The piano repertoire is the largest of any instrument save the voice. With millions of works to choose from, where do you start? What a task! Listen to Piano Masters on Apple Music and Spotify and explore our selection of the best solo piano pieces below. The piano repertoire often feels limitless in its size and scope. Therefore, we ask you please to treat this list not as a definitive assembly, but rather as suggested starting points for explorating the most beautiful piano pieces out there. The mighty Op. With a slow movement that alone extends to around 18 minutes depending on tempo , it pushes both the piano and the performer to the very limits of their abilities. Rachmaninov may demand faster fingers and Liszt more outright virtuosity, but Beethoven challenges the brain first and foremost, in terms of everything from stamina to understanding of counterpoint the final Fugue could probably dizzy Bach himself to control of the longest and quietest lines yet given to the instrument at the time.
Watch Festive Season Concerts On DG Stage
Canon in D - Johann Pachelbel
The piano is a beautiful instrument capable of playing a wide array of sounds, from staccato to grandiose. When the piano came around, it unlocked a level of harmony and dynamics traditionally reserved for orchestras. Certain famous classical piano song s have stood the test of time, making their way into our modern lives and providing the soundtrack for countless classic movie scenes and tv shows. The five best classical piano songs below are just a few of the most beloved songs that nearly everyone will recognize. Curious how lessons work? Sign up for more information about our private lessons.
uDiscover Music
The piano is such a versatile instrument, that naturally everyone wants to write for it. Clara Schumann was one of the best known pianists of her time, but sadly she moved away from composing, saying " I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea; a woman must not desire to compose — there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one? This beautiful piano concerto gives us an idea of her incredible pianism and musical imagination. Get it right, and it allows the most accomplished pianists to shine. Chopin composed his most well-known nocturne at the tender age of 20, which perhaps accounts for its youthful passion. The build-up from the main theme and waltz-like accompaniment to the dramatic trill-filled finale makes the Nocturne in E-flat Major a strong contender for the most beautiful piano work ever written. Her music is always thrilling, experimental and enormously powerful. Her Viola Sonata is considered one of the greatest pieces ever written for the instrument. And just listen to the power packed into her Piano Trio for piano, cello and violin.
Schubert is credited with the first verse-chorus structure song we know so well, and the origins of jazz can be traced back to Bach pun intended. Playing Classical music will not only widen your knowledge of different styles, it will improve your playing drastically. This would be blasphemy to any music academic, but is an easy shortcut to start you off. Here is a selection of 14 pieces from the Baroque era to the Romantic period. If you are returning to playing after learning as a child, many of these will be familiar to you.
