The 5 most difficult piano piecesMarch 7th, 2009
It is a question I’m often asked and find it quite hard to give an answer. The notion of difficulty is a subjective one, and what may seem difficult to you may seem easy to someone else. This ranking does not thus escape my subjectivity – these are the most difficult piano pieces according to me.
At the top of the pyramid, I would put Gaspard de la nuit by Maurice Ravel. Technically and musically extremely impressive, many pianists shied away from learning it.
In second place, I would put the Second Sonata by Pierre Boulez. No need to spell it out, it is an extremely difficult whole (in particular for memory) and just as Gaspard de la nuit, it fascinates me a lot, but few go through all the work required to perform it in public.
I assign the third place to the three famous movements from Petrushka by Stravinsky. Manually not so easy and musically complicated, like any other piano reduction by Stravinsky…
Some will be surprised by the fourth one: The eighth Sonata by Prokofiev.
And the last one in this very subjective ranking: the Sonata opus 106 hammerklavier by Beethoven, especially for its very famous fugue…
Let’s sum up this “top 5″:
1 – Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit
2 – Boulez : Second Sonata
3 – Stravinsky : 3 movements from Petrushka
4 – Prokofiev : Eighth Sonata
5 – Beethoven : Sonata Hammerklavier opus 106.
Of course, this is just my point of view on the subject and you will certainly hear about other suggestions elsewhere. Notice that 4 in 5 works are from the 20th century, at a time when piano technique and pianos greatly evolved.
And you, what would you add to this list? What are your criterions for considering a work to be difficult?
03/11/09 - 13:33
Pierre-Arnaud, I play the piano too and I am enjoying your blog! Speaking of tough piano pieces, how about Ravel’s solo piano “La Valse”? The pianist I am writing my book about, Leonard Pennario, he made a historic recording of “Gaspard de la Nuit” in 1952 but I got the idea he took even more pride in being the first pianist to tackle “La Valse.” I have never tried “La Valse” but I understand it is supposed to be tremendously difficult.
03/12/09 - 11:12
You have a lot of wonderful posts! Will be introducing this website to my piano students. Thanks for sharing your resources in music teaching.
03/12/09 - 16:15
Mary, la valse IS difficult! I did not list it because I think it’s less difficult than Gaspard de la Nuit and I only wanted pieces originally for piano.
Thanks for reading! And you already know I am enjoying your blog
05/29/09 - 17:09
Huh, I guess I would put
1 – Opus Clavicembalisticum (although it sounds absolutely terrible in my opinion of course)
2 – Rachmaninov’s 3rd Concerto
3 – Liszt’s Trancendental Etude No.4
4 – Polonaise Op.22 Chopin
5 – Islamey and Oriental Fantasy.
06/2/09 - 09:55
Great resources on your post. I really love and enjoy your post. Thanks!
08/15/09 - 19:41
I really enjoyed this and hope to see more soon.
10/6/09 - 12:03
La Campanella. La Campanella. Try that one for size when you have minute hands – like I do.