What's The Most Difficult Piano Piece? Options

[fsharpminor]

Well, as a pianist for over 50 years, I've tried a lot of things , including some of the stuff mentioned above, but my vote goes to Balakirev's 'Islamey'. Its available as a free download, not sure off hand which site it was. Anyone else going to try ??

[Georgia_Sande]

Islamey: An Oriental Fantasy by Mily Balakirev is considered one of the most difficult piano solos and it is said that even he himself had great difficulty playing it.
Many editions existing have numerous ossias (usually easier alternatives) to passages, because of the immense difficulty of the original. Its technical difficulty made it a favourite with virtuosi such as Franz Liszt and Nikolai Rubinstein (who premiered the piece).
When Maurice Ravel was writing his Gaspard de la Nuit (1908), based on 3 poems by Aloysius Bertrand, he told his disciple Maurice Delage that his goal was to write "pieces of transcendental virtuosity for the piano, more difficult than Balakirev's Islamey."
Ricardo Vines (the Spanish composer / pianist and gay friend of Frances Poulenc) went on to premiere the work.
Islamey was arranged for orchestra by Alfredo Casella shortly before Balakirev's death.
I played it last year, before leaving the States for the UK, to my college prof. He warned me that it was a reckless and dangerous thing to do. He was right, it was a complete disaster.

[La_Chopiniste_]

I tried to quote La Chopiniste's subsequent post as well, but I still haven't figured out how to get two or more quotes into the one post - all help gratefully received... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

Press on " QUOTE" under the posts you want to quote (It will turn into red then), then press "ADD REPLY"
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[A Little Happy]

The most difficult piano piece...hehe I guess the sky's the limit! But for me, I'd have to say Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 3rd Mvt was a killer, especially technically. Can't believe it's just DipABRSM. However, it was manageable, so I guess there's even harder.

[chopet]

Ive already posted here but have another id like to mention..... Ligeti etude's.
I have the sheet music for both books one and two of those at home but im afraid to try any (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[Dulciana]

Ive already posted here but have another id like to mention..... Ligeti etude's.
I have the sheet music for both books one and two of those at home but im afraid to try any (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

The thing about those is that I doubt very much if anyone listening would know whether what you were playing was right or wrong! I'd say that even an examiner would need to be holding a copy of the score, unless he'd played it himself!

[fsharpminor]

The most difficult piano piece...hehe I guess the sky's the limit! But for me, I'd have to say Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 3rd Mvt was a killer, especially technically. Can't believe it's just DipABRSM. However, it was manageable, so I guess there's even harder.

Surely not, anyone of Grade 8 standard should be able to play it. There is much harder Beethoven.

[Edwardo]

Which one? the ones that are really difficult in technique, I don't mean pieces that are extremely long and boring.

My money would be on some of the Bach Fugues, especially with 4 or more voices, because of the control required to separated each voice.

But one could make an argument that the Prelude in C, Book 1 of WTC is very hard, because to make it beautiful, fresh and uniquely your interpretation would be a stern test of technique, especially if you try to remain authentic. This reminds me of a frankly bizarre rendition I heard of Debussy's Arabesque No 1 (which I recently studied for Grade 8). It was on a Russian pianist's website (sorry, can't remember any details) and he'd approached the problem of making a unique interpretation by playing it. incredibly. slowly. exceptfortheveryfastbitswhichheplayedveryveryveryfast. It was almost unlistenable.

Edward

[Dulciana]

But one could make an argument that the Prelude in C, Book 1 of WTC is very hard, because to make it beautiful, fresh and uniquely your interpretation would be a stern test of technique, especially if you try to remain authentic.

That's a good point! It depends whether we're talking about getting all the notes right and in the right place, or whether we're talking about making a really good job of something. Anyway, what's the point in spending a year on something horrifically difficult (unless, of course there's a large amount of money involved!) when so few people will appreciate your efforts? That's fine for renowned concert pianists who will play in the Albert Hall and receive fame and acclaim (and lots of money... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) ) but for the majority of us, it's better to play something well that's achievable in a month or two. I know we all need to be challenged from time to time, but only if we know we will ultimately play it well.

[Noodelz]

There are composers nowadays who deliberately compose pieces which are almost impossible to play. It's very modern and dissonant however.

[ajm3212]

Peter Maxwell davies piano concerto - not worth the energy learning in my opinion.


Anyone heard of the pianist who could play all Bachs keyboard music from memory!??!?

That's 240 hours worth and quite an impossible feat - though obviously not quite

[Dulciana]

Anyone heard of the pianist who could play all Bachs keyboard music from memory!??!?

That's 240 hours worth and quite an impossible feat - though obviously not quite

I wonder if Bach could have done that himself... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) ...I wrote a few bits and pieces over the last year and can't remember what key they're in... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[fsharpminor]

From time to time I play the easier ones of Shostakovitches Preludes and Fugues, but the B flat minor fugue I can hardly play the starting theme, certainly no further than the 'second' entry of the subject.
These wonderful pieces were written for Tatiana Nikolayeva. Whilst recitalling the whole series in New York she collapsed during the B Flat Minor Fugue, and died shortly afterwards. She recorded them twice, I prefer the later version on Hyperion. (Her Bach '48', on which Shost modelled his work is pretty good also)

[La_Chopiniste_]

Anyone heard of the pianist who could play all Bachs keyboard music from memory!??!?

That's 240 hours worth and quite an impossible feat - though obviously not quite

Are you sure that they are all Bach's keyboard music? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

[crazy_purple_piano_freak]

This reminds me of a frankly bizarre rendition I heard of Debussy's Arabesque No 1 (which I recently studied for Grade 8). It was on a Russian pianist's website (sorry, can't remember any details) and he'd approached the problem of making a unique interpretation by playing it. incredibly. slowly. exceptfortheveryfastbitswhichheplayedveryveryveryfast. It was almost unlistenable.

Gosh, that rings a bell...I remember googling that piece once, when I was studying it for G8, and I think I came across that site. I've heard loads of renditions of Arabesque 1; some I think are purely works of genius, and some (I think like the one described) that I just thought were plain weird. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)