Who are the most difficult-to-play classical pianists?

Question

This is actually two separate questions:

1. Could someone give me an opinionated list of the top 5 (or top 10 if you would like) most difficult-to-play classical pianists?

2. Is Beethoven difficult to play, or is he known for being difficult/easy?

Thanks! :)

Answer 1

1.Liszt

Liszt is sensationally difficult so much so that I give him the one spot, Liszt wrote the transcendental etudes which are some of the most difficult pieces overwritten, espescially no5, Feux Follets, which is absolute hell. Additionally, he has the paganini etudes, the hungarian rhapsody's (check out number 2 and thank me later) and tons of transcriptions, his music is exceptionally difficult. Anyone who can play all the transcendental etudes has mastered the technical aspect of piano playing period.

2.Rachmaninoff

Most famous for difficulty is his 3rd piano concerto in d minor considered to be one of the hardest pieces of all time very long, very difficult.

3.Chopin

One of the greatest piano composer's of all time, he wrote 27 piano etudes all of which refine some aspect of the pianist's technique, particularly difficult are the winter wind etude(I've played that :), op 10. no.4 and perhaps the hardest the thirds etude (I wouldn't even want to touch the thirds etude and I've been playing for a while.)

4.Ravel

Ravel wrote Gaspard De la Nuit (devil of the night) a very very challenging piece, and also considered one of the hardest of all time. I've learned the Ondine section, and I can tell you it was extremely rough. The third section (Scarbo) is even tougher.

5.Beethoven

Beethoven's music is very difficult all though I don't find that it reaches the heights of difficulty achieved by Chopin and Liszt and I don't think he wrote anything as hard as the transcendental etudes, or the hardest of Chopin's etudes. He wrote 32 piano sonatas no. 8 pathetique is one of the easiest one's he wrote and is a good first sonata to start with. no.17, the tempest is pretty difficult, the main challenge is the tremolos in the piece, which are encountered often and can be difficult to execute, you also have the 23rd(I think) piano sonata the appassionata is difficult as well, I find the most difficult aspect of this sonata to be the runs in the 3rd movement and some of the tremolos in the 3rd, you need considerable finger strength to play it. The hardest sonata he wrote is the Hammerklavier sonata, apparently, but I've never looked at it so I can't really comment. All in all, while Beethoven might not have been the hardest of the hard composer's he wasn't far behind them. To play some of pieces he wrote, the way they are meant to be played you need to possess prodigious skill, and perhaps even technical mastery of the instrument. Good luck, with your pianistic pursuits.

Answer 2

All major composers have also written at least some rather technically simple pieces. However, Beethoven's major piano sonatas certain can be technically difficult, such as the Waldstein Sonata, The Hammerklavier, Opus 11 and 110, etc. However, once we consider the great romantic era composers, Liszt is the most technically difficult, For example, his Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 or number 14. Franz Lizst composed piano transcriptions of other com posers' works are also rather difficult Chopin's Scherzos and Ballads, not forgetting his B flat minor piano sonata and all his piano Etudes are very technically demanding. Rachmaninoff has very technically demanding works as well. Of course, Schumann, Brahms, Dvorak also have written many technically difficult compositions. Much of Debussy and Ravel have difficulties as well, and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue for piano solo is not easy matter. Of course, in terms of pure finer maneuverability, Bach and Mozart are nothing to sneeze at, but both Mozart and Bach do not generally rely on major technical accomplishments spare fingerwork, as opposed to the others who also have great acrobatic qualities.

Answer 3

If you are talking only about notes some are easier than others. However as professional players know there is no such thing as easy and difficult pieces. All pieces are difficult to play WELL. For a professional player the easiest part of learning a piece is learning the notes.

Answer 4

1. To my mind, the two most difficult composers to *play* are Mozart and Chopin, broadly speaking.



For a great many reasons... :-)



2. Yes, of course. That being said, Piano Sonatina in G major is ''easy'', the ''Hammerklavier'' Sonata is *not*.



Best,



Raymond

Answer 5

1) top 3 are charles-valentin alkan, franz liszt, and frederic chopin (though not much).



2) perhaps, i guess? i have played fur elise but that was only a small part.

Answer 6

difficult to do a list but Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit has got to be among the more challenging pieces

for piano...