# Recommendations for sacred piano music?



## Bettina

I love listening to sacred music for solo piano..but I'm having difficulty finding works in this genre! Could any of you please suggest some pieces?

I know of Messiaen's Vingt Regards sur l'enfant-Jesus, and some works by Liszt such as Benediction de Dieu dans le Solitude. Apart from those, though, I can't think of many other sacred pieces for piano solo. It seems that the vast majority of sacred music is written for choral ensembles--which I love, but I'm in the mood for some piano music right now!

I'm mostly interested in recommendations for Christian pieces. But please feel free to suggest piano works associated with other religious traditions as well! Thanks in advance for any suggestions that you might have.


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## Chordalrock

Visions de l'Amen for two pianos by Messiaen. Love the first movement.


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## Animal the Drummer

You mention "some" by Liszt but he actually wrote quite a large number of such pieces, both as part of his "Années de Pèlerinage" and elsewhere. Go hunting among the Liszt catalogue and you'll probably find quite a few you weren't aware of.


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## Bettina

Animal the Drummer said:


> You mention "some" by Liszt but he actually wrote quite a large number of such pieces, both as part of his "Années de Pèlerinage" and elsewhere. Go hunting among the Liszt catalogue and you'll probably find quite a few you weren't aware of.


Thanks for the suggestion! I love Liszt's "Benediction de Dieu dans le Solitude." I wasn't aware that he had done so many others in this genre. I look forward to exploring his (vast and diverse) catalog of piano works for more sacred pieces!


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## jdec

Bettina said:


> I love Liszt's "Benediction de Dieu dans le Solitude."


I love it too. Which version do you like? my first choice for this one so far is Claudio Arrau.


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## Bettina

My favorite version is Stephen Hough, on his CD "Stephen Hough, Liszt." I haven't heard the Arrau yet--thanks for the recommendation.


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## jdec

If I remember well, I once heard Hough's version in youtube, which is also beautiful, although a bit faster in tempo than Arrau's, so you may or may not like it slower. Will check again Hough's version. Thanks.


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## hpowders

Bettina said:


> My favorite version is Stephen Hough, on his CD "Stephen Hough, Liszt." I haven't heard the Arrau yet--thanks for the recommendation.


As an aside, Hough also has a wonderful performance of the Hummel A minor Piano Concerto in the can.


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## quack

George Gurdjieff was a mystic, philosopher, new ager, difficult to classify guy whose ideas were influenced by Sufism and who created spiritual piano works in collaboration with Thomas De Hartmann.


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## cimirro

Bettina said:


> I love listening to sacred music for solo piano..but I'm having difficulty finding works in this genre! Could any of you please suggest some pieces?


I recommend Gino Tagliapietra's "Tre Pezzi per pianoforte" 
1 - Il Presepio
2 - La Fuga in Egitto
3 - Il Miracolo di Cristo sul lago Genezareth

i just love them

All the best
Artur Cimirro


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## Bettina

cimirro said:


> I recommend Gino Tagliapietra's "Tre Pezzi per pianoforte"
> 1 - Il Presepio
> 2 - La Fuga in Egitto
> 3 - Il Miracolo di Cristo sul lago Genezareth
> 
> i just love them
> 
> All the best
> Artur Cimirro


Thanks so much for the suggestions! This is exactly the type of thing that I'm looking for, with programmatic titles referring to religious topics.

Do you know of any recordings of these pieces? I tried looking online and I couldn't find anything.


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## cimirro

Bettina said:


> Thanks so much for the suggestions! This is exactly the type of thing that I'm looking for, with programmatic titles referring to religious topics.
> 
> Do you know of any recordings of these pieces? I tried looking online and I couldn't find anything.


Not sure, maybe Paolo Vergari did it?
I already played it twice in concert some years ago. If someone pays the studio I will be happy to record it 

Best
Artur Cimirro


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## Marinera

^
I just knew it, that it would be a music sheet variety


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## cimirro

Marinera said:


> ^
> I just knew it, that it would be a music sheet variety


The score must be around internet, no? 
If not, please write me a PM with an e-mail adress and I'll send it to you


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## Xaltotun

Liszt's "Benediction.." is actually just a 3rd part of a 10-part series called "Harmonies poétiques et religieuses". I advise you to immediately listen to the whole series as it's just incredible!!


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## Marinera

cimirro said:


> The score must be around internet, no?
> If not, please write me a PM with an e-mail adress and I'll send it to you


Thank you, but I don't play piano, so no musical scores for me. I wanted a reccording.


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## Marinera

Corpus Christi en Sevilla from Albéniz Iberia is not exactly religious, but it is about Corpus Christi day celebration in Sevilla


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## Marinera

Ernest Bloch - Visions et Prophéties per pianoforte


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## cimirro

Marinera said:


> Thank you, but I don't play piano, so no musical scores for me. I wanted a reccording.


You are welcome, I understand. There is also some religious inspired pieces by Nikolay Obukhov

Actually what I wrote in that earlier post can be a nice idea - I think I shall start a "Request your piano music recording" thread, then everyone interested in a recording which is not available yet can have it in few weeks if paying the studio expenses... If a full CD needs around U$ 300/400 I'm sure a track can be much cheaper... what the other members think about this idea? silly?

All the best
Artur Cimirro


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## Bettina

Marinera said:


> Corpus Christi en Sevilla from Albéniz Iberia is not exactly religious, but it is about Corpus Christi day celebration in Sevilla


Thank you so much for reminding me about this! I have a CD of Iberia (somewhere...I have to search through my disorganized piles! :lol. I'm definitely going to dig it out today and do some close listening to that movement.


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## Bettina

cimirro said:


> You are welcome, I understand. There is also some religious inspired pieces by Nikolay Obukhov
> 
> Actually what I wrote in that earlier post can be a nice idea - I think I shall start a "Request your piano music recording" thread, then everyone interested in a recording which is not available yet can have it in few weeks if paying the studio expenses... If a full CD needs around U$ 300/400 I'm sure a track can be much cheaper... what the other members think about this idea? silly?
> 
> All the best
> Artur Cimirro


I like this idea. However, I'm not sure if it would be allowed on the Talk Classical site. There might be a policy against selling or advertising services. Maybe you should check with a moderator before you start the thread.


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## cimirro

Bettina said:


> I like this idea. However, I'm not sure if it would be allowed on the Talk Classical site. There might be a policy against selling or advertising services. Maybe you should check with a moderator before you start the thread.


Yes, probably you are right... i'm afraid it is going to sound like a advertising service... but I shall do something like this in my website during the weekend maybe.
Thanks for the tip!


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## Heliogabo

I think that Haydn's "Seven last words of Christ" (piano version) qualifies to be mentioned on this thread. I like a lot Bart Van Oort performance on forte piano.


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## Bettina

Heliogabo said:


> I think that Haydn's "Seven last words of Christ" (piano version) qualifies to be mentioned on this thread. I like a lot Bart Van Oort performance on forte piano.


Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I had absolutely no idea that there was a solo piano version of this work, and I am delighted about this discovery!


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## cimirro

Johann Kuhnau - Biblical Sonatas !


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