# Great Piano music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566 "2010-02-26T20:25:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/1 "2010-02-26T20:25:43Z")
I have been really into listening to piano music for the last little bit of time. My taste is wide ranging, Jazz, Rock, Blues, Classical, as long as it features piano I am digging it. So I thought, in the name of helping me find new music to listen to, we could compile a list of great piano pieces. I’ll start us off with a couple of things that I have been listening to a lot recently: [Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Zc8SonNBQ&feature=fvw) [Oscar Peterson “Night Train”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvc5tSqak2Q) So there’s a start. What else belongs on the list of great piano music? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/2 "2010-02-26T20:43:40Z")
Anything by Thelonious Monk. Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor. Scriabin’s sonatas. Beethoven’s sonatas and concertos. Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand. The Nice’s cover of Tim Hardin’s “Hang on to a Dream” (live version from _Elegy_). And for something completely out of left field, the player piano music of Conlon Nancarrow. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/3 "2010-02-26T21:12:01Z")
[Keith Jarrett - All The Things You Are](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLCGWh-VZhI) [Caravan - MICHEL PETRUCCIANI solo live](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWmz5-NoFzk) [nardis – Bill Evans](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Z6uBvGE94) [Argerich & Freire - Ravel’s La Valse for 2 pianos](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMg8apbSvUE) [Chick Corea & Hiromi Uehara - Spain](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRU1o-sCnqY) ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/4 "2010-02-26T21:16:19Z")
Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2. Or, hell, anything by Rachmaninoff. ---
**Author:** ![lshaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e36b37/32.png) [@lshaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lshaw)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/5 "2010-02-26T21:17:34Z")
rachmaninoff - rhapsody on the theme of paganini ([last third of it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90MuPqYtV_k)) rachmaninoff - piano concerto no 3 rachmaninoff - piano concerto no 2 rachmaninoff - etudes-tableaux op 33 & 39 ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/6 "2010-02-26T21:25:52Z")
Two things to contribute - [Vladimir Horowitz plays Chopin, Ballade #1 in g minor, Op. 23](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhnRIuGZ_dc) [Luckey Roberts plays Railroad Blues.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud9yV6wyjBU) Luckey is the tall guy on the left in the photo. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/7 "2010-02-26T21:30:22Z")
[Chopin](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvm2ZsRv3C8), Fantasy Impromptu in C# minor. Apparently the composer hated it, but he’s in a minority of one there I think. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/8 "2010-02-26T21:39:11Z")
Just wanted to clarify - they are called GRAND pianos. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/9 "2010-02-26T21:42:36Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Just wanted to clarify - they are called GRAND pianos. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/10 "2010-02-26T21:43:19Z")
Four of my favorites: Ravel’s [Ondine](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhaJF58OHDE) (an ondine is a water fairy) Ravel’s [2nd movement from his Piano Concerto in G Major](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpvv_7roIK0) Debussy’s [“Lent (mélancolique et doux)” (from “Images oubliées”)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQb1xGr2wEU) Debussy’s [Passepied from his “Suite Bergamasque”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBqbTix9Sac) ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/11 "2010-02-26T21:44:08Z")
> [@Maiira](#): > > Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2. > > Or, hell, anything by Rachmaninoff. Yes, even [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud9yV6wyjBU) is worth the watching. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/12 "2010-02-26T21:57:30Z")
Mozart’s [Rondo Alla Turca](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geER3iQDO5k) isn’t deep, but it is absurdly catchy. For pure piano genius, it’s hard to beat Beethoven’s sonatas. On the poppier side, piano features prominently in some of Madness’s songs (like [Disappear](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sd4cjSrLHo) and [Shut Up](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0TQNp5MIO0&feature=fvw)). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/13 "2010-02-26T22:09:47Z")
[Art Tatum’s Tea for Two (1933)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxadblDT6zI&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/14 "2010-02-26T22:14:20Z")
[Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wivo94ylmhE) Glenn Gould’s recording of _The Goldberg Variations_ is nice. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/15 "2010-02-26T22:15:54Z")
Fond of most of Scott Joplin myself. ---
**Author:** ![Trick\_Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Trick\_Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trick_Rider)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/16 "2010-02-26T22:18:15Z")
Any thing from Tord Gustavsen’s album _The Ground_. Good luck finding it though. I haven’t seen it anywhere but the library. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/17 "2010-02-26T22:26:17Z")
[The Conversation Soundtrack – David Shire](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DogQt0WJJkI) ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/18 "2010-02-26T22:28:00Z")
“Conversations with Myself” – Bill Evans …along with just about everything he’s ever done! ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/19 "2010-02-26T22:33:55Z")
[Erik Satie Gymnopedies No1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Xm7s9eGxU) [No2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM54ja7p86U) [No3](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHEpuj96bCg) Wim Mertens [Struggle for Pleasure](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgVztLzp4lg) [4Mains](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OGNaFqCTbg) [Close cover](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPdVhjXHdfE) ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566/20 "2010-02-26T23:46:52Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Two things to contribute - > [Vladimir Horowitz plays Chopin, Ballade #1 in g minor, Op. 23](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhnRIuGZ_dc) I have been going through the related clips of that Horowitz concert for the last hour or so, and they are amazing. I have never actually seen him play before though I have a couple of recordings that he did. I have never seen playing that fluid before in my life. It’s like he doesn’t even have to press the keys, they just melt under his hands. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-piano-music/530566.md?page=2)