Does any one else feel that there is so much good music out there that they really don't want to waste time playing rubbish? I realise that the above question is inorrect in the sense that no time spent learning a piece is 'wasted' and rather subjective in the sense that different tastes vary wildly.

However, I am now looking for a piece to play and thought perhaps it would be helpful for myself and others if we could all collaborate and compile a list of 'pieces to play before you die'. There are so many well known tunes out there that are of course rewarding to play, but on the other side of the coin, there is something special when you feel like you have 'discovered' a piece - perhaps one that grows on you slowly or one that is less popular than the standard fare.

So I would love it if everyone could add to the list with their own special pieces. If you can try to avoid repeating tunes that have been mentioned and try to include only your very favourites (not just everything that you can play), it would be much appreciated. I'll start us off with the pieces that have had the most profound impact on me.

Pieces to play before you die:

1) Aufschwung - Schumann

2) Weddingday at Troldhaugen - Greig

3) Nocturne in E Flat - Chopin

4) Poem - Fibich (little but lovely)

I've no advice to give regarding pieces as it really depends upon the type of music you like, but I thought I'd tell you about a pupil of mine. She's 78 and is always telling me that she hasn't got enough time to polish her pieces, due to her age and not knowing how long she's got left. However, I intend to tell her about you. I don't know how old you are, but what a fantastic mark you got in your Grade 6 by polishing your repertoire. I've persuaded her to take her Grade 2, which she is in a few weeks, and this is the best decision she's made and she's finally polishing her pieces, knowing that an examiner will be listening!!

Danza de la moza donosa - Ginastera (The second from his suite of Argentinian Dances)

I'm learning and loving this one right now. You can hear a recording here:
http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,18885.0.html

I have a heap of stuff...(most of them clasical)

I didn't know this one, in fact I didn't know Ginastera to be honest, but I like it now I've played it, possibly because I like early jazz and I hear Scott Joplin in it, so I wasn't surprised when I looked up Ginastera and saw he was from jazz era. Thanks for the link dorfmouse

Of the pieces i've played:

Beethoven's Fur Elise (come on, you have to have played that at least once in your life!)
Rachmaninoff Prelude in C Sharp minor
Beethoven Grande Sonate Pathetique
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata
Brahms Hungarian Dance No.5

The ones i havent played:

Flight of the bumblebee(by many different composers)
Chopin Fantasie Impromptu
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.3 (Ooooh i hope ill be able to play this one day)

Is it me or am i just attatched to romantic works?

Ive played notcturne in Eb, so thats one on your list
I've also done Moonlight Sonata 1st movement, but everyone always seems to think the 3rd one sounds the best.
I'm doing rustle of spring at the moment, I love it!

I can play Nocturne in Eb. It's so so so nice! I never get sick of it.

Are there more flights of that bee then, apart from thr Rimsky Korsakov one, or just arrangements of the lone and famous bee?
I used to yearn to play the Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme with my cello and a famous orchestra in my youth, but I gave up playing it as I was not ever going to be very good at it. I just play it in my head now and only ever in private as it brings tears to my eyes when I hear it, as does so much of Tchaikovsky’s music. I don’t really have a wish list any more. I just enjoy whatever comes along now.

Ravel's Pavane for a dead princess. I love it, though I still haven't had time to learn it yet

Oh man there's sooo many pieces I want to play before I die...of course, if I'm lucky, I still have a good 5/6 of my life to go...

Ones I want to try now...
- Chopin's Nocturne in Eb
- Schumann's Papillons
- Liszt's Sonetto 123 del Petrarca
- Gershwin's I Got Rhythm and The Man I Love

In the long run...
- Beethoven's Emperor Concerto
- All of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies
- Liszt's Sonata in B Minor
- Debussy's L'isle joyeuse
- Bach's entire WTC Book I & II (this might take a while...hehe)

Beethoven :Sonata Pathetique

Liszt : Sonata No 2

Chopin : Nocturne in C minor , Op 48

Claire de (la?) Lune by Debussy

Military Polonaise by Chopin (never got round to finishing it)

Nocturne in Eb by Chopin

I must say I listened to a Chopin cd the other day and added the following to my wish list:
- 'Minute' Waltz
- Fantasie Impromptu (already on my future wish list)
- Nocturne in D Flat
plus quite a few others further down list.

Argh, so much music, so little time!!

I'm committing the Schumann to memory and trying to get some of the links tidier now.... It's about 3 weeks away from performance standard! I'm hoping to play it in a concert just before Christmas - the whole thing will be recorded so if I get it good enough on time I will put it on the recordings site because I don't have anything on there. It's taken some time but it's a real sense of achievement now I can do it!

I'm going to re-visit the Grieg - I did it last easter but the parallel octaves and fast left hand arpeggios were a bit beyond me then. (to think I thought that Grade 8 meant you could play anything!). I'm trying to learn the LH properly to the Chopin, it's one of my favourites - I have that down for a concert in a month too!

My favourite piece to play is still Debussy's First Arabesque - an exam piece! I didn't learn it for the exam especially, it was part of my repertoire so I was happy to play it in my exam. Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu is up there on my list - I can play the Db major middle bit but my technique isn't good enough to pull off the outer sections. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, the whole thing from memory I would love to be able to do. Gershwin's Rhapsody in blue... why are these all things that need a wide stretch though? I can hope my tendons will turn to elastic but there's no way I can grow anymore - I just wasn't cut out for it!!

There are soooo many I'd love to play, including

Liebstraum no.3 - Liszt ...... I love this piece so much. I have always wanted to play it.

Clair de Lune - Debussy ...... As above, but I think everyone wants to play this at some stage

Wedding day at Troldhaugen ...... Again, a super piece

Rapsody in Blue - Gershwin ...... This piece rules. End of.

Fantasie Impromptu - Chopin ...... It's amazing!!

Ballade in G minor - Chopin ...... It's a fantastic piece, but I bet it's a nightmare to play!

There are loads loads more, I just can't think right now!!

xx

None of the first group will actually happen, but:

Brahms F minor piano quintet (Op 34b IIRC), Violin Sonata in D minor, and Sonata for Piano and Violoncello no 2
Ravel Violin Sonata, and Piano Trio
Shostakovich Piano Trio No 2
Howard Ferguson, Violin Sonata No 2

I might yet manage:

J S Bach Flute Sonata in B minor
Debussy Violin Sonata
Poulenc Oboe Sonata

Chopin's Bb-minor Scherzo is great

Horowitz plays it with way too much ad libitum though (Well, he is Horowitz, so I guess he can do whatever he wants )

Yeah, i think its a traditional Russian thing to show off technical ability. Rachmaninoff wrote one, but perhaps didnt call it ''flight of the bumblebee''.

Try Kissin. He keeps a strict tempo throughout (as Chopin instructed) and you can feel the pulse even in the empty bars.

I keep on remembering stuff ...

Moussorsky's 'Pictures from an Exhibition' - It's amazing.

You have really similar taste to me. I really look forward to hearing Aufschwung if it does get recorded. Such a super piece!

bit random here, but has anyone ever tried La Compasita? the tango?

Yes, I play that.
It could be fun , but it's not my favourite style.

P.S :Is that La Cumparsita?

OCTAVES!! They follow me everywhere! I see them in my sleep! they pounce on me when I'm practising!! They are driving me insane! "Pictures" is just so good. I almost bought it - at the same time as I almost bought Rhapsody in Blue. But then the Octaves came. Imagine the Learndirect gremlins of the the TV advert - this is what it's like, they say "Aha.... octaves....you? You can't do this....*snigger*"