# Favourite Solo Piano Works



## Topaz

My favourite style of classical music is solo piano. I have produced a "playlist" of my favourite 20 pieces, maximum of 10 minutes each. It's in very rough order.

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata comprises three sections so if I select say the first section it will be shown as: Beethoven Piano Sonata 14/1 (Moonlight). See item 5 below.

Here goes. The total run time is about 140 minutes, so on average 7 minutes per item.

1. Beethoven Piano Sonata 23/2 (Appasionata)
2. Schumann Op.17/3 (Fantasie)
3. Schumann Op. 28/2 (Romance in F Maj)
4. Schubert Impromptu D 889/3
5. Beethoven Piano Sonata 14/1 (Moonlight) 
6. Schubert Piano Sonata 21/2
7. Chopin Ballade No 1
8. Schubert Piano Sonata 20/2 
9. Schubert Impromptu D 899/4
10. Beethoven Piano Sonata 8/2 (Pathetique)
11. Schubert Impromptu D 935/2
12. Liszt Liebestraum No 3 
13. Chopin Nocturne Op. 27/2
14. Chopin Etude Op. 10/3
15. Chopin Prelude Op. 28/15
16. Brahms Waltz Op. 39/15
17. Brahms Op. 119/2
18. Debussy Clare de Lune
19. Beethoven Piano Sonata 21/3 (Waldstein) 
20. Beethoven Fur Elise​
Anybody else got a favourite list? This should hopefully draw some piano enthusiasts! Remember 10 minutes maximum per item.

Topaz


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## Hexameron

Now you're talking my language, Topaz  You have a fine list there. But the 10 minute limit is a bit disappointing. A bunch of my favorites are excluded due to those paramaters. Here's mine, though:

1. Liszt - Fantasy and Fugue on a Theme of Meyerbeer S624/1 (Fantasy)
2. Chopin - Etude Op. 10 No. 12 'Revolutionary'
3. Alkan - Etude Op. 39 No. 12 'Le festin d'Esop'
4. Liszt - Fantasy and Fugue on a Theme of Meyerbeer S624/3 (Fugue)
5. Liszt - La Lugubre Gondola No. 2
6. Schubert - Impromptu Op. 90 No. 4
7. Liszt - Operatic Paraphrase on Meyerbeer's L'Africaine
8. Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor 'Tempest' Op. 31/3 (Allegretto)
9. Alkan - Souvenirs Trois Morceaux dans le genre pathetique Op. 15 No. 2 "Le vent"
10. Liszt - Glanes de woronince S249 "Ballade ukraine"
11. Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor 'Moonlight' Op. 27/3 (Presto)
12. Liszt - Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses "Andante lagrimoso"
13. Chopin - Ballade No. 3 in A flat Op. 37
14. Rachmaninov - Prelude in C sharp minor
15. Liszt - Transcendental Etude No. 4 "Mazeppa"
16. Thalberg - Casta Diva (Paraphrase on Bellini)
17. Liszt - Transcendental Etude No. 6 "Vision"
18. Mendelssohn - Prelude and Fugue Op. 35 No. 1
19. Henselt - Poem d'amour Op. 3
20. Chopin - Polonaise in C minor Op. 40

Run time - 2 hours and 24 minutes.


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## Edward Elgar

Let's not forget Greig - Wedding day at Trodhaugen!


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## Hexameron

That's not good enough, Elgar... come on, where's your Top 20 list?


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## MungoPark

*In no particular order*

Schubert: Impromptu for Piano, D 899/Op. 90: no 4 in A flat major 
Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66
Beethoven: Rondo a capriccio
Mozart: Variations for Piano in D major on a Minuet by Duport, K 573
Bach: Italien concerto
Gottschalk: O ma charmante, épargnez-moi, RO 182/Op. 44
Czerny: Overture Charactéristique et brillante for Piano 4 hands in B minor, Op. 54 
Schubert: Divertimento for Piano 4 hands in G minor, D 818/Op. 54 "à l'hongroise" 
Mozart: Sonata for 2 Pianos in D major, K 448 (375a) 
Rachmaninov: Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 3 no 2
Liszt: Overture from Rossini's "Guillaume Tell" for Piano, S 552 
Brahms: Sonata for Piano no 1 in C major, Op. 1


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## Lisztfreak

Just as my nickname shows, you'll see a lot of Liszt now!  There's no special order here:

1. Liszt - Valse mélancolique 
2. Liszt - Consolation no.4
3. Liszt - Elegy no.2
4. Chopin - Nocturne Op.27, no.2
5. Alkan - Prélude Op.31, no.25
6. Alkan - Impromptu Op.32, no.1
7. Chopin - Ballade no.2
8. Liszt - Fünf Klavierstücke: no.2
9. Debussy - La cathedrale engloutie
10. Debussy - La fille aux cheveux de lin
11. Debussy - Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir
12. Debussy - Clair de lune
13. Debussy - Arabesque no.1
14. Liszt - Hungarian rhapsody no.4
15. Liszt - Csárdás macabre
16. Schumann - Träumerei
17. Brahms - Intermezzo no.1
18. Liszt - Les jeux d'eaux a la Villa d'Este
19. Liszt - Liebestraum no.2
20. Chopin - Fantasie-Impromptu


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## ChamberNut

Lisztfreak said:


> Just as my nickname shows, you'll see a lot of Liszt now!  There's no special order here:
> 
> 1. Liszt - Valse mélancolique
> 2. Liszt - Consolation no.4
> 3. Liszt - Elegy no.2
> 4. Chopin - Prélude Op.27, no.2
> 5. Alkan - Prélude Op.31, no.25
> 6. Alkan - Impromptu Op.32, no.1
> 7. Chopin - Ballade no.2
> 8. Liszt - Fünf Klavierstücke: no.2
> 9. Debussy - La cathedrale engloutie
> 10. Debussy - La fille aux cheveux de lin
> 11. Debussy - Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir
> 12. Debussy - Clair de lune
> 13. Debussy - Arabesque no.1
> 14. Liszt - Hungarian rhapsody no.4
> 15. Liszt - Csárdás macabre
> 16. Schumann - Träumerei
> 17. Brahms - Intermezzo no.1
> 18. Liszt - Les jeux d'eaux a la Villa d'Este
> 19. Liszt - Liebestraum no.2
> 20. Chopin - Fantasie-Impromptu


Lisztfreak, you and Hexameron must be related!


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## Lisztfreak

Perhaps Liszt is our common ancestor...


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## genieman123

hmm. I like your selection. Although, I don't think I've ever heard of Alkan. Liszt is awesome!


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## toughcritic

I should come up with the list...


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## IAmKing

Any of John Cage's pieces for Prepared Piano
Beethoven's 17th Piano Sonata
Chopin's Fantaisie Op 49 In F Minor
Pierre Boulez- Notations (although, now I think about it, its for two pianos)


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## Don

I'm going to assume that "keyboard" equates to piano for the purposes of this thread:

1. Bach - Well Tempered Clavier
2. Bach - Goldberg Variations
3. Schumann - Davidsbundlertanze
4. Chopin - Op. 28 Preludes
5. Shostakovich - Op. 87 Preludes and Fugues
6. Schumann - Humoreske
7. Beethoven - Hammerklavier Piano Sonata
8. Brahms - Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel
9. Schumann - Sym. Etudes
10.Schumann - Kinderszenen
11.Ravel - Gaspard
12.Beethoven - Diabelli Variations
13.Bach - Keyboard Partitas
14.Bach - English Suites
15.Bach - French Suites
16.Beethoven - Waldstein Piano Sonata
17.Debussy - Etudes
18.Scriabin - Etudes
19.Scriabin - White Mass Piano Sonata
20.Bach - Italian Concerto


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## Don

Sorry, I didn't notice the 10 minute limit. By the way, why is there a limit?


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## Manuel

Don said:


> Sorry, I didn't notice the 10 minute limit. By the way, why is there a limit?


This guy, Topaz, enjoyed discussions about music.
But it seems his most enjoyment came from _defining the terms in which we are going to discuss music_.

Anyway, he left the board some time ago.


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## Don

Boy, postings on this board are quite infrequent. That needs to change, and I'll do what I reasonably can to help it grow.


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## Kogami

1. Beethoven, Hammerklavier Mvmnt 3 (Appasionata y con molto sentimento)
2. Chopin, Ballade No. 1
3. Liszt, Liebestraum No. 3
4. Schumann, Traumerei
5. Beethoven, Pathetique Sonata Mvmnt 2
6. Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata Mvmnt 1
7.Chopin, Nocturne No. 2
8. Rachmaninov, Prelude in C sharp minor
9.Schubert, Impromptu in G flat Major
10. Debussy, Clair de Lune


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## Rilk

1 Chopin - Polonaise in A
2 Liszt - Totentanz (not technically for solo piano but it's still my favourite piece, and valentina lisitsa plays an amazing solo version on youtube)
3 Chopin - Etude no 24
4 Chopin - Barcarolle in F#
5 Rachmannnof - Prelude in g minor
6 Chopin - Etude no 23 in a minor
7 Chopin - Fantasie-Impromtu in C# minor
8 Liszt - Ukranian Ballad
9 Liszt - Remeniscences de don juan
10 Chopin - Fugue in a minor

I think you guys can probably guess my favourite composer right now


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## worov

Here are my favorites. 

Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier. Listen to the 1953 Rosalyn Tureck recording. DG reissued it, it’s amazing. She has several Bach recordings (Goldberg variations and Partitas), all very good too. I also like the Bach inventions, performed by Angela Hewitt.

Domenico Scarlatti sonatas: all these are amazing and yet rarely performed. I like Horowitz, Mikhail Pletnev, Inger Södergren, Pogorelich, Maria Tipo, Anne Queffelec.

Couperin: why is these guy never performed in our concert halls? Can you tell me? Listen to “Les barricades mystérieuses” performed by Angela Hewitt and tell me if this music is beautiful. Angela Hewitt has recorded three CDS of Couperin music. This is short of a revelation.

Haydn sonatas: all of these are wonderful. I must say I prefer to the Mozart sonatas. I like Pogorelich, Andras Schiff, Emanuel Ax, John McCabe, and Walther Olbertz.

Beethoven sonatas: tons of recordings. I like Arrau, Kempff, Annie Fischer, John Lill, Louis Lortie.

Beethoven: Ecossaises. These miniatures are not well-known, but they utterly wonderful. Very funny. Alfred Brendel recorded them.

Schubert: Impromptus. Some Schubert classics. I love Maria João Pires and Radu Lupu.

Chopin: Preludes, opus 28 : Martha Argerich, Claudio Arrau, Pogorelich.

Chopin: Etudes : Nelson Freire, Cortot, Arrau.

Mendelssohn: Songs without words: listen to the Ilse von Alpenheim recording (Philips)

Schumann: Albumblätter (opus 124) and Bunte Blätter (opus 99). These two sets of miniatures are real gems. Never performed, I had a hard time finding a recording, but it’s worth it. My favorite romantic composer.

Schumann: Album for the Young: neglected, almost rarely played, these pieces are wonderful music. I like Andreas Bach, Michael Endres, Rico Gulda, Angela Brownridge.

Alkan: this composer is getting a little more popular these last few years. He’s finally getting all the attention he rightfully deserves. His Esquisses (opus 63) are marvelous are my favorite compositions of his. They have been performed by Steven Osborne.

Grieg: Lyric pieces. Wonderful little gems. Emil Gilels has recorded a selection of these.

Granados: Spanish composers don’t get the attention they deserve. The Cuentos de la Juventud (opus 1) are amazing. Performed by Alicia de Larrocha and Martin Jones.

Debussy: Children’s corner: a classic by Debussy. I like Walter Giesking and Michelangeli.

Prokofiev: Visions fugitives (opus 22) and Music for children (opus 65). Little miniatures full of humor. Pure Prokofiev. Richter has some opus 22. Frederic Chiu has recorded all Prokofiev works.

Vila-Lobos: Guia Pràtico. This is a compilation of arrangements of Brazilian folks songs, mostly arrangements of nursery rhymes. Villa-Lobos was a master arranger and he succeeds in making some of the most beautiful music with the simplest material. One of my favorite modern composers. It has been recorded by Sonia Rubinsky and Clara Sverner.

Samuel Barber: his piano music is sadly neglected. The sonata is one of the most amazing in the 20th century. John Browning is arguably the best Barber interpreter. Some others pieces are very interesting: Excursions, Souvenirs, Nocturne, Ballade, Sketches. Barber’s complete piano music has been recorded by Daniel Pollack.

Shostakovich: Preludes, opus 34. These are really overlooked. Everybody rave about the Preludes and Fugues (and rightfully so, they are indeed amazing), but the opus 34 set never gets the attention it fully deserves. It has been performed by Tatiana Nikolayeva.


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## Feathers

worov said:


> Shostakovich: Preludes, opus 34. These are really overlooked. Everybody rave about the Preludes and Fugues (and rightfully so, they are indeed amazing), but the opus 34 set never gets the attention it fully deserves.


Seconded!


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## ptr

Just a few favourites as not to over clutter as I usually do...

*Ferruccio Busoni* - Fantasia Contrappuntistica
*JS Bach* - Goldberg Variations
*Sergei Rachmaninoff* - Etudes-Tableaux (both Op 33 & 39)
*Olivier Messiaen* - Catalogue d'oiseaux 
*Sergei Prokofiev* - Piano Sonata No 7
*Franz Schubert* - Impromptus D899/935

/ptr


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## DeepR

Beethoven: Sonatas
Schubert: Impromptus, Sonatas
Liszt: most of his popular pieces + otherwise hit & miss
Chopin: Etudes, Ballades, Nocturnes
Scriabin: Etudes, Preludes, Sonatas and everything else
Rachmaninoff: Moment Musicaux, Preludes, Etudes-Tableaux

I like Ravel and Debussy too but need to listen more to them.


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## unpocoscherzando

My list, which I shan't indulge in as such, would consist entirely of Beethoven and Mozart piano sonatas only occasionally interspersed with selections from Brahms' _Hungarian Dances_, Bach's _The Art of Fugue_ and the _Recuerdos de viaje_ of Isaac Albéniz.


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## BaronAlstromer

I won´t make a list, but I have to lps with piano music by Mendelssohn that I enjoy.
There are a few lieder ohne worte among other things.


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## Kazaman

Some of my favourites (in no particular order; more as they come to mind than anything):

Bach's Partita no. 6 in E minor
Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier
Alban Berg's Sonata, op. 1
Beethoven's Sonata in E major, op. 109
Beethoven's Sonata in A-flat Major, op. 110
(Conspicuously not op. 111, because although the Arietta is incredible I think the first movement is just awful.)
Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues (specifically nos. 1, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19 and 23)
Mendelssohn's Songs without Words (selections, can't be bothered to specify)
Brahms' Intermezzi (esp. opp. 117 nos. 1-3, and 118 no. 2 in A major). 
Paul Hindemith's Piano Sonatas (1-3)
Chopin's Barcarolle in F-sharp major, op. 60
Prokofiev's Sonata nos. 2 in D minor , 7 in B-flat major and 9 in C major.
Ernst Krenek's Sonata no. 2


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## kv466

I reckon just about every piece mentioned in this thread will work as a proper response to the question. 

Two pieces I've not yet seen mentioned and that I championed heavily in the TC solo works are Beethoven's 32 variations in c-minor woO80 and Rachmaninov's variations on a theme by Chopin. Another of my absolute favorites is Bach's bwv914. This can truly go on and on and on and on.


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## Kazaman

On that note, Beethoven's Eroica Variations are fantastic as well.


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## MagneticGhost

Chopin Ballades
Schubert Impromptus
Rachmaninov Preludes
Debussy Arabesques


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## worov

Satie Gymnopédie no 3, performed by Pascal Rogé :


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## Selby

MagneticGhost said:


> Chopin Ballades
> Schubert Impromptus
> Rachmaninov Preludes
> Debussy Arabesques


That's a great list.


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## Andreas

Bach, French Suites
Beethoven, Piano Sonatas op. 2
Ligeti, Etudes
Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition
Pärt, Für Alina
Schoenberg, Suite for Piano
Silvestrov, Bagatellen
Webern, Variations for Piano


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