# Intense pieces for smaller ensembles (any era)?



## MonagFam (Nov 17, 2015)

I have always been more drawn to the fast/aggressive works or movements. I know I came to love the terms Allegro or Scherzo when I saw it listed with a movement. I am now in my early 40s and have definitely not mellowed with age. It isn't that I find slower movements boring or uninteresting, I just don't seek them out the same way. (To be fair, music can affect me emotionally and sometimes I don't want to be in touch with all my emotions -- give me the action/comedy over the drama). I have also been more into larger ensembles.

I know I have often neglected some smaller ensembles or single instruments. Would anyone have any good fast/intense/aggressive (subjective terms, but hopefully you know what I am aiming at) pieces they would recommend? Sometimes I will see piano works or <instrument> sonata and immediately dismiss it as something I wouldn't be interested in, but maybe I am really missing out.

Thanks!


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 2nd movement.


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## Schumanniac (Dec 11, 2016)

Try the 3rd movement of Schumann's piano trio no3. Im your polar opposite in taste, more gently inclined, but the outer sections in this work is brilliant, its so odd, but full of fire. Theres softer parts in it as well, but try it out, it always gets me standing up.

Theres part 10 in his Davidsbundlertanze too. That one has the fury of the moonlight sonata's third movement(which i'd recommend too). Its very short but never thought a piano could utter such power. Maurizio Pollini is your man for this one. 

The opening 2 minutes of his piano sonata no 1, its a very strong and dark melody, constantly increasing in speed and ferocity, to a maddened hammering at the very end. I dont like what follows but the opening is pure magic. 

Thats the examples that immediatly came to mind, sorry they are all Schumann, but its one of his days  Like above i'd recommend dabbling in Shostakovich a bit. The other russians too really, they do seem to love torturing those poor violins in their frenzied fervor. What your looking for probably works best in orchestral or solo piano works though.


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## Razumovskymas (Sep 20, 2016)

I'm totally with you, the adagios' are just to take a breath 

Prokofiev piano sonata 2





Beethoven opus 59 nr 2





Schubert string quartet 14 (death and the maiden)





Beethoven Waldstein Sonata





Beethoven appassionata 3th mvt





Liszt: LaCampanella, Mephisto Waltz, Sonata in B-minor, Czardas obstinée

















Händel passacaglia





Bach partitas (starts slow but enough fast movements will follow)





Beethoven opus 74


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## lehnert (Apr 12, 2016)

Souvenir de Florence (sextet) by Tchaikovsky, especially the first movement


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Stravinsky - 
Octet,
L'Histoire du Soldat

Octet esp has lots of up-tempo, energetic parts. Great piece.


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## MonagFam (Nov 17, 2015)

Razumovskymas said:


> I'm totally with you, the adagios' are just to take a breath
> 
> Prokofiev piano sonata 2
> 
> ...


Thanks I have started to listen to some of these. I misread the Prokofiev one as Beethoven and it took me a little too long to notice my error. . Duh


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Bartok: Two Romanian Dances, Op. 8a





Ravel: Scarbo


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## MonagFam (Nov 17, 2015)

lehnert said:


> Souvenir de Florence (sextet) by Tchaikovsky, especially the first movement


Really nice! Great 1st movement


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## Sol Invictus (Sep 17, 2016)

Brahm's scherzo from FAE sonata.


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## MonagFam (Nov 17, 2015)

Heck148 said:


> Stravinsky -
> Octet,
> L'Histoire du Soldat
> 
> Octet esp has lots of up-tempo, energetic parts. Great piece.


Thanks! Everytime I think I have a lot of Stravinsky, I realize I am mistaken. I do have L'Histoire du Soldat, but I haven't listened to it yet. Our library offers free music downloads each week. It isn't the best selection or easiest search engine. but I'll live with the price tag. At any rate, that piece was available. (It looks like Octet is too, so I can add it to next week's downloads.)


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## MonagFam (Nov 17, 2015)

Bettina said:


> Bartok: Two Romanian Dances, Op. 8a
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks! Definitely up my alley.


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## MonagFam (Nov 17, 2015)

Sol Invictus said:


> Brahm's scherzo from FAE sonata.


Another one to check out. Thank you.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

This may fit the criterion.


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## JamieHoldham (May 13, 2016)




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