Thread: Favourite piano composers.

Ok, I'll bite.

Scriabin:

Piano sonatas 5-10 (really I love them all but I'll go with mature Scriabin over early Scriabin)

Piano concerto
Prometheus
I cant think of another piece of his for orchestra and piano.

Szymanowski:

Four Studies Op. 4
Second piano sonata
Metopes op. 29
Masques op. 34
Twenty Mazurkas Op. 50

I haven't heard any works for piano and orchestra by him

Ravel:

Miroirs
Sonatine
Le Tombeau De Couperin
Mother goose suite
Gaspard De la Nuit

Piano concerto in G
Left hand piano concerto
Don't know anything else

This is getting really hard to choose only 5, just so you know...

Beethoven:

Sonatas 15, 18, 28, 29, 32

Piano concertos 3-5

I'll go with Medtner for my last one since he's a great underdog...but I could have easily picked Brahms, Prokofiev, Liszt, Bartok, Mozart, Messiaen, or Ligeti.

Medtner:

Sonata in g minor
"War" Sonata in a minor
Sonata Tragica in c minor
Sonata Romantica in b flat minor
Sonata Minacossia in f minor

Don't know any of the works for piano and orchestra.

Sorry, I am much more knowledgable about solo piano pieces than piano concertos, I'm not all that fond of the concerto form in general unless it is handled masterfully (which it has been numerous times).

Originally Posted by violadude

This is getting really hard to choose only 5, just so you know...

Yes it is. My requests as the OP were perhaps a bit strict, although I do think limiting it to 5 does give listeners a glimpse of what the five best/favourite are - good music to start off with that composer if that is the case. But you are right. You can do whatever you want I guess that is to be taken as just a suggestion.

Originally Posted by Lisztian

Yes it is. My requests as the OP were perhaps a bit strict, although I do think limiting it to 5 does give listeners a glimpse of what the five best/favourite are - good music to start off with that composer if that need be the case. But you are right. You can do whatever you want I guess that is to be taken as just a suggestion.

Well Ill stick to the 5 composer thing anyway, since I already broke the no cycles rule. Maybe I'll just come back tomorrow and make a totally new compilation.

Originally Posted by violadude

Well Ill stick to the 5 composer thing anyway, since I already broke the no cycles rule. Maybe I'll just come back tomorrow and make a totally new compilation.

Okay.

Seeing as I can't edit my first post, I will place my edit here! It was foolish to be so limiting on a thread like this - so I take away the rules. Basically - What are your favourite piano composers (although sticking to a top 5 here is still recommended as we don't want to get too carried away), and what are your favourite works involving the piano by them - cycles are allowed. Of course you can stick with my original suggestions or whatever...

In fact I will make another list myself.

Most of this not really in any sort of order, just my absolute favourite works by the composers.

1. Franz Liszt.

Piano solo.

- Piano Sonata.
- Fantasy and Fugue on 'Ad nos, Ad Salutarem Undam.' Part 2/3 (Transcribed by Ferrucio Busoni).
- Années de pèlerinage. He forgot to list the 'Dante Sonata.'
- Two Ballades (especially No. 2). 1
- Études d'exécution transcendante. (esp No's 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12).
- Harmonies poétiques et religieuses. (esp No's 3, 4, 7, 8).
- Trois études de concert.
- Norma and Don Juan Fantasies. (The much shorter Lucia Di Lammermoor fantasy is thrown in the middle there. It is not as good, but is still a worthwhile piece).
- Four Mephisto Waltzes (esp no 1). The other 3 are extremely underrated though. They are all masterful, striking and remarkable for their time, and bitingly devilish.
- La Lugubre Gondola No. 2.
- Hungarian Rhapsodies (especially 1, 2, 5, 12, 14, 15).
- Transcriptions of Wagner (especially the Tannhäuser Overture and Isoldens Liebstod).

Ugh and many more...I just realised how long this will take listing my favourites...I will stop there with Liszt.

Piano and Orchestra

- Piano Concerto 2, then 1.
- Totentanz. (that link has all three in a row).

Ludwig Van Beethoven.

Solo

- Piano Sonatas Op 2/3, 7, 10/3, 13, 26, 27/1 and 2, 31/2, 53, 57, 81a, 106, 109, 110, 111. (that link has all the sonatas). (I like the various variations, but I find more satisfaction in the sonata form).

Concerti

5, 3, 4, 1, 2. (this channel has all five).

Frédéric Chopin.

Solo

- Four Ballades (Especially 4 and 1)
- Four Scherzi. (Especially 3 and 2).
- Etudes Op 25 (Especially 11 and 12) then Op 10 (Especially 4, 9, 12). (link has all the etudes).
- Preludes.
- Nocturnes Op 48 then Op 27.
- Piano Sonatas 2 and 3.

Piano and Orchestra

- Concerto No. 1, followed closely by 2.

Sergei Rachmaninoff.

- Morceaux de fantaisie (esp the Prelude and Elegie).
- Moments Musicaux Op 16.
- Etudes Tableaux Op 39 No. 5.
- Prelude Op 23 No. 5. (with Rach, specific works do tend to stand out to me. I do like the cycles, but I can't call the whole cycles my favourites).

Piano and Orchestra

- Concerto No. 3, then 2.
- Paganini Rhapsody.

Franz Schubert.

Solo

-Last three piano sonatas. (D. 958, 959, 960).
- Impromtus D. 899.

Piano and Orchestra

- Wanderer Fantasy (Transcribed by Franz Liszt).

Originally Posted by Aramis

Glad you liked it. What you listened on YouTube were probably my own uploads. If you will feel like getting CD of his, try recording of his piano stuff by Karol Radziwonowicz.

I will! Just found it on Amazon, and at a bargain price too. Looking forward to hearing the rest of his work.

Chopin

Piano
1. Ballade No. 1
2. Fantaisie Op. 49
3. Ballade No. 4
4. Polonaise in C minor (I forget the opus number)
5. Sonata No. 3

Piano & Orchestra
1 and only. Fantasia on Polish Airs

Liszt

1. Sonata
2. Dante Sonata
3. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 5
4. La Lugubre Gondola No. 1
5. Ballade No. 2

1. Piano Concerto No. 2
2. Hungarian Fantasy
3. Totentanz

Scriabin

1. Sonata No. 5
2. Sonata No. 3
3. Sonata No. 10
4. Fantasy in B minor
5. Etude Op. 8 no. 12

1. Piano Concerto 1
2. Fantasy
3. Prometheus

Alkan

1. Etude "Le Festin d'Esope"
2. Etude "Fire in the Neighboring Village"
3. Concerto for Solo Piano
4. Le Vent
5. Symphony for Solo Piano

Busoni

1. Fantasia nach Bach
2. Fantasia Contrappuntistica
3. Toccata
4. Sonatina No. 6
5. Chaconne, transcription

1. Piano Concerto in C
2. Indian Fantasy

As my favorite aspect of 'classical' involves piano in some way or another, I'm going to be lazy and go with all of the above...and those of you who know me could probably put my list up for me so I'm sure you don't want to see me repeat myself, yet again.

There are so many magnificent works for the piano by so many composers!

Now, when the interpreters come in...that's when I become a bit of a pain

1.Frederic Chopin

Mazurka in D op. 33 no. 2
Polonaise op. 40 no. 1
Scherzo op. 31
Nocturne op. 9 no. 2
Piano Concerto no. 1

2. Ludwig Van Beethoven

Sonata no. 21
Sonata no. 8
Sonata no. 23
Sonatina in G
Concerto No. 3

3. Wolfgang Mozart

Sonata no. 11
Piano Concerto no. 21
Sonata no. 16
Piano Concerto no.23
Piano Concerto no.20

Liszt and Brahms are a close 4th and 5th

1. Franz Schubert

My favorite piano composer. Franz Schubert piano compositions are some of the best in piano literature. Even though, his piano sonatas were neglected in 19th century, they are now considered essential part of the repertoire.

a. Piano Sonata no. 21 in B Flat major

- One of the greatest piano sonata ever composed. The first two movements are pure heaven.

b.Fantasy in C Major "Wanderer"

- One of Liszt favorite piano pieces and it influenced his compositional style by introducing the "thematic transformation" in his works. Liszt transcribed it for two pianos and for an orchestra. This is Schubert's most virtuosic work.

c. Piano Sonata no. 20 in A Major

- If you want to hear Liszt or Schoenberg on Schubert's work, listen to the 2nd movement (middle) of this sonata. Stunningly beautiful.

d. Impromputus D.899

-This collection of piano miniatures are some of the most popular in the piano literature.

e. Piano Sonata no. 18 in G Major

- The most perfect sonata of Schubert according to Schumann.

2. Liszt

3. Beethoven

4. Bach

5. Chopin

I have an aversion on the piano works of Brahms (except the concertos).. It lacks melodic material and it seems to go on and on forever. They are neither Romantic or Classical enough for my taste. I'm neutral with Schumann.

1. Beethoven – Sonatas Nos. 30, 29 & 32, “Diabelli” Variations and Sonata No. 31; Concertos Nos. 4, 3 & 1
2. Bach – “Art of Fugue”, Ricercare a 6, “WTC”, “Goldberg” Variations, BWV 826; BWVs 1052 & 1057
3. Sorabji – “Sequentia cyclica”, “Concerto da suonare da me solo”, “Gulistān”, Sonata No. 4, “Études transcendantes (100)”; “Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra”
4. Chopin – Opp. 52, 60, 61, 58 & 49; Opp. 22, 11 & 21

My fifth spot would be a mix of Alkan (Symphony for Solo Piano, Op. 33, Op. 39 No. 12, Concerto for Solo Piano and Op. 76) and Mozart (Concertos Nos. 23, 25 & 24).

I'm going to have to think about this so my answer is good. I'll get back to this thread.

I'll limit my selections to five composers, with the qualification that J. S. Bach should be among these as a composer for the keyboard generally.

1. Ludwig van Beethoven

a) Op. 27/2 - 'Moonlight'
b) Op. 111
c) Op. 110
d) Op. 109
e) Op. 106

2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

a) Piano Sonata No. 11 - 'Turkish'
b) Piano Concerto No. 21 (especially the Andante)
c) Piano Concerto No. 23
d) Piano Sonata No. 9
e) Piano Concerto No. 20

3. Enrique Granados

a) Goyescas
b) Spanish Dances
c) Danza lenta
d) El Pelele
e) Libro de horas

4. Johannes Brahms

a) 21 Hungarian Dances
b) Op. 119
c) Op. 118
d) Handel Variations & Fugue
e) Piano Sonata No. 3

5. Jean Sibelius

a) 10 Pensees Lyriques, Op. 40 (especially the Berceuse)
b) Kyllikki
c) The Trees, Op. 75
d) 3 Sonatinas, Op. 67
e) 5 Esquisses, Op. 114

I'll limit my selections to five composers, with the qualification that J. S. Bach should be among these as a composer for the keyboard generally.

1. Ludwig van Beethoven

a) Op. 27/2 - 'Moonlight'
b) Op. 111
c) Op. 110
d) Op. 109
e) Op. 106

2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

a) Piano Sonata No. 11 - 'Turkish'
b) Piano Concerto No. 21 (especially the Andante)
c) Piano Concerto No. 23
d) Piano Sonata No. 9
e) Piano Concerto No. 20

3. Enrique Granados

a) Goyescas
b) Spanish Dances
c) Danza lenta
d) El Pelele
e) Libro de horas

4. Johannes Brahms

a) 21 Hungarian Dances
b) Op. 119
c) Op. 118
d) Handel Variations & Fugue
e) Piano Sonata No. 3

5. Jean Sibelius

a) 10 Pensees Lyriques, Op. 40 (especially the Berceuse)
b) Kyllikki
c) The Trees, Op. 75
d) 3 Sonatinas, Op. 67
e) 5 Esquisses, Op. 114

Top Five Pianist/Composers - (listing is chronological, not from favorite to least favorite):

1. Mozart - any of the sonata cycle by Christoph Eschenbach, or all! Or: Concertos #9 in Eb 'Jeunnehomme' K.271, #19 in d minor K. 466, #23 in A major K. 488, #24 in c minor K.491.

2. Beethoven - These late sonatas, but also 'The Waldstein', the Appassionata', 'The Tempest', 'Les Adieux'. others...
Opus 101: Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major
Opus 106: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major ("Hammerklavier")
Opus 109: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major
Opus 110: Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major
Opus 111: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor
Or: something lighter like sonatas Op. 78 'in F#, a Therese' and Op. 79 in G. 'the cuckoo'. Or: Concertos esp 3 in c minor, 4 in G major or 5 in Eb major.

Schubert:
Any Schubert sonata esp D. 960 in Bb, the Moments Musicaux, the Impromtus.

Schumann: Kreisleriana, Kinderszenen, Papillons, Davidsbundlertanze.

Liszt: The Sonata in B minor esp, and generally anything from the three volumes 'Years of Pilgrimage'.

And my illegal 6th - Brahms - piano concerto No. 2 in Bb, the Piano Sonata No. 3 in f minor Op. 5.