Piano Repertoire

[admiralackbar74]

What piano repertoire do you feel every basic collection should have? OR what piano repertoire could you not live without? (Feel free to include recording recommendations if you feel so inclined.)

I'll list 5. All of these come from my experiences in college.

Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier (complete)
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (complete)
Brahms: Late Piano Works (Opp. 76, 79, 116-119)
Chopin: Nocturnes
Debussy: Preludes, Books I & II

[MishaK]

That is a very personal and subjective decision. In addition to your list I wouldn't want to be without at least some Scarlatti sonatas, Ravel's Gaspard and Miroirs, Messiaen's Vingt Regards and Catalogue d'Oiseaux, a few select Haydn and Mozart sonatas, Liszt's Sonata in B Minor, Schubert Impromptus and Moments Musicaux, Brahms Sonata No.3, Debussy's Images I & II, Mussorgsky's Pictures. But more than specific repertoire, there are just some recordings that I think I are must haves regardless of the repertoire, e.g. Gilels' Grieg Lyric Pieces, Argerich's DG Originals Debut Album, Michelangeli's Gaspard and Debussy Preludes and Images, Richter's Prokofiev, etc.

[Opus106]

Schuberts's Piano sonatas and impromptus
Rachmaninov's Preludes and, perhaps, the Etudes-Tableaux

I'm not a fan of Liszt, but I suppose "a very basic collection" should include his music for the piano, as well.

And while you're at it, don't hesitate to add more Chopin: preludes, waltzes, and etudes.

[Dr. Dread]

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,11793.0.html

[George]

(all complete except where noted)

Bach - Well Tempered Klavier, French Suites, Goldberg Variations
Scarlatti - Keyboard Sonatas  
Haydn - Piano Sonatas
Beethoven - Piano Sonatas, Piano Concertos, Bagatelles
Mozart - Piano Concertos, Piano Sonatas
Debussy - Preludes, Images, Etudes, Children's Corner
Rachmaninov - The Four Concertos and Paganini Rhapsody, Preludes, Etudes Tableaux
Chopin - Preludes, Ballades, Scherzos, Etudes, Nocturnes, Mazurkas, Waltzes
Schubert - Piano Sonatas D575 - D960, Impromptus
Schumann - Kinderszenen, Kriesleriana, Fantasy, Carnaval, Piano Concerto
Grieg - Lyric Pieces, Piano Concerto
Brahms - Piano Concertos, Op. 79, 117, 118, 119
Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsodies, Years of Pilgrimage, Transcendental Etudes, Piano Concertos
Faure - Complete Piano Music
Scriabin - Piano Sonatas
Prokofiev - Piano Sonatas and Piano Concertos
Eric Satie - Gymnopedies, Gnossiennes
Saint-Saens - Piano Concertos
Poulenc - Complete Piano Works
Ligeti - Complete Piano Works

[Opus106]

Scarlatti - Piano Sonatas 

You like teasing the HIP crowd, don't you?

[George]

You like teasing the HIP crowd, don't you?

No, I just like what I like. And I like the piano. 

[Opus106]

No, I just like what I like. And I like the piano. 

Huh?

*Most, if not all of Scarlatti's sonatas were never meant for the piano. So calling them piano sonatas is not technically correct.*

[Taxes-]

Of what hasn't been named already that I couldn't do without: Janáček. I feel like his piano works should be in the répertoire of more pianists than what's now the case. Otherwise, I'd second a lot of the stuff that's been mentionned by others; the Liszt/Beethoven/Schubert/Scarlatti/Haydn sonatas etc.

[matti]

No mention of Ravel yet? Anything goes, and most could be described as essential.

Or Shostakovich. I'm not saying his Preludes and Fugues are essential for a beginner, but they are really, really good music. Also his Piano Concerti would be on my list.

[henry]

Of what hasn't been named already that I couldn't do without: Janáček. I feel like his piano works should be in the répertoire of more pianists than what's now the case.

I second this.

[admiralackbar74]

Great ideas, all. And matti, good point on Ravel. I couldn't live without "Jeux d'eau." I just ran out of room on my list of 5. ("Gaspard de la nuit" would make a more expanded list for me as well.)

And, if I had to list just 5 pieces... Yikes. I don't know if I could do it!

[Ten thumbs]

George's list is pretty good but if we're including Scarlatti then I must have Soler as well.
Add to these the essential:
CPE Bach sonatas
Clementi sonatas (selected)
Alkan (esp. the Chantes and the Esquisses)
both Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn
Medtner (esp. the Contes)
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Bonis

[matti]

Great ideas, all. And matti, good point on Ravel.

And, if I had to list just 5 pieces... Yikes. I don't know if I could do it!

Well, as I now notice, there's a thread on Gaspard right below yours... so no neglect of Ravel to be feared, of course.

As to the 5 pieces... impossible indeed.

[Bulldog]

Screw the "piano" repertoire - I'm going with keyboard and all Bach:

Leipzig Chorales
Clavier-Ubung III
Well-Tempered Clavier
Goldberg Variations
Six Partitas for Keyboard

[MishaK]

No mention of Ravel yet? Anything goes, and most could be described as essential.

...Ravel's Gaspard and Miroirs, ... But more than specific repertoire, there are just some recordings that I think I are must haves regardless of the repertoire, e.g. ... Argerich's DG Originals Debut Album, Michelangeli's Gaspard ...

[George]

Huh?

*Most, if not all of Scarlatti's sonatas were never meant for the piano. So calling them piano sonatas is not technically correct.*

Apologies, I should have said Keyboard Sonatas.

[admiralackbar74]

O Mensch - sorry! I missed that in your post!

Good recommendations, all! I'm trying to create a list for a piano student of mine who is interested in collecting more solo piano repertoire, but would also like to do so on a budget. I figure that a "standard" repertoire list would be helpful in this process, so I thought I'd see what you all came up with.

[MishaK]

O Mensch - sorry! I missed that in your post!

Good recommendations, all! I'm trying to create a list for a piano student of mine who is interested in collecting more solo piano repertoire, but would also like to do so on a budget. I figure that a "standard" repertoire list would be helpful in this process, so I thought I'd see what you all came up with.

If he/she's on a budget, it might be easier to limit oneself to a handful of truly superlative recordings, like I suggested, rather than try to find specific repertoire. Some recital or debut albums, e.g. like Argerich's DG Originals debut album, have odds and ends that are sometimes core repertoire, sometimes not, but the pianism is of a caliber that cannot fail to inspire. I would think that more important than for the student to have certain repertoire pieces for some sort of sake of completeness but then be forced to buy bargain bin recordings that might not be as compelling in order to make it fit the budget.

[George]

Good recommendations, all! I'm trying to create a list for a piano student of mine who is interested in collecting more solo piano repertoire, but would also like to do so on a budget. I figure that a "standard" repertoire list would be helpful in this process, so I thought I'd see what you all came up with.

Brilliant Classics is the obvious place to get a lot of this stuff. The Rubinstein Chopin set (the one with the brown cover) is dirt cheap, or at least it was. All of those Philips and Decca 2fers will fill in a lot of the gaps too.