# Chopin v Alkan v Liszt



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

They are probably the greatest pianist/composers that ever existed but do you have a favourite? At the moment I am listening to more of Chopin especially his Nocturnes, so Chopin for me. Yet all three though wrote great sets of etudes.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I think Mozart should somehow be squeezed in there.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Chopin for atmosphere; Liszt for the spectacular; Alkan for tunes of the unexpected.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I'd put Scriabin into the mix and rate him a little behind Chopin.

After a little more thought, my top three is Chopin, Scriabin and Schumann.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Chopin for me. He can thunder like the others, but for me his music has a depth and subtlety which Liszt can't match and at the same time an approachability far in advance of anything Alkan wrote.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Chopin, clearly, for me.


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## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

beetzart said:


> They are probably the greatest pianist/composers that ever existed....


I would replace Alkan with Rachmaninov. :tiphat:


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Art Rock said:


> Chopin, clearly, for me.


Same with me, except Liszt instead of Chopin.


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## lextune (Nov 25, 2016)

Chopin is the greatest composer of the composer/pianists there have been.
But Liszt is the unquestioned King of the Composer/Pianists. 
Alkan can also be mentioned, but I would list Scriabin and Rachmaninov before him.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I think the three composer/pianists named in the thread title were chosen because they were pretty much contemporaries in the same musical milieu and even competitors. They were all born within a three-year period.

Scriabin and Rachmaninoff lived in a different world, and Schumann unfortunately was not known as a virtuoso pianist.

For my money: Chopin as the best composer, Liszt as the best showman, and Alkan as the best -- well, the best whatever the heck he was.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

KenOC said:


> I think the three composer/pianists named in the thread title were chosen because they were pretty much contemporaries in the same musical milieu and even competitors. They were all born within a three-year period.
> 
> Scriabin and Rachmaninoff lived in a different world, and Schumann unfortunately was not known as a virtuoso pianist.
> 
> For my money: Chopin as the best composer, Liszt as the best showman, and *Alkan as the best -- well, the best whatever the heck he was.*


Best recluse maybe?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

beetzart said:


> They are probably the greatest pianist/composers that ever existed but do you have a favourite? At the moment I am listening to more of Chopin especially his Nocturnes, so Chopin for me. Yet all three though wrote great sets of etudes.


Was it a question in the first place or just a statement?


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