# Recommend some piano music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2010, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285 "2010-11-11T07:08:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![I-VI-ii-V](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@I-VI-ii-V](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I-VI-ii-V)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/21 "2010-11-12T04:56:18Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Bill Evans, [Live at the Village Vanguard](http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Village-Vanguard-Recordings-1961/dp/B000AMJEKA). Sublime. > > ETA: simul-post with Zeldar Yes. And you get the added bonus of Scott LaFaro’s bass playing. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/22 "2010-11-12T06:41:48Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > [La Fille aux cheveux de lin](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MswHKA4dako) - The Girl with the Flaxen Hair. Preludes, book 1, #8 Wow. That’s about the most beautiful solo piano work I’ve heard in quite a while. Wonderful! And to all you others: Thanks for a lot of great suggestions. I’ve already ordered Chopin’s Nocturnes and some Debussy from the CD store, and tonight I’m going Youtube trawling for a bunch of the other suggestions. Ignorance has been fought once again 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/23 "2010-11-12T08:41:51Z")
Tom McDermott is my favorite New Orleans pianist. He plays in a lot of styles, including jazz, ragtime, Brazilian choro and even some Chopin. My favorite CD of his is [Live in Paris,](http://www.louisianamusicfactory.com/showoneprod.asp?ProductID=5320) which happens to be all solo piano (which is what you’re looking for). Another interesting CD of his is [All the Keys and Then Some](http://www.amazon.com/All-Keys-Then-Some-Piano/dp/B0018W2L7E/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289550284&sr=1-7) which has short pieces in each major and minor key. [Monk Alone](http://www.amazon.com/Monk-Alone-Recordings-Thelonious-1962-1968/dp/B000007NAC/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289551127&sr=1-2) is a collection of solo piano pieces played by Thelonius Monk. ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/24 "2010-11-12T09:15:34Z")
It’s kind of the exact opposite of ‘simple, unobtrusive’ but you might find you like some of the ragtime music anyway. This is my favourite, [Black and White Rag](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIlDlo68yDQ&feature=fvst), as played by the amazing Winnifred Atwell. Possibly the jauntiest piece of music ever written. If you _are_ a fan of ragtime, it’s very much worth tracking down Joshua Rifkin’s CD of the works of Scott Joplin. Fantastic piano playing throughout. Also, you mentioned liking Satie’s Gymnopedies. Just on the off chance that this isn’t a piece you know, I give you Satie’s[Gnossiene No 1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7CKvbE-1Sg&feature=fvst), which I think is his most haunting piece and sounds like it might be up your street. I can’t believe I forgot Schubert! Here’s a [lovely piece](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkX4MyDeIqI&feature=related)played by Alfred Brendel, an astonishingly wonderful piano player wringing every last bit of emotion from it. Brendel’s got lots of Schubert CDs. all are worth listening to. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/25 "2010-11-12T09:18:49Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > (Speaking of sampling Philip Glass, were you aware that Amazon has a [free Philip Glass sampler album](http://www.amazon.com/Orange-Mountain-Music-Philip-Sampler/dp/B002QZ53OK/ref=sr_shvl_album_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1289529567&sr=301-4)?) No, I wasn’t.Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/26 "2010-11-12T10:01:07Z")
One of the most mindblowing piano pieces I’ve heard is Keith Jarrett’s [Köln Concert](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wivo94ylmhE). I don’t normally like improv jazz, but this is a universe above anything I’ve ever heard before. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/27 "2010-11-12T10:23:09Z")
Here’s a couple I like: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vDG8MghMdQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vDG8MghMdQ) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_Sdb37nYIY8&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sdb37nYIY8&feature=related) Renditions of “Auto-Tune the News” on piano. Suprisingly good. ---
**Author:** ![Mustardseed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mustardseed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mustardseed)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/28 "2010-11-13T05:40:49Z")
In the spirit of Satie: [Pleiades Dance](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uo6Q9xQl8Y&feature=related) from the japanese composer Yoshimatsu Takashi (this is only one of many Dances, quite a few links on youtube) very simple, but hauntingly beautiful music ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/29 "2010-11-13T06:08:49Z")
Philip Glass has quite a generous supply of stuff streaming [at his site.](http://www.philipglass.com/music/index.php) The piano music I most listen to is the 8 volumes of [The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces](http://www.emusic.com/album/Art-Tatum-The-Art-Tatum-Solo-Masterpieces-Volume-1-MP3-Download/10603251.html). The other thing is Hélène Grimaud’s 2001 _Rachmaninoff_ with Piano Concerto No. 2, Prelude Op. 32/12, Etudes-Tableaux Op. 33/1, 2 and 9, Variations on a Theme of Corelli. I heard the Prelude and the Etudes-Tableaux in [Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037](http://www.notebynotethemovie.com/) I thought they were the best music in it. And she is great. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/30 "2010-11-23T17:38:59Z")
I just ran across this and had to post it here: [Oscar Peterson - Nica’s Dream](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sO9cFpuOTQ) ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/31 "2010-11-23T17:42:15Z")
Bill Evans’ _Conversations with Myself_. It’s debatable whether or not it satisfies the conditions of the OP, since there are three instruments on it. However, since all three are Bill Evans playing piano, it might squeeze by 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/32 "2010-11-23T17:48:48Z")
It’s almost the right time of year for this: [“Winter Wonderland” done boogie-woogie style by Harry Connick, Jr.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng8zdQeSruI) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/33 "2010-11-23T18:00:33Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > It’s almost the right time of year for this: [“Winter Wonderland” done boogie-woogie style by Harry Connick, Jr.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng8zdQeSruI) Perfectly righteous! We need us a thread for more of the “Christmas with a twist” sorts of things. Want to start it up, **Lute Skywatcher**? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/34 "2010-11-23T20:16:39Z")
There are a couple of similar threads already but, since all seem to require lyrics, [done](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13175806#post13175806). ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285/35 "2010-11-23T23:34:04Z")
Are you only looking for classical? [George Winston](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Winston) has a beautiful line in what he describes as “rural folk piano”; it’s delicate, hypnotic, restful music, often inspired by natural landscapes. I was given a tape of his by a friend many, many years ago, which had this piece on it, and I’ve never looked back since. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-mLkzFUzTA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-mLkzFUzTA) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-piano-music/560285.md?page=1)