# Recommendations - Intimate piano works



## Beethoven fanatic (Nov 12, 2021)

One piece for piano I particularly enjoy is the second of Brahms' Intermezzi (Op. 118). I was wondering, though, if there were any other pieces of that sort of character that I might be able to get recommendations for. I'm not looking for something that's too hard to follow but I also want something that is sentimentally expressive and relatively lighthearted, in the same way that this Intermezzo is. Thank you!


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

You're probably already familiar with Brahms' Op.117 Intermezzi, which have the same melancholic vibe and romantic ardour. Chopin wrote a ton of relatively short character pieces which are romantic in spirit. The Nocturnes should do the trick. Schubert's Impromptus, especially the famous Third in G Flat, are an enjoyable listen. Here's a pretty highly regarded performance. Hope you enjoy...






P.S. If you want something shorter, there's Grieg's Lyric Pieces. There's a great recording by Emil Gilels.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I. Johannes Brahms,

1. Brahms wrote many intermezzi. Pianists Glenn Gould & Luba Edlina have both made excellent recordings of just the Intermezzi from Brahms' Op. 76, 116, 117, 118 & 119 sets, & you'll likely find similiar pieces on their two CDs:

--Edlina: 



--Gould: 




--I'd also recommend the Op. 119 set played by Sviatoslav Richter, live in Kiev (which can be found in the Richter 'Brahms & Schumann' Hanssler box set): 




--Dmitri Bashkirov, Op. 118, no. 6, from one of my favorite solo piano Brahms CDs, issued by Harmonia Mundi: 




2. Four Ballades:
--Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli: 



--Emil Gilels: 



--Julius Katchen: 




3. Theme & Variations - Arrangement of the 2nd movement of the String Sextet, Op. 18, for solo piano, played by Radu Lupu: 



.

Here are some other works that might fit into what you're looking for--in addition to Schubert's 8 Impromptus & Chopin's Nocturnes that Sears Poncho mentioned above, & again, I've included links to a variety of my favorite recordings for each (but feel free to just listen to the first recording mentioned on each list below):

II. Chopin,

1. Berceuse:
--Ivan Moravec: 



--Maryla Jonas: 



--Vladimir Ashkenazy, two recordings: 








--Harold Bauer:




2. Mazurka in A Minor, Op. 17, No. 4: 
--Halina Czerny-Stefánska: 



--Vladimir Ashkenazy: 



--Roland Pöntinen: 




3. Four Impromptus:
--Augustin Anievas: 



--Tamas Vasary: 




4. Nocturnes:

--Claudio Arrau: 



--Ivan Moravec: 



--Maria Joao Pires: 



--Samson François: 



--Brigitte Engerer: 




III. Robert Schumann,

1. Fantasiestücke op. 12 - 1. "Des Abends":

--Murray Perahia: 



--Ignacy Jan Paderewski: 



--Harold Bauer: 



--Sviatoslav Richter: 



--Yves Nat: 



--Homero Francesch: 




2. Album für die Jugend, or Album for the Young, Op. 68: 



 :which Schumann composed to teach his young children how to play the piano. I believe certain pieces from this album may fit into what you're looking for, such as the following works, etc.:

--"Winterszeit 1": 




--"In the Merry Month of May": 




--"Mignon': 
--Michel Block: not on YT
--Luba Edlina: 



--Reine Gianoli: 




--Ania Dorfmann: 



--Carlo Zecchi: 



--Samuel Feinberg: 




3. Humoreske:
--Yves Nat: 



--Svitoslav Richter: 



--Deszo Ranki: 



--Rene Gianoli: 



--Thierry de Brunhoff: 




4. Bunte Blätter:

--Svitoslav Richter: 



--Michel Block: 



--Clara Haskil: 




IV. Franz Schubert,

1. 6 Moments Musicaux, no. 2, played by Maria Joao Pires, from her complete recording for DG: 




--Emil Gilels (complete): 



--Alfred Brendel (complete): 




V. Edvard Grieg,

1. Lyric Pieces:

--Svitoslav Richter: 



--Emil Gilels: 



--Walter Gieseking: 



--Eva Knardahl (complete): 



--Einar Steen-Nokleberg (complete): 



--Håkon Austbø (complete): 




VI. Tchaikovsky:

--Valse Sentimentale: 




VII. Isaac Albéniz,

1. Iberia, 1. Evocacion, or Evocation, played by Roland Pöntinen: 




Here are the two best recordings of the complete Iberia that I know:
--Rosa Sabater: 



--Rafael Orozco: 




VIII. Federico Mompou:

1. Impresiones intimas:
--Alicia de Larrocha: 



--Rosa Sabater: 



--Adolf Pla: 




"Secreto", from Impresiones intimas, played Federico Mompou: 




2. Cancion y Danza No. 6", played by Federico Mompou: 




3. If you like this music, you might also enjoy listening to Mompou's "Musica Callada" or "Silent Music": 




IX. Felix Mendelssohn, "Songs Without Words":

--Rena Kyriakou: 



--Walter Gieseking: 



--Ania Dorfmann: 



--Ilse von Alpenheim: 




X. Erik Satie:

1. Trois Gymnopedies: 



2. Gnossienes: 




--Pascal Rogé: 



--Daniel Varsano: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqMI3MU36yxj-q1IblXtK5Q
--Roland Pöntinen: 




XI. Francis Poulenc,

1. Mélancolie:

--Pascal Rogé: 



--Gabriel Tacchino: 



--Cristina Ortiz: 




XII. Vladimir Cosma--Promenade sentimentale, played by Roland Pöntinen: 




XIII. Georg Frideric Handel,

1. Menuett in G Minor, HWV 434/4 - transcribed for the piano by Wilhelm Kempff:

--Wilhelm Kempff: 



--Roland Pöntinen: 




Needless to say, the above recommendations aren't meant to be explored all at once, but over time.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I'd not really call late Brahms "lighthearted" but there are the other late pieces, 116, 117, 119 as well as the earlier op.76.

Also Chopin's Mazurkas and Nocturnes, the Etudes and Preludes are a mix of more intimate and "flashy" pieces.
Schumann Kinderszenen, Waldszenen (again, most of the other Schumann cycles have rather extrovert parts)

Mendelssohn: Songs without words (Lieder ohne Worte)

Liszt's arrangements of some Schubert songs would also fit.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Beethoven fanatic said:


> One piece for piano I particularly enjoy is the second of Brahms' Intermezzi (Op. 118). I was wondering, though, if there were any other pieces of that sort of character that I might be able to get recommendations for. I'm not looking for something that's too hard to follow but I also want something that is sentimentally expressive and relatively lighthearted, in the same way that this Intermezzo is. Thank you!







Maybe a bit more challenging, see what you think


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