[f_minor] Re : Short list of hard stuff

[James Atkins Pritchard]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Ravel admitted that he couldn't
play Gaspard.

We might want to add Sorabji's Opus Clavicembalisticum to the list.

Best,

Jim

On 31 August 2010 11:34, Houpt, Fred <fred.houpt at rbc.com> wrote:

>  Good additions.  I find that the Beethoven, if played at tempo is quite
> challenging.  The "A" is not the most difficult but because it is so poetic
> and large in structure it is quite something to pull off.  B's Opus 111 is
> daunting for sure and aside from the cumbersome trills, is not as overtly
> hard to go through as say, the third movement of the "Moonlight" with a
> blaze of speed behind you.  I agree with the Ravel (he must have been a
> phenomenally gifted pianist)....I have not printed off Scarbo and now you've
> scared me out of it.  The Schumann I probably heard once but I cannot recall
> it's themes, so I think I'll have a look at the music....his rarely played
> show pieces just dazzle the mind.   I have yet to play any Godowsky - too
> cowardly.  Liszt spent much of his career doing transcriptions; my favorite
> and I have it in two big books at home, are the Beethoven symphonies.  I
> feel that a person can gain so much insight into the inner workings of his
> symphonies at a more profound level by playing through Liszt's almost
> impossibly hard transcriptions.  The texture of the harmonies in the
> symphonies sound like they are in 3 D versus the rush of sounds when a whole
> orchestra is performing.  I so enjoyed learning more about the music in that
> way.  His other transcriptions of other composers are almost unplayable in
> difficulty.  It is no wonder that women passed out regularly at his
> soirees.  I think I have the Brahms Paganini variations at home and I don't
> recall being that much impressed by the music. I have yet to play any
> Stravinsky on the piano.  Also too scary.  Bartok I have not touched
> either.....
>
> Regards,
>
> Fred
>
>  ------------------------------
> *From:* f_minor-bounces at glenngould.org [mailto:
> f_minor-bounces at glenngould.org] *On Behalf Of *Jean-Christophe Ponsero
> *Sent:* Tuesday, August 31, 2010 11:07 AM
> *To:* Discussion of the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould.
> *Subject:* [f_minor] Re : Short list of hard stuff
>
>  Hi Fred,
>
> I would personally not consider Appasionata a technically difficult piece.
> I'm OK with the Waldstein and would add the op. 111 because of the trills +
> theme at the right hand. Hammerklavier is difficult because of the final
> fugue.
>
> Balakirev's Islamey is a good candidate as suggested by James.
>
> More food for thought (and fingers) :
>
> For Ravel I would add Scarbo from Gaspard de la nuit and the concertos
> Schumann's Fantasie op. 17 has one reportedly unplayable moment at the end
> of the 2nd movement, although I've neved checked the score.
> Godowsky's Passacaglia and most of the etudes on Chopin's etudes
> Liszt's transcription of the Tannhäuser overture + some of the hungarian
> rhapsodies + the B-minor sonata + transcendental etudes
> Brahms's Paganini variations
> 3 movements from Petrushka by Stravinsky
> Bartok's sonata
>
> Cheers
>
>  ------------------------------
> *De :* "Houpt, Fred" <fred.houpt at rbc.com>
> *À :* Discussion of the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould. <
> f_minor at glenngould.org>
> *Envoyé le :* Mar 31 août 2010, 15h 57min 51s
> *Objet :* [f_minor] Short list of hard stuff
>
> I have drafted a short list, not in any way fully representative, of hard
> piano music.  Just an opening bunch to think about and add to.
>
>
> *Difficult piano music *
>
>
>
> *Beethoven*
>
> Appassionato, Waldstein, Hammerklavier
>
>
>
> *JS Bach*
>
> most of Goldberg
>
>
>
> *Brahms*
>
> Second Piano Concerto
>
>
>
> *D. Scarlatti*
>
> All his keyboard sonatas (at full tempo)
>
>
>
> *Schumann*
>
> Parts of Piano Sonata 1
>
>
>
> *Rachmaninoff*
>
> Piano sonata #2
>
>
>
> *Chopin*
>
> Butterfly Etude
>
>
>
> *Ravel*
>
> “La Valse” for two hands
>
>
>
> *Paul Dukas*
>
> “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” for two hands
>
>
>
> *Prokofiev*
>
> Piano Sonatas (all hard, can’t imagine the concertos….)
>
>
>
> *Saint-Saens*
>
> Piano Etudes, Preludes and Fuges (at full tempo)
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
> Fred Houpt
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