Anyone here into classical (or Jazz) piano?

[Woozie]

Lately I've been downloading a bunch of stuff from MIDI world to play on finale, or listening to stuff on youtube of this nature, and I'm also planning to attend the classical piano recitals at the University when they have them. Most of what I've downloaded is Chopin and Bach, but I'm really just trying to listen to any good piano solo's. I'm into both Classical and Jazz, but right now I'm looking mainly for stuff with piano only (no drums, bass, trumpets, violins, etc).

I've just very recently got into classical and jazz piano, so I don't know many songs or composers. If anyone has any favorites, tell me D: (or post links so I can hear them).

[kuronosan]

One of my favorite classical pianists/composers is Frederic Chopin.

Nocturne Op.9 No.2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRO05WcNDk

Nocturne Op.72 No.19
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSzKo2FcS_g

Then of course, Debussy:

Sunken Cathedral
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfSBddhFvyA

Arabesque #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWpV7L4YHuU

[Dolmen]

Rachmaninov is always excellent, just look for his piano concertos.

[Daeman]

Rachmaninov is definately worth checking out.

On the jazz side, Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk are two of my favorites. I can't think of any specific tunes that are jazz piano only, though.

[Epical]

I can hear Alleya squirming in his chair from here.

[Ashira]

The Rachmaninov concertos aren't really solo though, they're over orchestra, but excellent works. No.2's theme was the base of the melody for the song "All By Myself." :D

Beethoven Sonatas, Schubert has some impromptus.. some nice Schumann pieces.. Brahms, Liszt (Hungarian rhapsodies! No.2 has a pretty well-known theme in it)...

[Ashira]

I can hear Alleya squirming in his chair from here.

He'll just say "Chopin, played by Martha Argerich."

;D

[Slapper]

blue rondo ala turk

rhapsody in blue

[Tulun]

Some of Fats Waller stuff is piano only (and fabulous).

I know Art Tatum has a cd on itunes with only piano.

Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson may also yield you some decent results.

[Gulkeeva]

I've listened to alot piano/classical music from like...

Final Fantasy, Immediate Music, X-ray Dog, and Two steps from hell

[Obev]

Thelonious Monk

A winner is you. Monk's some of the best jazz I've heard. There's not much "officially" released piano-only stuff (at least, none that I've acquired), but The Complete Riverside Recordings box set has a few of his "in progress" takes of things like 'Round Midnight and Epistrophy. And so what if the other hundred-and-fifty-odd songs have drums and horns in 'em? It's still freakin' beautiful music.

[Eggroll]

I normally am not a fan of piano, but Joe Hisaishi has some really nice songs I'd recommend listening to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGPiBTKWSNE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cHK9Wt32jo

[Woozie]

Sorry I haven't been able to respond to this thread in a bit.

I'm going to look into some Rachmaninov. I've heard of him before, but I don't think any of the works I've listened to were him.

I really liked that Chopin that you posted, Kuro.

I'll look into getting some Thelonious Monk. Thanks for the responses guys. Keep them coming.

[Alleya]

Rachmaninoff third piano concerto, martha argerich performing. Anyone who dies without hearing this will have lived an empty, useless life.

I'll echo the calls for Chopin, and I have all (ALL) of his works. Quick top 10, just going on memory off the cuff:

1. Ballade in G minor, No. 1, Op. 23
2. First movement, Piano concerto no.1 op. 11
3. Etude, op. 25, in g-sharp minor, No. 6
4. Berceuse, op.57 (especially performed by a pianist with a light touch, like Evgeny Kissin)
5. Nocturne in B, op. 62 No. 1
6. Piano sonata No. 3 in B minor, movement 4
7. Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op. 44
8. Andante Spianato, op. 22 No.1
9. Etude Op. 25, No. 12 "Ocean"
10. Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

Also, MAURICE RAVEL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajGuvtwTy6M

Gaspard De La Nuit is one of the paramount achievements of piano music. Along with Jeux D'eau, Sonatine, some others.

Claude Debussy also goes in this vein. A few from him: Clair De Lune (of course), Reflections in the Water, Berceuse Heroique, Epigraphes Antiques, Children's Corner...list goes on.

Beethoven, also another favourite. It's hit and miss for me. You can't go wrong with his later period and the old standards, "Moon Light" sonata, Appassionata, The Tempest, Pathetique.

Franz Liszt is another, I think, underappreciated contributor. His trancendental etudes, hungarian rhapsodies, "Seven Years of Pilgrimage", and various other short works are among some of the most expressive, and most exciting works for piano.

Can't forget about Felix Mendelssohn. Though he can be predictable, like mozart. Unlike mozart though, he's always very thoughtful and novel.

And I'll close this out, since I could go on all day, with Robert Schumann. I have all his works for solo piano -- all of them are fantastic, if a bit schizophrenic at times (but I can forgive him of that since he WAS schizophrenic).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=147-ttSq4tg

P.S. For Rachmaninoff piano concertos, go with Argerich, Zimmerman, and Helena Grimaud. (Especially Grimaud for No. 2). People tend to love Horowitz, but he doesn't quite capture the frenetic nature, he's too slow and measured, the passion is lost.

[Therin]

Speaking of Rachmaninoff, Prelude in C# Minor is my favorite of his solo piano compositions. It doesn't exhibit an extreme amount of technical skill, but it's so haunting it'll make a grown man weep (or at least get chill bumps).

There are a surprising number of decent quality videos on YouTube that you can find easily, Woozie. (I like this one, since it's played by an amateur yet it's still done magnificently and very true to the original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhZdpxL5R9s )

For technical skill, the following songs are usually heralded by pianists as some of the more difficult pieces in the classical repertoire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq_ea5RgvOI - Chopin, Op.#10 ("Revolutionary Etude")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHxhbiAAZsE - Lizst, Mephisto Waltz

In jazz:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc34Uj8wlmE - Dave Brubeck (Blue Rondo A La Turk) - A classic jazz favorite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRU1o-sCnqY - Chick Corea (Spain, with Hiromi Uehara) - Something a bit more contemporary, absolutely stunning performance. Hiromi Uehara is worth checking out also, she has some pretty cool stuff. I'm going to see one of her performances later this year.

And just for fun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50abK3OljhY (Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring)

This version of the Rite of Spring is played on entirely piano. If you're just getting into the piano, you might not appreciate this, but it's definitely worth giving a watch if just to admire the instrument and technical mastery. It's played on a 4-hand piano (meaning two hands are pre-recorded while the performer fills in for the more "solo" parts during the performance). Originally the piece is for an entire orchestra, so obviously it would be IMPOSSIBLE to play as one person without the assistance of a 4-hand piano.

I'd put together more but that's all I can think of at the moment. Gotta study for a test now! D:

[Drahkir]

The Dave Brubeck Quartet
"Time Out" album

Has Blue Rondo A La Turk, which was mentioned earlier.

[Kayu]

F.Chopin Fantaisie Impromptu(one of my favorites)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKv7QUt53Fc

Liszt La Campanella
by 2 different people, they have sligthy different ways to play it

by a woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQalww3X6b4

by a male
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6loGmo7q5g

also i would like to recomend from rach a piano concerto
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 I Moderato
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHI1evBMaIs (there is better versions)

and a classic
Turkish march
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne5omMOfTaQ