The ABC recently held a poll to discover the top 100 piano works. Thousands of music lovers, listeners, the bourgeois of Launceston, voted to see their most loved piano tunes strikes a chord near the top of the repertoire. I didn’t participate in voting but as someone who spent much of life with my fingers exercising on the keys, I took a tiny interest.
The ABC’s ‘Countdown’ list included many wonderful works for the piano, as well as the rather dull and uninspired, and then there’s piano music written for the movies! Like all pianists, I’m confident that my preferences are the genuine article and other opinions can swim around in the murky pond of lesser opinions! (this is also known as musician’s hubris!). So to redeem the piano from the Hungry Jacks of music, I’ve decided to put together the definitive list of the 10 greatest compositions for solo piano and the 10 finest piano concerti. Chamber works written for piano are a third category and one is left for another time.
Where there’s an *, it indicates that I’ve played or performed the work (or at least part of what belongs to a book or suite).
10 Greatest Works for Solo Piano
- Well Tempered Clavier – J.S Bach*
Without Das wohltemperierte Klavier there would be no piano music, no Mozart or Chopin. Both books are the ultimate keyboard music, from which all the great composers look bad for education and inspiration.
2. Ballades – Chopin*
The high point of 19th Century Romanticism. Listen to Philippe Entremont’s recording; possibly my favourite music recording.
3. Piano Sonata No.29, ‘Hammerklavier’ – Beethoven.
The ultimate sonata. Turmoil on the keys!
4. Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K. 310 – Mozart.
The sound of Mozart is pure and perfect.
5. Preludes – Debussy*
The soundtrack of nature with all its aromas and visuals played out on the piano
6. Goldberg Variations – J.S Bach
Simplicity and complexity weaved into perfect harmony
7. Etudes – Chopin*
Ferocious, brilliant, and sonorous
8. Sonata no.14 in C# Minor (“Moonlight”) – Beethoven *
A predictable choice but there is something about the opening movement
9. Années de pèlerinage II (Italie) S. 161: V Sonnette 104 del Petrarch – Liszt
Sparkling virtuosity
10 Preludes – Rachmaninoff *
The anti-revolutionary Russian longing for home (excluding Op23. No 5 which my teacher at the Con rightly thinks is pompous)
10 Greatest Piano Concertos
- Piano Concerto no.3 in D minor, Op. 30 – Rachmaninoff
This is the ultimate pianist’s challenge.
2. Piano Concerto no.2 in C Minor, Opus 18 – Rachmaninoff
3. Piano Concerto no.20 in D Minor, KV 466 – Mozart
4. Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102 – Shostakovich
5. Piano Concerto no.5 Op.73 – Beethoven
it may not be the King of Concertos but it is the Emperor!
6. Piano Concerto no.3 in C major, Op. 26 – Prokofiev
A Kaleidoscope
7. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43 – Rachmaninoff
Technically not a concerto, but who cares!
8. The Piano Concerto No. 1 in B♭ minor, Op. 23 – Tchaikovsky
Glorious opening minutes which become somewhat convoluted and meandering, but you never forget the power of those first pages. I remember being 4 or 5 and stopping a game of backyard cricket because the Tchaikovsky came on the radio.
9. Piano Concerto no.1 in Eb Major – Liszt
10. Piano Concerto no.1 in E Minor – Chopin
The lyricism outweighs Chopin’s inability to write orchestral parts!
There is an astonishing offering of piano music on these two lists. But perhaps I should confess, the definitive list doesn’t exist, not even for me. How does one choose between Bach, Mozart and Debussy? How is compiling a list even possible? They each bring genius of sound and thought to the mightiest of instruments. Nonetheless, on this wintery Melbourne day, this is my offering, and I suspect there would little change on a different day. The Mozart Sonata might change to another, and another 20th Century Concerto might squeeze out Liszt’s, but that’s about it.
If you’re keen to get a taste of the piano, these are my recommendations. Enjoy!
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