# Most Difficult And Infrequently Performed Works



## shsherm

I have heard some amazing piano performances in the last few years. One of the best was the entire "Iberia" by Albeniz. This was played by Marc Andre Hamelin in the Dallas area. I have heard two performances of "Pictures At An Exhibition" in recent years. I enjoy that music very much. However The piano music that I heard a pianist from Russia play about three years ago was the most difficult to play of any piano music I ever heard and evidently very few pianists ever attempt to play any music by the Russian composer Kolontay. Have any of you who might read this entry ever heard of Kolontay or heard his music played?


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## Lang

Not until I went and looked for it. I found this:- 




Very interesting music, which I enjoyed. But as you said, at the limits of playability.  I will try to find out more about Kollontay.


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## Weston

Lang said:


> Not until I went and looked for it. I found this:-
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Very interesting music, which I enjoyed. But as you said, at the limits of playability.  I will try to find out more about Kollontay.


Shudder. I think I got carpal tunnel just from watching that. I found the virtuosity distracted me from the actual music. It is not what I listen to music for.


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## Air

> I have heard some amazing piano performances in the last few years. One of the best was the entire "Iberia" by Albeniz. This was played by Marc Andre Hamelin in the Dallas area. I have heard two performances of "Pictures At An Exhibition" in recent years. I enjoy that music very much. However The piano music that I heard a pianist from Russia play about three years ago was the most difficult to play of any piano music I ever heard and evidently very few pianists ever attempt to play any music by the Russian composer Kolontay. Have any of you who might read this entry ever heard of Kolontay or heard his music played?


Well I can see why very few people play it (or want to play it, even.) As you said, Marc Andre-Hamelin is very good at tackling some unknown technical giant (though Iberia and Pictures at an Exhibition are both part of standard repertoire.) I prefer his interpretations of the works by Godowsky and Alkan. Speaking of Alkan, has anyone heard of Jack Gibbons?



> Not until I went and looked for it. I found this:-


Kinda reminds me of Sorabji.


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## YsayeOp.27#6

airad2 said:


> has anyone heard of Jack Gibbons?


I have his ASV Alkan set, but I haven't listened to it in a while. I know Oisfetz has it too...


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## Rachovsky

airad2 said:


> Speaking of Alkan, has anyone heard of Jack Gibbons?
> i.


I love his Alkan interpretations. I actually just discovered a little piece called Allegro Barbaro, which I listened to around 10 times a day for probably 3 weeks. Lovely piece. 
(



)


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## Air

Rachovsky said:


> I love his Alkan interpretations. I actually just discovered a little piece called Allegro Barbaro, which I listened to around 10 times a day for probably 3 weeks. Lovely piece.
> (
> 
> 
> 
> )


Wow, for once repetition sounds good.

Well, I've recently discovered his Symphony for Solo Piano. Especially in the middle, I feel I am just going to jump out of my seat!


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## Taneyev

The Godowsky etudes on Chopin are absolutely frighful. You need 3 hands (2 lefts) to play them.


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## YsayeOp.27#6

airad2 said:


> Wow, for once repetition sounds good.
> 
> Well, I've recently discovered his Symphony for Solo Piano. Especially in the middle, I feel I am just going to jump out of my seat!


You should listen to the Concerto..


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## Air

YsayeOp.27#6 said:


> You should listen to the Concerto..


Loved it!


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## Air

Taneyev said:


> The Godowsky etudes on Chopin are absolutely frighful. You need 3 hands (2 lefts) to play them.


Horowitz said 4 hands. But, interestingly, he never played them. Do you?


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## Taneyev

No,my friend. The only thing I play is my CDs. I'm what they name as a "serious listener" and nothing more. But I'm collecting recordings since the 60s. (!)


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## PostMinimalist

The double bass is notoriously hard to play well so being able to get round the virtuoso repertoire for it is considered to be quite an exclusive club. The Zigeurweisen is quite a 'tour de force'. 
Here's Roman Patkolo doing the honours:


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## YsayeOp.27#6

post-minimalist said:


> The double bass is notoriously hard to play well so being able to get round the virtuoso repertoire for it is considered to be quite an exclusive club. The Zigeurweisen is quite a 'tour de force'.
> Here's Roman Patkolo doing the honours:


Ever heard Ludwig Streicher' _Nightmare_?


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## YsayeOp.27#6

What about the Freeman Etudes, by John Cage?


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## Lang

Rachovsky said:


> I love his Alkan interpretations. I actually just discovered a little piece called Allegro Barbaro, which I listened to around 10 times a day for probably 3 weeks. Lovely piece.
> (
> 
> 
> 
> )


Ooh, I love the Allegro Barbaro. Never managed to play it all the way through, though.


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## Taneyev

Rahmaninoff's sonatas are horribly difficult. Very few pianist try it And what about the huge Godowsky's Pasacaglia or Balakireff's Islamey?.


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## Air

Taneyev said:


> Rahmaninoff's sonatas are horribly difficult. Very few pianist try it And what about the huge Godowsky's Pasacaglia or Balakireff's Islamey?.


Islamey is sick (in both ways.) And extremely over-played. It is definetely NOT infrequently performed.


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## Taneyev

I was talking about difficulty, not frecuency of playing. There are many more very hard works: Gaspard, Tchaikovsky's grand sonate, Khatchaturian sonata, Prokofieff's eight sonata, the Godowsky arrangements of Bach works, Busoni's Fantasia Contrapuntistica, Reger's variations and fugue on Theleman...


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## YsayeOp.27#6

Taneyev said:


> the Godowsky arrangements of Bach works,


Godowsky... He even managed to make an unplayable version of the Tango by Albeniz!!!*

*Well... not unplayable, but he turned an easy piano piece into something very complicated.


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## YsayeOp.27#6

I don't think Sorabji's 100 Trascendental Etudes are played often. In fact, I only managed to get the first 25. Anyone here heard something about the other 75?


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## shsherm

The replies to my query were quite fascinating. I would have to relegate some of the above named composers and their music to the ranks of the lesser known. Obviously, very few musicians can play the most difficult works.


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## Yosser

*Caged*

Surely, Cage's most difficult work is 4' 33" ? A swine to get just right!


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## World Violist

Just about anything by Kalevi Aho is absurdly difficult for everyone involved. But still, it's really great music.


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## wolf

Yosser said:


> Surely, Cage's most difficult work is 4' 33" ? A swine to get just right!


Anyway, today it is difficult. Perhaps in the Bell Room or in the Kentucky Mammoth cave...

As for violin concertos, few are more difficult than Schönbergs, at least if you play it as it should be played...


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## Cyclops

How about a piece called Kontakte by Ligetti. 
Or Piano Phase by Steve Reich


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## Taneyev

wolf said:


> As for violin concertos, few are more difficult than Schönbergs, at least if you play it as it should be played...


Many violinists consider that the most difficult v.c., not technically but to play it well, is LvB's.. But just to play all the notes, listen to Tischenko's second.


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## Liszt

Sorabji's Opus Clavicembalisticum must be up there with as one of the most difficult and i rekon its only been played a few times. 4hours of horrendously tricky piano solo cant be particularly inviting. In my opinion its sounds terrible aswell...


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## Rasa

> Ooh, I love the Allegro Barbaro. Never managed to play it all the way through, though.


If you're referring to Bartok's, it isn't hard at all.


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## JAKE WYB

no even i can play that - and is very frequently performed - too much so


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