[QUOTE=Carnac the Magnificent!]
That said, they must have been gigantic for his day. Liszt simply had an incredible finger spread that allowed him to play tenths (a spread of ten notes) on the keyboard.
[/QUOTE]
I think he must’ve had a span larger than that, because tenths are not exactly uncommon in piano music. My hands are average-sized, and I can hit a tenth comfortably (and even elevenths in certain keys.)
I can’t find any definite confirmation, but websites suggest that Liszt and Rachmaninoff could stretch up to a 12th or even 13th.
According to my SIL (some university piano) and her professor / instructor, Rachmaninov produced the most difficult pieces on a consistent basis. Whether he held the title for the most difficult piece, they would not say. But possessing a Rachmaninov repetoire(?) was a feat. Horowitz was said to be the only pianist Rachmaninov preferred his pieces played by.
This thread at Metafilter is just what you’re looking for.
Moved to CS.
-xash
General Questions Moderator
[QUOTE=pulykamell]
I think he must’ve had a span larger than that, because tenths are not exactly uncommon in piano music. My hands are average-sized, and I can hit a tenth comfortably (and even elevenths in certain keys.)
[/QUOTE]
I should have noted: He could play tenths with ease–no mean feat for his day–and we’re talking with sometimes lightning speed.
Some composers have written things for the piano (and for other instruments) which are physically impossible to play. There can be two arguments for this: (1) the score is not expected to be realised literally and exactly, and/or (2) challenges can be placed for future performers to expand instrumental techniques in ways which may be able to accomodate what has been written.
Higgeldy Piggeldy
Sergei Rachmaninov
wrote his concertos for
handspans like wings.
Few realistically
can pianistically
digitalistically
play the damned things.
applause
Wow, that’s pretty good. And it scans without difficulty
Thanks, however the applause is not for me. Games magazine ran a contest many years ago for users to submit their own double dactyls (a humorous and rigidly structured verse form, similar to a limerick). That was one of their examples.
Which I’ve remembered all this time, and finally got a chance to use it.
John Cage did pieces involving keys? And played on musical instruments?
Quercus, a slight variation on that Mozart story would give new meaning to the phrase “playing by ear”.
[QUOTE=Carnac the Magnificent!]
I should have noted: He could play tenths with ease–no mean feat for his day–and we’re talking with sometimes lightning speed.
[/QUOTE]
In stride jazz piano, you’ll find jumping tenths and walking tenths pretty regularly. I don’t know how much different hand size is today, but I would say playing tenths with ease is not a terribly unusual feat. Twelfths or thirteenths, yeah. I’ve seen the cast of his hands in Budapest as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he could play twelfths or so pretty easily. They are HUGE compared with mine.
[QUOTE=Satyagrahi]
I once read that Brahms’ transcription for piano left hand of the Bach Chaconne from the Partita #2 for Unaccompanied Violin, BWV 1004, is not only supremely difficult but was intentionally done that way to make it difficult for pianists with a left hand of merely human proportions.
Apparently Brahms had enormous hands. He would have made one hell of a baseball catcher, and made more money besides. 
[/QUOTE]
This is 100% true, both for the Brahms and the Busoni transcriptions.
[QUOTE=Chronos]
John Cage did pieces involving keys? And played on musical instruments?
[/QUOTE]
Of course. Didn’t you know 4’33’’ is in all 24 major and minor keys at once? 
Well, it may sound difficult to play, but it isn’t at all for most piano players.
I’ve made a much more complex version of the Moonlight Sonata.
http://www.premierconcert.com/clair-de-lune
As a “young” composer and piano player, I can tell that my own compositions
are pretty challenging too (they are all on the same site which link is given above).
But I would say that liszt’s pieces sounds the most difficult to me.
Post No. 9 of this thread mentions (and misspells) Charles Valentin Alkan.
Check him out. He’s rough! Among many other cute tricks, he is also the classical music radio station DJ’s bane, as he was fond of unresolved endings.
Music…music…music…
“You have just heard…”
Music…
“Well, he got me again.”
Here is a lovely (?) and definitely challenging piece on YouTube.
sigh And this is why I will never been anything other than an enthusiastic amateur piano player - I can barely reach an octave! 
Definitely.
On a related note, there’s Night Fantasies by Carter which must be terribly difficult rhythmically:
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWspGgzXiy4
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8jpSV9N59k
The last sentence is a bit obscure, though.
Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand . . . played by the right hand.
Bah, I can play that no problem.