Hardest piece you know?

the two pieces I've had the most difficulty technically with would be Prokoviev's 2nd piano concerto, and the Ravel piano trio (which is obscenely difficult for the violin and cello as well).

the two pieces I've had the most difficulty technically with would be Prokoviev's 2nd piano concerto, and the Ravel piano trio (which is obscenely difficult for the violin and cello as well).

They just performed that piano trio at Oberlin!

Hardest pieces - NO BRAINER!

#1 that caps everything: Anything by Brian Ferneyhough, but especially "Terrain."

At a somewhat lower level, for solo piano, Ligeti's Etudes.

And not even close to the above, but still tough because of the rhythms: John Adams' "The Chairman Dances."

Sorabji's Opus Clavicembalisticum is of course the hardest piece of all. It is for piano.

I can guarantee that no one will even like the piece. Look it up, and listen to clips, and you will see what I mean.

Opus Clavicembalisticum

Er...

Actually it's a great piece. Unfortunately, the recordings are awful and mostly improvised, so few people actually know what it sounds like. Jonathan Powell, on the other hand, who has not yet recorded it, plays it very well, apparently, and those who have heard his performances of it claim that it's amazing, thrilling music.

I made a post about Sorabji on this forum a couple of months ago. I would like everyone to know that if you're interested in Sorabji's music, don't listen to Opus Clavicembalisticum (or OC as it's commonly called). Here are some samples - this should be a decent introduction to his music:

Fantasie Espagnole

In the Hothouse

Le Jardin Parfume

Songs for Soprano

A side note - Opus Clavicembalisticum is neither Sorabji's longest or most difficult work. The Symphonic Variations last about 8 hours and contain complexity found NOWHERE in OC, often spread across 4-6 staves.

Incredible.

Whoa! I'd never heard this guy before. This stuff rules! Listening to "In the Hothouse" now.

As of now, for me at least, it is Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, because of the key changes and the rapid wrist movements. But it's still amazing to analyze and pick away at.

The Piano on Leonard Bernstein's 'Age of Anxiety' Symphony #2.

have you heard the two versions of the ending of Age of Anxiety? I was lucky that my college (way back when) happened to have a recording of the original version...

I like the re-write he did more though.

That piece is one of those that is guaranteed to bring tears to my eyes.

have you heard the two versions of the ending of Age of Anxiety? I was lucky that my college (way back when) happened to have a recording of the original version...

I like the re-write he did more though.

That piece is one of those that is guaranteed to bring tears to my eyes.

My Uncle has heard both endings... he said it was very cool. But, he heard it a LONG time ago. I think he heard it during the 80s. Before I was born.

I have only heard the rewrite ending. But, if i ever get the chance...

I think one of the hardest pieces for an ensemble to perform is a piece known as summer dances. It does not look too tough at first glance- being in 6/8, though it is tough and one reason is because articulation and such is just wierd. Also Lincolnshire Posy. I am in symphonic band though my wind ensemble is doing it, my friend told me it is like impossibly hard- the guy who wrote it was insane.

My college's Commencement Band put together parts 1, 2, and 5 of Lincolnshire Posy in like a week. That was one concert item out of like 15 or so. It was a crazy ball-busting program - I'll see if I can find it and then post it all.

Recently:

1- "The Summer" from "The Four Seasons", III mov. for Violin (A. Vivaldi)

2- "Fantasie Impromptu" (F. Chopin)

3- "The Sugar Plum Fairy" (piano arrangement) (P.I.Tchaikovski)

4- "Darth Vader's Theme" (piano arrangement) (J. Williams)

They have a heck of speed or the keys hinder don't let me push the right note. The piano concerto was a bit of a disaster with "Fantasie Impromptu". Not too much, but I disliked it.

Variations Sur Un Theme De Paganini - Maurice Allard

These variations (based on the famous 24th caprice by Paganini), for Bassoon, are fiendish.

Wow, everybody seems to appreiciate Paganini here (I'm in Paradise!)

Well the hardest piece I know right now is

Swing Low Sweet Chariot; Arranged by Rick Foster (guitar)

and the hardest pieces I'm working on right now are

Dreaming (I think it's called that) Piano and violin duet by Liszt (I play violin, but not very well)

Paganini's 24th caprice (Dang it's hard, and I haven't even reached the part with all the Pizzicato yet, sheesh)

and Variations on a Theme of Mozart by Fernando Sor (guitar)

Mozart's Concert Rondo (K. 371) is tough (for horn), but Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream has killer high notes, and you have two transpose half a step, but at least its slow. Haydn did some painfully slow and high pieces that just kill your lip after a while (but they sound great). I'm sure there are other horn pieces harder than this, I just can't think of any.

I was trying to play "Giga" (Handel). I don't manage to move my fingers so fast. It's in a Vivace speed. Horrifying speed, beautiful sound.

Besides, my voice is trying to sing "Hallellujah" from "The Messiah". I can't sing the right notes well. Gotta practice more.

At the moment the hardest piece i have attempted is the Ballade no.1 by chopin.

on classical guitar it is... Hmmm, probably Aguado's rondo in a minor.

Let's see, for me, since I play percussion,t he hardest peie I know would be....

... Marriage of Figaro, that one Mozart peice I keep hearing everywhere. Oh, I play it on vibes, so it's really hard nailing all of those sixteenth-note runs...Not to mention I play it at a slightly faster tempo.

~Kal

I haven't really gotten into anything too complicated yet. Hardest thing I've played on the piano is Chopin's raindrop prelude, which is a beautiful piece. Playing bassoon, I rarely get hard parts.

I heard a piece for violin solo and orchestra (not a concerto, though) - some set of Gypsy Dances by a Spanish composer. It was AMAZING, and sounded like a scallop to play.

Given that, I think Joshua Bell has sold his soul to the devil. :wub:

The hardest song i ever ATTEMPED, was this:

http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_...l?scoreid=59814

I couldn't play it. :wub:

Hardest piece I've yet tackled is Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, a piano transcription. There were some faster sections in there, especially near the end, that even at my recital I had trouble with.

Hmm, mabye Sorabji's Symphonic Variations for piano?

The hardest pieces I have ever been cursed to learn were the Koyunbaba by Carlo Domeniconi. I had to learn to read in a new tuning and then work at complex fingers and speed.

Given that, I think Joshua Bell has sold his soul to the devil. :)

The hardest song i ever ATTEMPED, was this:

http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_...l?scoreid=59814

I couldn't play it. :)

I don't know if I've mentioned this already, but:

TERRAIN, by Brian Ferneyhough. For violin and wind octet. It gives you a headache just reading the score. Intense hyper-polyphony and virtual polyphony abound.

Bartok Viola Concerto

Really? A friend of mine played that in his junior recital... He didn't seem to think it was that hard, and he played it very well. The piano part is a little hard at times...!!

Anyway, it's possible someone already noted this...

But one of the hardest pieces for piano I know of is 'Opus Clavicembalisticum' by Khokisru Sorabji. If you don't know, it please look it up. The composer is actually British, and he was the most arrogant man I have ever heard of. He literally banned performances of his music because he thought noone else was good enough to hear them, or he thought noone would be able to play them how he wanted. He set out to write the hardest music for piano(and longest, this one is about 4-5 hours), just for the sake of making it hard and long. Don't get me wrong, some of the music is actually pretty good. It's like the rougher side of Stravinsky meets the romantic Chopin. Really. But it's hard as freaking hell. There are a few recordings of it, none of which are that good. There are always mistakes, and one person just butchers it.