# What composer wrote the most technically challenging piano pieces?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-composer-wrote-the-most-technically-challenging-piano-pieces/390242>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 31, 2007, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-composer-wrote-the-most-technically-challenging-piano-pieces/390242 "2007-01-31T06:41:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-composer-wrote-the-most-technically-challenging-piano-pieces/390242/41 "2014-04-17T17:32:14Z")

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My mother, the daughter of a piano teacher, has always said Liszt. She claimed that some of his pieces only he could play. I’ve got tiny hands so there was never any hope for me there.

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-composer-wrote-the-most-technically-challenging-piano-pieces/390242/42 "2014-04-17T20:02:17Z")

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Alicia de Larrocha has tiny, arthritic hands, but she can reach any interval.

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-composer-wrote-the-most-technically-challenging-piano-pieces/390242/43 "2014-04-17T20:04:39Z")

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> [@Nancarrow](#):
>
> Of course. Didn’t you know _4’33’’_ is in all 24 major and minor keys at once? 😃

Speak up, I can’t hear you.

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**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-composer-wrote-the-most-technically-challenging-piano-pieces/390242/44 "2014-04-17T20:45:31Z")

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> [@panache45](#):
>
> Alicia de Larrocha has tiny, arthritic hands, but she can reach any interval.

\*Had \*and _could_, I’m afraid. She passed away in 2009.

> **[Alicia de Larrocha](https://www.aliciadelarrocha.com/)**
>
> Alicia de Larrocha fue una de las/os pianistas más importantes del siglo XX. Su vocación musical se manifestó de manera precoz cuando era una niña y gracias al maestro Frank Marshall, continuador de la escuela de Enrique Granados

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