't say more.  If you want to learn this one in under two years, you'll have to work VERY hard...but go for it!

[e60m5]

A great crowd piece is the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody no.2.

There's always Balakirev's Islamey, if you would give it a go...

I second the suggestion for Liszt's Orage. Pair that with Liszt's "Au Lac de Wallenstadt" or, if you're up for a challenge, with "Au Bord d'Une Source", as those are two beautiful pieces (in A flat) from the same suite (Bk 1, Annees de Pelerinage).

Rachmaninov's Prelude Op.23 no.5 is also a great crowd-pleaser. It did the trick when Richter performed it to the Russian soldiers.

Most Chopin etudes should work, too. I remember when I was younger and switched schools aged around 10 or so... I played the etude Op.25 no.2 for them, that got them worked up... and that ain't even one of the more flashy ones, so Chopin Etudes definitely up for it...

Chopin's Scherzo no.1 is also a hot piece. The middle section is beautiful, and if you have a Polish audience to impress, this is a good choice... the middle section is a famous Polish christmas carol.

Hmm... that's all off the top of my head, I'll come back with more choices later.

Happy playing!

[eddie92099]

Try Khatchaturian's Toccata - it's notorious for sounding harder than it is! Also Ginastera's Danzas Argentinas and some of the Preludios Americanos would do the trick. The second Paganini-etude of Liszt is also very showy, but for out-and-out virtuosity try Alkan's Allegro Barbaro or some Horowitz transcriptions,
Ed

[Septimus314]

Khachaturian toccata? Funny you mention it, my teacher recently gave me that peice to learn and it seems extremely difficult.  It's in a key that is almost all flats which i am not used to, and I've only been playing piano for 3 months.  How long does this peice normally take to learn?  

[zoolander]

Hehe, nice to see that there is other people too playing the Khachaturian toccata.
It sounds real hard, and looks difficult, but follows simple patterns so it is easy to learn. The bit in the middle is a bit harder, but it is only one page then it is back to the beginning again.

[eddie92099]

The Khatchaturian, for an advanced pianist, is fairly straightforward but sounds a lot more difficult than it is. For someone of above grade 8 standard I should think it can be learnt from memory in less than a week,
Ed

[NetherMagic]

wut about Chopin's Polonaise in A flat major Op.53?

[Beethoven87]

I've played the Tocatta (By Khatchaturian), and I don't know what the deal is, because I don't think I'm THAT good, but I learned it in about two months, and it just wasn't that difficult.  The middle section was hard to get timing on, but like zoolander said, it's only a paige.  Anyway, I tried playing that for people, but nobody liked it, because it was so rambunctiously contemporary.  (To tell the truth, I didn't like it either...  I guess I'm just not into atonal {or close to it} stuff).

[Rach3]

No one mentioned Chopin scherzo #2, Rachmaninoff etudes, or Liszt's Mephisto Waltz, which I think is much easier than it sounds.

[Leporello]

Debussy's Prelude from the Pour le Piano suite is a great fireworks piece that isn't overly difficult.  Non-pianists LOVE glissandos also.

You could also try Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriccioso.  Very exciting piece.

[eddie92099]

No one mentioned Chopin scherzo #2, Rachmaninoff etudes, or Liszt's Mephisto Waltz, which I think is much easier than it sounds.

What are you talking about? Since when are Rachmaninov's etudes easier than they sound?
Ed

[la_carrenio2003]

I agree with those who wrote that Debussy's Feux d'artifice and Liszt' Paganini 2nd etude are showy pieces but not as hard as they sound. I'd add the Shostakovich's P&F no. 15, in D flat major. It's easy if you read the whole thing without playing first conducting for clearing the changes of measure.

[willster]

Some of these replies are embarassing! I thought this site was for pianists! Judging by these posts there are alot of seriously bad pianists who are offering NO HELP WHATSOEVER (with some exceptions)!!! Examples such as gaspard de la nuit and islamay are ridiculous- i've been playing these since my mid-teens and I still fear them. These are NOT show-off pieces- these are genuinely hard pieces if not the hardest which even the best pianists struggle with.

In any case a show-off piece sounds awfull if it's played in a laborious manner.

Will.

[willster]

And Feux D'artifice IS AS HARD AS IS SOUNDS!!!!!!

[sel]

Well to counteract the difficult pieces that have been suggested, Kabalevsky wrote an etude in a minor (it's in some collection of children's pieces i think) which sounds easier than it is. However, it would only 'fool' people with very little knowledge of piano music.

It's obviously too simple for many people in this forum, like the original poster. at least if he is considering Liszt's transcription of Gounod's waltz from faust and Liszt's spanish rhapsody, both of which i find rather difficult to pull off in performance. Chopin's tarantelle has been suggested at some points as a piece that sounds harder than it is but (as i wrote in some other post) that is not my experience.  

Chopin's fantasy impromptu could be a possibility, that is rather easy once you get the fast theme up to speed, though i happen to dislike that piece.

On a higher level of difficult, Rachmaninov's transcription of flight of the bumblebee is not as hard as the movie Shine made you believe.

[BoliverAllmon]

to me a good show off piece is one that is out of the ordinary. For example Ravel's concerto for the left hand is just jaw-dropping, not because it is the most melodious piano, but because it is done completely with the left hand. I went to the sheet music store the other day and they have a complete section just for left hand music. One that I thought was very interesting, was Godowsky transcription of Chopin's E-flat etude for the left hand. Also there was a 4-voice fugue for the left hand only. These kind of things just show off.

boliver

[eddie92099]

What if one were not keyboard side though!
Ed

[Rach3]

I wasn't referring to the Rach etudes, I was referring to Mephisto waltz, which IS much easier than it sounds, and is definitely a show-off piece.

[lone_dawg943]

Some of these replies are embarassing! I thought this site was for pianists! Judging by these posts there are alot of seriously bad pianists who are offering NO HELP WHATSOEVER (with some exceptions)!!! Examples such as gaspard de la nuit and islamay are ridiculous- i've been playing these since my mid-teens and I still fear them. These are NOT show-off pieces- these are genuinely hard pieces if not the hardest which even the best pianists struggle with.

Oh, come on, you gotta be trippin'!? Why? Can Islamey really be so outrageously difficult just because you see it that way? I played islamey at my piano final exam last year, and yes, i admit, it is difficult when you start working on it, but then you very soon recognise that almost everything is written in such a way to make playing it as easy as possible! I mean, if you took time to analyse it you'd see that all those insanely fast chords and everything fit into your hand perfectly, that it's just a matter of taking it very slow! You say you fear it - i'm sorry if this offends you, but i find that ridiculous! Islamey is a brilliant example of pushing piano technique and sound to its limits in a way consistent only with Russian piano music. Personally, i found for example Liszt's Spahish Rhapsody much harder to play and not as nearly as vivid nor logical nor brilliant, for that matter. (and IMHO this applies to most of Liszt's music, of course with exceptions like the b minor sonata) Of course, i can't say i mastered the piece completely the way i wanted to, but it's one of those pieces you just have to keep coming back to. And yes, it is definitely a great show off piece, but you have to take time to let it become a part of you. This applies to everything mentioned here, especially Chopin and Rachmaninoff studies, IMHO of course.

Just to make myself perfectly clear: it wasn't my intention to attack anyone or to start a flame or something, it's just that i strongly believe that music is an art, not a craft, and should be treated like one. If you ever get stuck with a technical problem, you might wanna look for a solution inside the music: if you take time to look you'll more often than not see that articulation, phrasing, dynamic, and almost everything else for that matter has an inner logic that's only meant to make playing easier so you can always focus on the big picture.

In any case a show-off piece sounds awfull if it's played in a laborious manner.

Will.

So true.  

Peace!

[NetherMagic]

can you guys tell me what's so showy about Islamey?  I've never played it but looking at a video post by e60m5 on another thread it does have pretty elaborate technique involved (btw great job there e60m5, if that's you, you look a bit tired at the end there )  But newayz, IMHO, Islamey doesn't sound exactly good, maybe it's because I listen to Chopin all the time, but it really sounds rather repetitive and the melody line isn't doing a very good job intermingling with the accompaniment (IMHO again it's not portraying oriental music very well)

maybe it's just my musical taste, iunno  

[chopinetta]

how about the "march of the 'midgets'" hehehe dwarfs! by grieg?! show-offy!!! i hate the octaves in the left hand! kills me!

[dreamaurora]

Bach Busoni Chaconne from Partita no 2 from violin. Listen to Pletnev Carnegie Hall recording of this; Kissin recorded this too in one of his CDs. It is a very wonderful and impressive piece to listen. I have the score and I am learning the notes in my spare time, its really difficult.

Chen Yi's Ba Ban is an unique show-off piece too. The awkward grouping of notes and virtuosic passages make this piece really hard to play. Buy the Carnegie Hall Millennium Book , and listen to the enclosed CD, you will agree with me.

[willster]

lone_dawg943, you misunderstood me.

I was commenting on the ridiculousness of some of the suggestions and that alot of the replies to the initial question seem to come from non-pianists and therefore their contributions are not helpful.

On a seperate note regarding Islamay I think too many people "dabble" in this piece because of it's notorious difficulties, as I myself did. I think you will understand why I say I fear it when I explain:

This piece is utterly pianistic, from it's comfortable key signatures down to it's constant use of popular pianistic techniques. It is however, extremely concentration intensive. This is where the problem lies.

Many a time I have heard a wishy-washy Tranquillo section from pianists still pumping adrenaline from the first section. What must also be noted is the extreme dynamic range that people struggle to adhere to when concentrating on the difficulties. And I have also heard pianists completely ham-fist the ending (usually because of their anticipation of their own relief at having completed the piece).

Another problem is that it has become a competition war-horse. In such a competitive skill it is not acceptable to play it well-it has to be played f***ing dazzlingly!! I fear this piece (and others) because there is much room for mistake making - in a piece that you just aren't allowed to make mistakes in!


Willster.

P.s. how do you do that quoting thing?!

[davy10tunes]

BuyBuy, Here are some short show off/ Encore type pieces.
Prokofiev's Etude Op.52 No.3 It is dedicated to Horowitz, I think he used to play it as an encore.
Earl Wild's 7 etudes on Gershwin songs
Poulenc's Toccata from 3 pieces or Presto in B flat, which was also dedicated to Horowitz.
Mac Dowell's Witches Dance is also quite good.If I think of any more I'll let you know.
David

[eddie92099]

How reassuring to see someone else has come across MacDowell's Hexentanz (Witche's Dance)! I thought I was the only one who played this piece! I don't suppose you know of a recording?
Ed

[eddie92099]

*Witch's

[Remon]

What is this show-off thing?! Sometimes this topic isn't really about music!
What is your definition of a "show-off piece"?
Some piece of which the audience says: Wow, did you see how fast he played this difficult piece?

Well if this is the case, than I really don't understand suggestions like Chopin's 2nd Scherzo or his preludes.
I mean this are pieces which are actually musically more difficult than technically.
And to play Mozart because of the scales.....?  

But if you're goal is to impress people with musicality, than it's more important HOW than WHAT you're playing. In this case, someone who plays beautifully a prelude and fuga from the WTC, impresses far more than someone who is just hammering some lightning scales.

[Remon]

Just one more thing: if you need some technically challenging "show-off piece" for an encore or something, I would suggest you choose a piece that hasn't too much musical difficulties. (For example Chopin Etude op. 10 no. 8, this is one I really like)
But remember, always play it in an artistic way and not only "loud and fast".

Good luck, Remon

[lone_dawg943]

Hello all, just got back from an unplanned vacation.   Anyway, i see that i left some things unfinished so here goes:

Willster, you're absolutely right. Everything you mentioned is very true; I heard people screwing up islamey more times than i can remember. And you're also right about it becoming the war-horse, and about the most things posted here...   it's just that i come from a slightly different musical background, and i guess i have trouble adapting to the real world and it's not that i say that islamey is easy, i just didn't like the "i fear it" attitude because it instantly kills all the joy of playing it. But i guess i overreacted and i'm sorry. it won't happen again.   P.S. About the quote thingy, it's quite easy: copy/paste the text and add "quote" a line above it and a "/quote" a line below it. With [] these colons. I guess...  

NetherMagic, in a way you're right too: it doesn't portray oriental music very well but i don't think it was meant to do exactly that, try to think of it as a picture of the orient painted by a Russian painter. And a patriotic one at that.   correct me if i'm wrong but I guess that russians, like every other large nation, have this strange habit of translating everything into their own language, or whatever. I mean, if it's really meant to portray the orient then what the hell is a trepak (a russian folk dance) doing in it?! know what i'm sayin?

Peace y'all  

[ahmedito]

If you want a classical piece (not romantic) that is also a LOT of fun to play, go with Beethoven.

His Rondo capriccioso op. 129 (Rage over a lost penny is fun and showoffy.

[jakester]

Ultimate show-off pieces are not only showy and sounds harder than they are, but also good music, which a significant amount of the suggested pieces so far has been lacking. The rage over a lost penny is a HORRIBLE piece, even though it is fun. As are the Earl Wild Etudes, the Liszt Paganini etudes, the Rachmaninoff Etudes, etc.

IMHO, most of the Chopin Etudes (to repeat e60m5's comment) works very well. I'd include the "black key" (op 10 no. 5) in the list of easy etudes by Chopin (and there aren't that many), along with Op. 10 no. 8, 11, and op. 25 no. 1 and 2. Rachmaninoff preludes are sometimes good too, and they're good pieces. Op. 23 no. 5 is rather difficult but not impossible. No. 7 and 8 are wonderful (8 is a little tricky, but if you get the hang of it, it's actually rather easy, and in 7 there's a pedaling trick that makes the opening sound great). Don't play 9 unless you can do the double thirds etude of Chopin no problem.. and even then it's much harder.

One of the ultimate, and short showpieces I've played recently is the Gnomenreigen etude of Liszt (the second of a group of two, the first one's Waldesraschen). It's not that difficult - there are 2 places that are tricky, and they'll take a bit of practicing, but should be managable. If you're really up for a challenge, do Feux Follets of the Transcendental etudes. now that's fun. (I still think Rach op. 23 no. 9's harder though).

I'll post more suggestions when I think of them. Have fun!

[eddie92099]

The Rachmaninov Etudes are not horrible pieces,
Ed (horrified)

[jakester]

The Rachmaninov Etudes are not horrible pieces,
Ed (horrified)

That's all personal opinion, so let's not debate about it. Would you agree with me that the preludes are better pieces?

Jakester

A real showoff piece is the Rachmaninoff transcription of Mendelssohn's midsummer night's dream scherzo. However, it's not recommended for anyone who doesn't have at least 2 months to work on it.

[eddie92099]

Yes Kissin played the Rachmaninov transcription as an encore when I saw him recently in London. I do love the preludes of Rachmaninov too, but don't think they are better pieces,
Ed

[meileng]

please try the last movement (Finale) of Chopin's sonata No.3 in B minor.