What's The Most Difficult Piano Piece? Options

[Oddball]

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)

Oh dear (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[crazy_purple_piano_freak]

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)

Oh dear (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) The ones I think are weird are probably just plain genius playing that isn't really my 'thing' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[jonscott14]

rhapsody in blue sounds difficult - there has to be alot of techinque work in that one!

[bobifier]

The Butterfly, on the old G7 syllabus, was plain evil... Though I expect there's much harder out there.

[PiAnO~C.Bechstein~PiAnO]

flight of the bumblebee? I wouldnt know about the technique as I have never played it (or attemted it) I WISH!!!!

I can play Flight of the Bumblebee, Its not actually as hard as it sounds, its just getting to grips with all of the notes, starting off slowly and gradually speeding it up. And it is made up of the chromatic scale which i personally don't think is as hard as common scales. It really helps improve your technique once you can play it. I think that one of Lizst's Hungarian Rhapsodys lies high up on the difficulty scale. All those really long trills that somehow manage to fit just about every note on the piano in them in the space of one bar. Baba Yaga from Pictures at an Exhibition is also a very difficult piece and hard to coordinate.

[La_Chopiniste_]

... And:

Iberia by Albeniz.

[Edwardo]

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)

Keith Jarrett (the renowned jazz virtuoso) has also recorded a critically acclaimed version of the Shostakovich P & F. Definitely worth look out for (as are his other improvised concerts - the man's a genius).

Edward

[Smiggy]

It shows in the film Shine (1996) the David Helfgott also learnt to play it blindfolded.
I have just started learning the Rach 3 (page 16 atm), and it is immensly difficult. But there are probably qually as hard pieces out there, although no-one will ever know which piece is the hardest. Rachmaninoff's 3rd piano concerto is definitly the most beautiful piece I've ever heard, that's the only reason I'm learning it! (It will take me months and months for me to learn it! But will love nearly every minute of it)

[hello_cello]

I shold think that Rachmaninov's Prelude C sharp minor is rather difficult, especially with small hands"

[Mad Tom]

1. If you think Flight of the Bumble Bee, the Hungarian rhapsodies, Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement, Bach's Preludes and Fugues, or even (terrifying as some of their compositions are) anything by Liszt, Rachmaninoff or Prokofiev is the height of pianistic difficulty then you need to broaden your horizons a bit.

2. As I improve as a pianist "difficult" pieces become easier and "easy" pieces become more difficult.

3. However the likes of Opus Clavicembalisticum remain impossible and probably always will.

(IMG:http://www.trose.net/pimage/gpiano2.gif)

[Smiggy]

1. If you think Flight of the Bumble Bee, the Hungarian rhapsodies, Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement, Bach's Preludes and Fugues, or even (terrifying as some of their compositions are) anything by Liszt, Rachmaninoff or Prokofiev is the height of pianistic difficulty then you need to broaden your horizons a bit.

2. As I improve as a pianist "difficult" pieces become easier and "easy" pieces become more difficult.

3. However the likes of Opus Clavicembalisticum remain impossible and probably always will.

1. I agree. Hungarian Rhapsodies are hard, but no. 2 is fantastic! Love it to bits. Haven't even got close to looking at the bumble bee, hands not nimble enough.

2. Yeah I find that. Probably because I'm more motivated and determined to learn the harder pieces and so take less interest and care in easier pieces!

3. Never heard that before but listened to someone playing it on youtube. Not my kinda thing; sounds like a collection of random notes to my ears. But very difficult.

[sarah123]

3. However the likes of Opus Clavicembalisticum remain impossible and probably always will.

(IMG:http://www.trose.net/pimage/gpiano2.gif)

Well, I was going to say that Rachmaninov's third piano concerto is the most difficult piece I've heard, but this makes it seem rather tame in comparison (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.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)

Keith Jarrett (the renowned jazz virtuoso) has also recorded a critically acclaimed version of the Shostakovich P & F. Definitely worth look out for (as are his other improvised concerts - the man's a genius).

Edward

Sorry , in my original October post I meant Op87 No 12 , which is in G# minor. Only just realised this.!
Can anybody play it ???

[Kevin]

The 1st/3rd movment of the Gershwin piano concerto? (esp. the solo version)

[Mad Tom]

The 1st/3rd movment of the Gershwin piano concerto? (esp. the solo version)

Nonsense. It is difficult (at least for most of us!) but a long, long way from being "the most difficult".