Comments on: The 5 most difficult piano pieces http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541 Official website of pianist Pierre-Arnaud Dablemont Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:23:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Phil http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-3080 Phil Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:04:08 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-3080 Wait what? Rach 3 isn't even a solo piano piece, and plus it's not even close to the hardest concerto. I'm pretty sure Brahms 2 is harder, and so is busoni, schytte, and many others. I don't even think the 3rd concerto is as hard as the 1st sonata. Most people that have played the 2nd concerto say the 3rd concerto was easier to put together for performance. Rach 3 is difficult because it's a big endurance contest. The list is somewhat fair, but difficulty is so subjective it's almost irrelevant. I think I would replace Hammerklavier with the Paganini variations of Brahms. Wait what?

Rach 3 isn’t even a solo piano piece, and plus it’s not even close to the hardest concerto. I’m pretty sure Brahms 2 is harder, and so is busoni, schytte, and many others. I don’t even think the 3rd concerto is as hard as the 1st sonata. Most people that have played the 2nd concerto say the 3rd concerto was easier to put together for performance. Rach 3 is difficult because it’s a big endurance contest.

The list is somewhat fair, but difficulty is so subjective it’s almost irrelevant. I think I would replace Hammerklavier with the Paganini variations of Brahms.

]]> By: Peter Smith http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-3077 Peter Smith Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:36:09 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-3077 Let me rank them. 1. Rachmaninoff's 3rd piano concerto 2. Gaspard de la nuit 3. Chopin Op. 10 No. 2 4. Beethoven's Hammerklavier (especially the Fugue) Let me rank them.
1. Rachmaninoff’s 3rd piano concerto
2. Gaspard de la nuit
3. Chopin Op. 10 No. 2
4. Beethoven’s Hammerklavier (especially the Fugue)

]]> By: Daniel. http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-3074 Daniel. Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:26:19 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-3074 ^^ haha Bartok Sonata. Compare that with the musical and technical demands of the breathtaking 25 minutes of Gaspard de la nuit. I would mention I am surpised you left out Balakirev's Islamey from the list, as it is readily regarded as one of the most challenging works ever written. I would also put a voice in for the Volodos transcriptions. As stand-alone works, they are reasonably simple to pull off, but in combinations, the technical demands are frightening. I would fortify the earlier point that the larger works such as Rach 3 and the Brahms Pagnini Variations do make other demands on your technique, and it is hard to generalize. But I would have thought if you were PURELY regarding technical difficulty in performance, Godowsky, Cziffra, Volodos and Alkan must be up there, but if you were purely regarding technical completeness in great works, the Chopin Etudes are the greatest studies of them all for me. ^^ haha Bartok Sonata. Compare that with the musical and technical demands of the breathtaking 25 minutes of Gaspard de la nuit.

I would mention I am surpised you left out Balakirev’s Islamey from the list, as it is readily regarded as one of the most challenging works ever written. I would also put a voice in for the Volodos transcriptions. As stand-alone works, they are reasonably simple to pull off, but in combinations, the technical demands are frightening.

I would fortify the earlier point that the larger works such as Rach 3 and the Brahms Pagnini Variations do make other demands on your technique, and it is hard to generalize. But I would have thought if you were PURELY regarding technical difficulty in performance, Godowsky, Cziffra, Volodos and Alkan must be up there, but if you were purely regarding technical completeness in great works, the Chopin Etudes are the greatest studies of them all for me.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-3071 Anonymous Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:59:24 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-3071 An individual transcendental etude by Lizt is nowhere near the top 5. Probably not even in the top 50. But if you're talking about playing all 12, that's a different story. Just like how the Chopin etudes individually aren't technically challenging but playing the whole set is. Furthermore, liszt isn't hard if you do Czerny studies. A lot of his pieces are technically overrated. This is my list of most difficult pieces NOT IN ORDER: 1. Bartok Sonata 2. Liszt Rondo Fantastique (Liszt and Plentev both tried playing it live in a concert but it sounded like shit because they could barely play it. I think they're the only two people who ever played it live) 3. Rachmaninoff piano concerto 3 4. Prokofiev piano concerto 2 5. Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit 6. Sorabji Opus Clavicembalisticum 7. Rachmaninoff Sonata 1? A lot of pieces such as La Campanella and Flight of the bumblebee are MAJORLY overrated in difficulty. The pieces I listed above make them look like warm up exercises. An individual transcendental etude by Lizt is nowhere near the top 5. Probably not even in the top 50. But if you’re talking about playing all 12, that’s a different story. Just like how the Chopin etudes individually aren’t technically challenging but playing the whole set is. Furthermore, liszt isn’t hard if you do Czerny studies. A lot of his pieces are technically overrated.

This is my list of most difficult pieces NOT IN ORDER:

1. Bartok Sonata
2. Liszt Rondo Fantastique (Liszt and Plentev both tried playing it live in a concert but it sounded like shit because they could barely play it. I think they’re the only two people who ever played it live)
3. Rachmaninoff piano concerto 3
4. Prokofiev piano concerto 2
5. Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit
6. Sorabji Opus Clavicembalisticum
7. Rachmaninoff Sonata 1?

A lot of pieces such as La Campanella and Flight of the bumblebee are MAJORLY overrated in difficulty. The pieces I listed above make them look like warm up exercises.

]]> By: James http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-3052 James Sat, 03 Dec 2011 09:43:38 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-3052 where is Rachmaninoff sonata no.1 in d minor, Op.28? where is Rachmaninoff sonata no.1 in d minor, Op.28?

]]> By: Pierre-Arnaud http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-3048 Pierre-Arnaud Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:38:21 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-3048 For your record, la valse was composed for orchestra (1919-20). Ravel first played it to Diaghilev in 1920 with Marcelle Meyer in his own transcription for 2 pianos. And then came the piano solo version. For your record, la valse was composed for orchestra (1919-20). Ravel first played it to Diaghilev in 1920 with Marcelle Meyer in his own transcription for 2 pianos. And then came the piano solo version.

]]> By: JoeyDaMan2 http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-3046 JoeyDaMan2 Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:31:23 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-3046 La Valse IS originally for piano you fool. La Valse IS originally for piano you fool.

]]> By: largoman http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-3035 largoman Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:03:04 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-3035 Rach 3. There's a ton of ppl playing it out there. If it's really that hard to play then I don't see how people are said to end their piano lessons upon being able to play Rach 3. If you're just talking about the hardest movement hammerklavier Largo (4th movement) is harder than Rach 3 because of the voicing. The notes are THAT hard to play but so far no one can make it sound perfect, and it CAN be sounding perfect. In my opinion hammerklavier Largo is the hardest piece in terms of musicality and Alkan etude op 76 no 2 is the hardest in terms of "note playing". Le Preux, also by Alkan, is hard, but hard because you can't play it at tempo. Sorabji's aren't what I call music. Rach 3. There’s a ton of ppl playing it out there. If it’s really that hard to play then I don’t see how people are said to end their piano lessons upon being able to play Rach 3. If you’re just talking about the hardest movement hammerklavier Largo (4th movement) is harder than Rach 3 because of the voicing. The notes are THAT hard to play but so far no one can make it sound perfect, and it CAN be sounding perfect. In my opinion hammerklavier Largo is the hardest piece in terms of musicality and Alkan etude op 76 no 2 is the hardest in terms of “note playing”. Le Preux, also by Alkan, is hard, but hard because you can’t play it at tempo. Sorabji’s aren’t what I call music.

]]> By: Music Lover http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-2986 Music Lover Fri, 12 Aug 2011 02:12:13 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-2986 In my opinion, any of Alkan's pieces are the hardest. Definitely takes a lot of skill to play them. I would have to say that "Le Preux" is the hardest piece because it hasn't been decently enough at the right tempo. I've only heard pianist play it slowly or not decent enough. In my opinion, any of Alkan’s pieces are the hardest. Definitely takes a lot of skill to play them. I would have to say that “Le Preux” is the hardest piece because it hasn’t been decently enough at the right tempo. I’ve only heard pianist play it slowly or not decent enough.

]]> By: David chopin http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/blog/5-most-difficult-piano-pieces-541#comment-2985 David chopin Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:11:47 +0000 http://Itisaq#comment-2985 Even though i haven't heard these pieces i would say,that chopin's torrent is difficult.but to me nothing is difficult if tackled with hard practice. Even though i haven’t heard these pieces i would say,that chopin’s torrent is difficult.but to me nothing is difficult if tackled with hard practice.

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