Classical Piano Pieces

[milk]

There are a couple fine works out there that don't involve a piano...
Prokofiev uses a piano in some orchestral works, maybe listen to his symphonies (nos. 2, 5, 6, & 7), if you don't know them already.

Thanks for the recommendations. I feel that some day I'm going to have to get into the masterpiece string quartets and symphonies out there. I'm sure I will at some point. I just love keyboard solo and chamber music! I recently discovered Shostakovich's piano solo and chamber music. What a wonderful composer! But I imagine it's going to be my approach or openness to the music that changes. I'm imagining it may be the same for the original poster. I mean, I don't think it's that I haven't heard the "right" symphony or string quartet.
I think I'll change (or not).     

[pencils]

Perhaps you are put off by all those virtuoso passages.

The more I think about it, Ten Thumbs is right. Whereas I would perhaps be captivated by virtuosity in stringed instruments, I am turned off to it in pianos the further that virtuosity strays away from melody. Hmm.

Milk: funny, isn't it? Symphonies and then string quartets are my greatest passion.

[mc ukrneal]

The more I think about it, Ten Thumbs is right. Whereas I would perhaps be captivated by virtuosity in stringed instruments, I am turned off to it in pianos the further that virtuosity strays away from melody. Hmm.

Milk: funny, isn't it? Symphonies and then string quartets are my greatest passion.

This explains why you so disliked the Godowsky, and probably why you should be careful about Liszt and Thalberg as well.

[jochanaan]

The more I think about it, Ten Thumbs is right. Whereas I would perhaps be captivated by virtuosity in stringed instruments, I am turned off to it in pianos the further that virtuosity strays away from melody. Hmm...

That doesn't surprise me.  Technique without content doesn't interest me either.  Actually, though, that's why I like Rachmaninoff so much: The virtuosity of his writing always serves the music, even in the legendary Piano Concerto #3.

[North Star]

That doesn't surprise me.  Technique without content doesn't interest me either.  Actually, though, that's why I like Rachmaninoff so much: The virtuosity of his writing always serves the music, even in the legendary Piano Concerto #3.

+1. And in Alkan the virtuosity is a fundamental element of the music almost like rhythm, melody and harmony.

[milk]

The more I think about it, Ten Thumbs is right. Whereas I would perhaps be captivated by virtuosity in stringed instruments, I am turned off to it in pianos the further that virtuosity strays away from melody. Hmm.

Milk: funny, isn't it? Symphonies and then string quartets are my greatest passion.

Yes. I can't rightly explain what it is. There are a few examples of non-keyboard music that I like: mostly by Bach. But yeah...I can't quite explain it. I just need the keyboard to be there. But you don't seem to feel the way I do? I mean, I think I'll change at some point. Hopefully I have a lot of time to explore it all at some point. Throwing out examples goes against what I said earlier...but maybe it has to do with how this all started for me: with the Goldberg Variations. That's the first piece of classical music that obsessed me. You can't get into that?

[jochanaan]

...but maybe it has to do with how this all started for me: with the Goldberg Variations. That's the first piece of classical music that obsessed me...

Interesting.  My first classical music obsession was the Brandenburg Concertos, with a little bit of everything; maybe that's why my tastes in instruments are so omnivorous...!

[pencils]

See, harpsichords aren't pianos. Plinky plinky inanimate Satans.

Brandenburgs, I love.

[Karl Henning]

See, harpsichords aren't pianos. Plinky plinky inanimate Satans.

Well, and especially in Bach 

[pencils]

Bach was kind of clever with the old musicks, though, huh?

[milk]

See, harpsichords aren't pianos. Plinky plinky inanimate Satans.

Brandenburgs, I love.

I've been waiting a long time to declare my love for Satan! ...the Brandenburgs too!

[pencils]

I think the Bach Brandenburgs on Naxos were amongst the very first few classical purchases I ever made, back in 1991. I don't listen to them nearly enough. Time to dig them out, I think.