# Greatest fast movement ever



## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Schumann piano concerto

What about you


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Ravel's Piano Concerto in G finale - quite fast! 

Best regards, Dr


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

Either Shostakovich 10 mvmt 2 or 8 mvmt 3. Both about the same for me, but I would go with the former if pressed to choose.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

DrKilroy said:


> Ravel's Piano Concerto in G finale - quite fast!
> 
> Best regards, Dr


Good choice! That one is very fast.


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## LindnerianSea (Jun 5, 2013)

Dvorak's Scherzo Furiant of his 6th symphony. The "galloping" rhythm in the third movement of Shostakovich's 6th symphony is also something.


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## schuberkovich (Apr 7, 2013)

An obvious one is the 2nd movement of Shostakovich's 8th string quartet. 



Another I would suggest is the toccata movement of Ravel's Tombeau de couperin.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Last movement, Beethoven's 7th. All the rest are wannabes.


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

Burroughs said:


> Schumann piano concerto


The 1st or 3rd mvmt? Both are allegro.

There are far too many I can think of. One that I've been really 'into' of late is the _Stürmisch bewegt - Energisch_ from Mahler's 1st.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Skilmarilion said:


> The 1st or 3rd mvmt? Both are allegro.
> 
> There are far too many I can think of. One that I've been really 'into' of late is the _Stürmisch bewegt - Energisch_ from Mahler's 1st.


1st of course


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Haydn String Quartet op. 76/2 ("Fifths"), 1st movement. Allegro.

In truth, I don't have a favorite and could have named dozens of potential choices.


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

GreenMamba said:


> Haydn String Quartet op. 76/2 ("Fifths"), 1st movement. Allegro.
> 
> In truth, I don't have a favorite and could have named dozens of potential choices.


True. Comes to mind J.C. Bach's ''La calamità''


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## Stemahl (Jun 4, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Last movement, Beethoven's 7th. All the rest are wannabes.


Definitely, this is also my favourite Beethoven symphony. If you hadn't said this then i might have went with Dvorak's Slavonic Dance op.46 no. 8. Or is that cheating?


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Re Beethoven's 7th. Sir George Grove wrote of the finale in 1896: "The force that reigns throughout this movement is literally prodigious, and reminds one of Carlyle's hero Ram Dass, who has 'fire enough in his belly to burn up the entire world'. "


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## Feathers (Feb 18, 2013)

So many great choices so far! I'm having trouble coming up with the one ultimate greatest fast movement ever, but speaking of fast, I do really like the first movement of Schumann's 2nd piano sonata, which is able to maintain its musicality despite having to be played faster than possible.


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## Eschbeg (Jul 25, 2012)

The fourth movement of Hindemith's Viola Sonata (Op. 25, No. 1) is marked "♩ = 600-640." That's obviously not humanly possible, but this guy takes an admirable shot at it:


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## ahammel (Oct 10, 2012)

KenOC said:


> Re Beethoven's 7th. Sir George Grove wrote of the finale in 1896: "The force that reigns throughout this movement is literally prodigious, and reminds one of Carlyle's hero Ram Dass, who has 'fire enough in his belly to burn up the entire world'. "


On the other hand, Sir Thomas Beecham wrote of it that it's "like a bunch of yaks jumping about".


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## Stemahl (Jun 4, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Re Beethoven's 7th. Sir George Grove wrote of the finale in 1896: "The force that reigns throughout this movement is literally prodigious, and reminds one of Carlyle's hero Ram Dass, who has 'fire enough in his belly to burn up the entire world'. "


That's brilliant, I'm new to classical music and it was Beethoven's 6th that inspired me to look for more then I found the amazing 7th, where each movement seems to get better. Also I apologize for piggy-backing on your choice, but it is the best.


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## Bone (Jan 19, 2013)

ahammel said:


> On the other hand, Sir Thomas Beecham wrote of it that it's "like a bunch of yaks jumping about".


Sir Thomas certainly didn't care in which direction or at whom he cast aspersions. Love the imagery!


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I'm torn between the last movement of Bach's 3rd Brandenburg and the finale of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.


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## GGluek (Dec 11, 2011)

Scherzo of Prokofiev's Piano Cto. No. 2; finale to Beethoven's 3rd Rasumovsky quartet (Op. 59 No. 3).


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

After further consideration, I'd say my nomination would have to be the _Allegro molto appassionato_ of Mendelssohn's violin concerto.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I'll have to be predictable and go for the scherzo from Beethoven's 9th. It doesn't have to be super fast to be great. But the Schumann piano concerto movement 3 is probably tied.

Honorable mentions:
Shostakovich Cello Concerto 1, movement 1

About half of the Scarlatti sonatas, but especially the K.455 in G. The dizzying modulations in the second part should come with a warning label.


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## Lisztian (Oct 10, 2011)

Finale of the Symphonie Fantastique.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

And I must add the 1st mvt of Schumann's fantaisie


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## GodNickSatan (Feb 28, 2013)

Eschbeg said:


> The fourth movement of Hindemith's Viola Sonata (Op. 25, No. 1) is marked "♩ = 600-640." That's obviously not humanly possible, but this guy takes an admirable shot at it:


That was awesome.


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## hello (Apr 5, 2013)

What is the fastest (but still playable) piece ever?
Perhaps something by Ligeti?


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

I don't know about "greatest", but certainly one of the greats in my reckoning.

Schumann's incredible Presto Passionato.


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## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

Schubert's Great C major symphony 4th movement: Allegro Vivace






The strings! The strings!! So fassssttttt..


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

A few more suggestions....

The last movement of Mendelssohn's Octet

The last movement of Bach's Italian Concerto

The last movement of Brahms' G minor Piano Quartet


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## waldvogel (Jul 10, 2011)

KenOC said:


> Last movement, Beethoven's 7th. All the rest are wannabes.


Unless you're talking about THIS performance. It's like Ram Dass entered the room in rubber boots covered in thick gooey mud.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

waldvogel said:


> Unless you're talking about THIS performance. It's like Ram Dass entered the room in rubber boots covered in thick gooey mud.


Wow! Must be pretty bad, YT won't even play it!


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

There's countless examples I could give from Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Bartok, Stravinsky, etc., but I'm going to go for a not so obvious choice:

Respighi: _Belkis, Queen of Sheba_ - second movement _War Dance_


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

> Unless you're talking about THIS performance. It's like Ram Dass entered the room in rubber boots covered in thick gooey mud.


Oh dear. Reminds me of his glacial recording of Mahlers' 7th.
As for greatest fast movement, how about the finale of Shostakovich 11th? Here's a rather fine example:


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