# Best composers for piano



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

Any suggestions? Chopin is pretty obvious, Haydn and Mozart are certainly worth mentioning; who else?


----------



## Bulldog

Plenty of Suggestions:

Alkan
Beethoven
Debussy
Janacek
Liszt
Prokofiev
Ravel
Scriabin

I forgot Rachmaninov and Medtner.


----------



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

Bulldog said:


> Plenty of Suggestions:
> 
> Alkan
> Beethoven
> Debussy
> Janacek
> Liszt
> Prokofiev
> Ravel
> Scriabin
> 
> I forgot Rachmaninov and Medtner.


Some examples of Ravel pieces? I want to get into him.


----------



## Guest

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> Any suggestions? Chopin is pretty obvious, Haydn and Mozart are certainly worth mentioning; who else?


There is a list of the TC "top 200" piano solo pieces. It is easily findable. Look under the "stickies".

For easy starters:

Schubert is among the foremost piano solo composers. He also wrote some of the very finest works for piano duet and four-hands. For anyone new to piano music, I can't think of anything better than Schubert's D 899 Impromptus as a starter. There are many versions. I'd suggest the Radu Lupu versions are among the best.

Beethoven's easy going sonatas like the "Moonlight" and "Pathetique" seldom fail to win over newcomers.

Schumann's Opus 17 "Fantasie" is a must.

Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin (Louise Lortie is among the best); Gaspard de la nuit (either Louse Lortie, Pascal Rogé , Martha Argerich - all are very good)


----------



## flamencosketches

Ravel is one of the all-time greats of solo piano music, and he wrote two phenomenal piano concerti. For his solo piano music, there are a few that really won me over when I was a new fan. One is the Sonatine. Another is Gaspard de la Nuit, which has turned into a big virtuoso showpiece that a lot of pianists play, but there is really a lot more sensitivity and nuance to it than that. To me, it might be the greatest solo piano work of its century. And then another I really love is Le Tombeau de Couperin, which Ravel wrote as an elegy to several of his friends whom he lost in the first World War, in which he served his country as an ambulance driver. He later orchestrated several of the movements of this piece and the result is near equally beautiful.

Here are a few performances that I enjoy:
















Here is a phenomenal performance of his piano concerto:






Paul Best is going to kill me if he sees the performances I've chosen for examples, so I'll choose one of his favorites as my final recommendation. It's a great performance of an early, extremely difficult work:






All of these performances are (in my eyes) phenomenal and will probably get you hooked on Ravel like they did for me. Like I said, he was one of the great piano composers of all time 

Also, OP, if you're not familiar with Debussy, that would be the next step after Ravel. The other great French master pianist-composer, arguably an even bigger talent. Maybe someone else can compile recommendations for an introduction to his music?


----------



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

flamencosketches said:


> Ravel is one of the all-time greats of solo piano music, and he wrote two phenomenal piano concerti. For his solo piano music, there are a few that really won me over when I was a new fan. One is the Sonatine. Another is Gaspard de la Nuit, which has turned into a big virtuoso showpiece that a lot of pianists play, but there is really a lot more sensitivity and nuance to it than that. To me, it might be the greatest solo piano work of its century. And then another I really love is Le Tombeau de Couperin, which Ravel wrote as an elegy to several of his friends whom he lost in the first World War, in which he served his country as an ambulance driver. He later orchestrated several of the movements of this piece and the result is near equally beautiful.
> 
> Here are a few performances that I enjoy:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is a phenomenal performance of his piano concerto:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Paul Best is going to kill me if he sees the performances I've chosen for examples, so I'll choose one of his favorites as my final recommendation. It's a great performance of an early, extremely difficult work:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> All of these performances are (in my eyes) phenomenal and will probably get you hooked on Ravel like they did for me. Like I said, he was one of the great piano composers of all time
> 
> Also, OP, if you're not familiar with Debussy, that would be the next step after Ravel. The other great French master pianist-composer, arguably an even bigger talent. Maybe someone else can compile recommendations for an introduction to his music?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Maurice_Ravel
I know Wikipedia is the best source on the web, but the compositions themselves look great! Thanks for recommending!


----------



## mikeh375

Messiaen and Bartok of course, but only if you like a more modern sound. Youtube some Bartok piano concertos and perhaps Vingt Regard by Mesiaen...brilliant pianism required.


----------



## NLAdriaan

I would like to add to the earlier recommendations: 

Schumann: Kinderszenen (Argerich), Carnaval, Papillons, Bunte Blatter (Egorov)

Debussy: Children's corner, Preludes and Images (pour piano) (Gieseking, Benedetti Michelangeli, Zimerman)

Bartok: 15 Hungarian farmer songs (played by Richter!) and other folk music. beware, bartok wrote both folkmusic and modern style pianomusic (like Mikrokosmos), which are very different.

Prokofiev: Visions Fugitives (again, Richter)

Scriabin: Get the 8 cd box by Maria Lettberg on Capriccio, for sale at bargain price. I think you wil like it! 

Furthermore:

JS Bach: French and English suites (Angela Hewitt, you can also buy her Bach CD box on Hyperion, lots of value for money)

Handel: suites for keyboard, by Richter/Gavrilov


----------



## flamencosketches

NLAdriaan said:


> I would like to add to the earlier recommendations:
> 
> Schumann: Kinderszenen (Argerich), Carnaval, Papillons, Bunte Blatter (Egorov)
> 
> Debussy: Children's corner, Preludes and Images (pour piano) (Gieseking, Benedetti Michelangeli, Zimerman)
> 
> Bartok: 15 Hungarian farmer songs (played by Richter!) and other folk music. beware, bartok wrote both folkmusic and modern style pianomusic (like Mikrokosmos), which are very different.
> 
> Prokofiev: Visions Fugitives (again, Richter)
> 
> Scriabin: Get the 8 cd box by Maria Lettberg on Capriccio, for sale at bargain price. I think you wil like it!
> 
> Furthermore:
> 
> JS Bach: French and English suites (Angela Hewitt, you can also buy her Bach CD box on Hyperion, lots of value for money)
> 
> Handel: suites for keyboard, by Richter/Gavrilov


Excellent choices all. Another great pianist of Schumann is Claudio Arrau. My favorite piano composers are Chopin, Ravel, Debussy, Schumann, and Beethoven.

I would also second Messiaen. His Catalogue d'Oiseaux is incredible. I like Anatol Ugorski here.


----------



## Mandryka

Here's an Arrau Schumann fantasy I like


----------



## NLAdriaan

flamencosketches said:


> I would also second Messiaen. His Catalogue d'Oiseaux is incredible. I like Anatol Ugorski here.


'Oiseaux' sure is very beautiful, but quite modernist, a big step from the other recommendations. Did you listen to Aimard, his 'Oiseaux' recording is also very worthwhile!


----------



## flamencosketches

^I haven't heard Aimard, just Ugorski and Martin Zehn. Thought both were great. I still need to get a copy of this work on CD. I'll check out Aimard's recording

When you say that Oiseaux is very modern, do you mean to imply that others of Messiaen's piano works are less so? I haven't heard many others of his piano works, and you're right that Oiseaux is quite modernist, but I see it as an extension of the tradition of Debussy (who I do not find terribly inaccessible). Thus it may almost be necessary to explore Debussy at least a bit before diving into Messiaen.


----------



## Mandryka

flamencosketches said:


> ^I haven't heard Aimard, just Ugorski and Martin Zehn. Thought both were great. I still need to get a copy of this work on CD. I'll check out Aimard's recording
> 
> When you say that Oiseaux is very modern, do you mean to imply that others of Messiaen's piano works are less so? I haven't heard many others of his piano works, and you're right that Oiseaux is quite modernist, but I see it as an extension of the tradition of Debussy (who I do not find terribly inaccessible). Thus it may almost be necessary to explore Debussy at least a bit before diving into Messiaen.


It's episodic writing. Each piece in the catalogue comes with a description of a landscape, with references of course to the birdsong etc., and very often moves from dawn to dusk, and very often has incidents which map to passages in the music ("a yellow-billed chough, separated from its flock, crosses the mountais crying" "A nonchalant memory, the memory of gold and of a rainbow, the sun seems to be the golden emanation of the song of the Eurasion golden oriole." he wrote _la forme suit, pas à pas, minute par minte, la marche vivante du jour et de la nuit_

Messaien also wrote a preface where he discusses the problems of capturing bird song on piano.

Without the commentaries, I think the form is so episodic that it's hard not to lose attention -- I'm not sure if anyone ever translated the commentaries into English, I have them in French.

What would be fun is to drive through France to all the places mentioned in the catalogue, and play the music in its proper context.


----------



## Jokke

We shouldn't forget Satie when it comes to piano solo.


----------



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

Jokke said:


> We shouldn't forget Satie when it comes to piano solo.


Any details please?


----------



## Jokke

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> Any details please?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Erik_Satie

I suggest that you explore Satie on Spotify, if you want to get to know his music.
His piano music consists mostly of simple and beautiful melodies.


----------



## pjang23

As far as piano chamber music goes, Brahms is without peer and all 16 of his masterpieces are worth hearing. In terms of accessibility, I think you should start from the bottom of the list and work your way up to the top.

Piano Quintet (Eschenbach with the Amadeus Quartet)
Piano Quartets (Beaux Arts Trio)
Clarinet Trio and Sonatas (Drucker et al)
Piano Trios + Horn Trio (Florestan Trio)
Cello Sonatas (Rostopovich and Serkin)
Violin Sonatas (Zukerman and Barenboim)

For solo piano, I highly recommend Radu Lupu's opp.117-119, op.79 and op.5. Complement with Gilels's op.116 and a recording of the Handel and Paganini Variations.


----------



## paulbest

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> Any suggestions? Chopin is pretty obvious, Haydn and Mozart are certainly worth mentioning; who else?


well to stay within this style of Chopinesque. 
My new discoveries past few weeks, Scriabin late sonatas, 
Only Sofromitzki 's record






Szymanowski another great find.

You will have to siff through his solo piano, to find exactly what you like











Szymanowski piano solo has the power to transport you back in space and time, to a age, pre industrial, where the world was a much more beautiful place

I really think these 2 masters , might be of interest to you


----------



## Beebert

Schubert of course. His impromptus are among the best possible introductions to classical music, in general and their lastning appeal are incredible. There is so much in this music. It is among the greatest pieces ever written for piano, for listeners and performers, pros and amateurs. And his last 6 sonatas are also all masterpieces.


----------



## ECraigR

I have to chime in with everyone else who’s mentioned Messiaen. He’s really quite outstanding and well worth the effort. Pierre-Laurent Aimard is a peerless interpreter of Messiaen.


----------



## Roger Knox

I think that Beethoven is the best composer for piano. Some words and phrases from various sources that come to mind here are: "architecture," "extended thought process," "feeling, thought, and action," "the unexpected becomes the inevitable." From the smallest event to the largest structure "Beethoven's 32" (sonatas), the variations, and the other piano works engage my attention and involvement.


----------

