Playing Piano: Mastering Für Elise and More

[Monique]

What are some impressive compositions to play on a piano? I'm trying to master Für Elise by Beethoven and am having a lot of fun doing so

 

[dduardo]

Chopin's Nocturnes are my favorite to play.

 

[jimmy p]

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (who else?? ) is a pretty cool song to learn to play. Quite a challenge too.

 

[humanino]

I just finished "graduating" Chopin's nocturnes ! I am now turning to Beethoven & Schubert sonatas, which begins to be really serious classical music. But I think, if "Fur Elise" is really easy at your level, give a try to Liszt's hugarian rhapsodie n2 (ut# minor). Free download (sshhh ! it's a secret )
http://partitions.metronimo.com/index.php?cat=265
This is one of my favorite piano sheet, and I believe with a few of time, one can master it. When you have mastered this hugarian rhapsodie, you can turn to Beethoven piano sonata "Hammerklavier". Playing this sonata in concert is among the most beautiful dreams of any piano player.

I am warning you : this is more difficult than "Fur Elise" but playing "Fur Elise" requires only few technical skills. It is more in the interpretation.

 

[arildno]

Am I uncultivated in believing the "Moonlight (moonshine?) Sonata" to be by Beethoven? ()
Anyways, I like it (and I hope it Is for piano..)

 

[Monique]

Thanks for the info for those interested: here is a scorch file of Für Elise http://www.mfiles.co.uk/Scores/Fur-Elise.htm

 

[Monique]

Am I uncultivated in believing the "Moonlight (moonshine?) Sonata" to be by Beethoven? ()
Anyways, I like it (and I hope it Is for piano..)

You're right http://www.mfiles.co.uk/Scores/moonlight-movement1.htm
ps: really download the scorch plug-in, I'm amazed by it

 

[The_Professional]

Somewhere in time

 

[Chi Meson]

The most satisfying set of pieces I have been able to play are the first three variations of JS Bach's "Goldberg Variations." There are thirty-oned parts in total of this masterpiece, and some simply cannot be played unless you are very very very (very) good, but there are plenty that can be played by at least an intermediate player.

 

[humanino]

Yeah, what's the point of beginning the sonata (for instance) and not finishing it ? If you begin the Moonlight, you will notice that the first part sounds trivial. Wait till you get to last part :surprise:

The problem is : usually Moonlight is played by old masters, and therefore the interpretation of the first (slow) movement of Moonlight should be... as good as possible.

dduardo gave the best advice : if you are able to play "Fur Elise", the next step is the nocturnes by Chopin. Playing everyday, you should master them in a few months (typically 6 moths). Then you can switch to Schubert and/or Beethoven sonatas = real good classical music.

Chi Meson : are not "Goldberg Variations" even more difficult than Liszt's hugarian rhapsodies ? Bach should be considered as one of the most difficult (well-tempered clavier. Sonata & Partita for violin...) because there is almost no room for interpretation. It is very mechanical and precise. On the contrary, Chopin's nocturnes offer a real lot of room for interpretation, they are even supposed to look improvised. Truth is : Chopin really improvised them in public, and wrote a few of them a really liked !

 

[Descartes]

I very much enjoy playing ostensibly simple pieces with an emotional capacity that is difficult to convey. It's these pieces that touch me deeply when listening or playing, and I find it requires an entirely different facet of my mind. Some examples that immediately come to mind are: Beethoven's 14th Piano Sonata, Adagio Sostenuto; Beethoven's 8th Piano Sonata, Adagio Cantabile; Chopin's Nocturne, Opus 72; Mozart's 23rd Piano Concerto, Allegro (this somewhat aberrates from what I mean by ostensibly simple, but the opening to this piece epitomizes my meaning).

I only play such pieces with appropriate emotional conveyance when alone, because it's simply not an experience I can share with others. I guess I just hold dear a great deal of reverence for such pieces.

 

[Monique]

dduardo gave the best advice : if you are able to play "Fur Elise", the next step is the nocturnes by Chopin. Playing everyday, you should master them in a few months (typically 6 moths). Then you can switch to Schubert and/or Beethoven sonatas = real good classical music.

6 (!) months? *gulp*

I never got past reading notes and playing some simple tunes with static hands, the first two parts of Für Elise were really easy, the rest quite a bit more challenging I'll try to get my hands on Chopin..

 

[humanino]

Descartes : you have a great taste. I think I hear your meaning here, and it touchs me. I also don't really enjoy sharing piano feelings. I play bass guitar in a band, and there sharing with a public is essential.

I have a 5-CD box of Chostakovich's string quartets : they have been recorded in public, because they say after having playing the quatuor for a while, they noticed the intensity was stronger in public. They argue that, just as in theater, the public is the last member of "the band". I have not experienced that with classical music. Only with "popular" music.

 

[humanino]

6 (!) months? *gulp*

I never got past reading notes and playing some simple tunes with static hands, the first two parts of Für Elise were really easy, the rest quite a bit more challenging I'll try to get my hands on Chopin..

if you play piano 2 hours a day, you get so addicted. It becomes really difficult not to have your piano everyday. I swear.

 

[Monique]

if you play piano 2 hours a day, you get so addicted. It becomes really difficult not to have your piano everyday. I swear.

I know I was already playing Für Elise in half a day, but I'm amazed by how the piece continues to develop as I play it more: I don't even have to look anymore where I place my hands or don't have to think what notes to play and am able to put more emotion into it, even though I just have a keyboard and not a real piano

 

[graphic7]

Ah, Beethoven fanatics..

Well, I'm quite a Debussy fan. Debussy has a whole different mood and tone than that of Beethoven. It was Debussy's goal in some of his pieces to bring about imagery to a listener. One excellent example of this is in "The Sunken Cathedral" or "La cathédrale engloutie", where he conveys the image of a sunken cathedral rising out of the water. This is probably my most favorite piece of his to play, rather difficult, but most rewarding - tons of flats . If you're really wanting a challenge go for "Claire de Lune".

If you've never played any Debussy before, I'll suggest a simpler piece but still very rewarding, "A girl with flaxen hair" (too lazy to do the French translation). Once you get through this piece you should be very used to the keys and chordes that Debussy uses in all of his pieces.

Debussy is completely different than any composer I've heard. Very relaxing and elegant.

Edit: 4th Arabesque is another excellent piece of Debussy's to endulge yourself in. Arabesque is interesting in the fact that Debussy's uses the treble clef for the bass line - something you don't see too often.

 

[humanino]

Nobody bringing in Jazz yet ? Many great things to play when you begin piano in Jazz/Blues/Samba... I love Thelonious Monk's style. The advantage is : he uses very few notes. You won't have to bother a 4 or 5 fingers chord. Disadvantage : really uncommomn conception of rhythm ! Hard to get in the style of Thelonious Sphere Monk, but once you are in there...

 

[Gale]

i liked mozart's sonatta's. they're really fast paced and move around a lot. i thought they were really fun! it took me a while to be able to play them fast, but the sound really good now.

 

[Descartes]

Yes, playing fast in itself is sometimes a lot of fun. I have a lot of pieces that I play to warm-up: Mozart's Ronda Alla Turca, Bach's Inventions, and other similar pieces. If only I could play Bach's Inventions as well and as fast as Glenn Gould. Well, if I could do that, then I could do the Goldberg Variations equally well.

I also very much enjoy piano arrangements of violin solo or orchestral pieces. I love [trying] to play the Chaconne from Bach's Partita #2 for the piano. To me it's almost a violent piece, and I love that. Glenn Gould plays an equally violent Beethoven's Fifth for the piano. Hearing him play the final bars is incredible, in my opinion. Perhaps violent isn't the best word, but I believe everyone will get my meaning. It just gets to a point where it's almost painfully complex, but yet perfect. Finally, I think a lot of Bach's Fugues are fun to play on the piano.

 

[humanino]

Who's your favorite interpret of Mozart's piano piece ?
Brendel ? Barenboim ? Moravek ? Horowitz ? Arau ? Richter ? Gould ? Kempff ?
(this does not include mine )

 

[Descartes]

Out of that list I'd probably say Barenboim or Horowitz. I have a wonderful DVD performance with Barenboim and Yo-Yo Ma.

Brendel is a personal inspiration for a few reasons: His work on Beethoven's Piano Sonatas (yes, I am a Beethoven fanatic , and for his being largely self-taught.

There are so many great pianists out there that I hate to limit it to just a few, but as said, there are so many :) It's hard to remember many of them.

 

[Chi Meson]

Chi Meson : are not "Goldberg Variations" even more difficult than Liszt's hugarian rhapsodies ? Bach should be considered as one of the most difficult (well-tempered clavier. Sonata & Partita for violin...) because there is almost no room for interpretation. It is very mechanical and precise. On the contrary, Chopin's nocturnes offer a real lot of room for interpretation, they are even supposed to look improvised. Truth is : Chopin really improvised them in public, and wrote a few of them a really liked !

Doing ALL 30 variations, plus the Aria (twice), cannot be done well by many people. They can't be done at all by most! But a few of the variations are rather "easy" and they stand well on their own. Variations 1--3 took me 6 months to learn and I'm working on #4 right now. Forget #5!

I totally disagree that there is no room for interpretation. It was Gould who reinterpreted them and took them out of the methodical jail they had been in. THe lack of prescriptive instructions, I think, leaves them wide open. If you don't do it "correctly" who cares? THey are tremendously fund to play once you get the fingering down (lots of 5's crossing under 3's and such).

 

[Chi Meson]

Who's your favorite interpret of Mozart's piano piece ?
Brendel ? Barenboim ? Moravek ? Horowitz ? Arau ? Richter ? Gould ? Kempff ?
(this does not include mine )

Gould's hatred of Mozart becomes more and more apparent as he worked his way through the list. His redition of "Alla Turca" is a mockery!

Personally, I can't get my fingers to move fast enough to play Mozart with any satisfaction.

 

[recon]

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (who else?? ) is a pretty cool song to learn to play. Quite a challenge too.

Can you get the notes online? I've been looking around on the net with no success.

 

[Hurkyl]

I always liked, as the others said, Moonlight Sonata first movement, also Prelude in C# minor by Rachmaninov, and Solfeggietto by CPE Bach... but that's probably because those are the only things I ever learned to play well.


Showtunes, in general, can be fun; I really liked my Phantom of the Opera and Disney piano books.

Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky is also a nice collection of piano pieces of varying difficulty

 

[The Bob]

I play music like 'Für Elise' and 'Moonlight Sonata'. I started the 'Hungarian Rhaspody' by Liszt but I am not good enough to play it.

I, at the moment, am into the Chopin Preludes because there is one in every standard key. I can play two of them and have started a few more but they are very hard for me.

The Bob (2004 ©)

 

[kuengb]

For the beginner's/intermediate level I can recommend the collection "Classics to Moderns" by Denes Agay, Yorktown Music Press. It's available in 6 differently graded volumes, plus there is the extra series "More Classics to Moderns" which makes twelve books in total.

As somehow suggested by the title they contain beautiful pieces from all the musical periods, baroque until early 20th century. Good to find out what style and what composer one likes the most. Like this you don't get stuck with Mozart-van-Beethoven-Chopin, there have been a lot of other great composers throughout the centuries.

 

[Monique]

Interesting, Beethoven's name is actually dutch: Ludwig 'van Beethoven', that means everyone is writing his name wrong.

 

[Descartes]

I always liked, as the others said, Moonlight Sonata first movement, also Prelude in C# minor by Rachmaninov, and Solfeggietto by CPE Bach... but that's probably because those are the only things I ever learned to play well.


Showtunes, in general, can be fun; I really liked my Phantom of the Opera and Disney piano books.

Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky is also a nice collection of piano pieces of varying difficulty

I've never played any showtunes, but there are a few scores that are incredible. Any of you remember the music to Schindler's List? The score is fantastic. Many years ago I played the Main Theme, Stolen Memories, and Give Me Your Names at a small concert, and many were actually crying. It was around when the movie was released, so it was still fresh in everyone's minds, but it's still a very emotional piece that seems to have a dramatic affect on others. Anyway, I think you would enjoy it.

I had the benefit of watching Itzhak Perlman play much of the score when he was in town. Incredible experience!

 

[jimmy p]

Can you get the notes online? I've been looking around on the net with no success.

I'm not sure, I got the sheet music.

 

[recon]

I'm not sure, I got the sheet music.

That's what I meant. Sheet music.

I hate it when I forget words.

 

[pace]

Sorry, I only know difficult pieces :blush: Or really calm ones.
You could try Beethovens Patetique 2nd movement. 3rd movement is difficult, but not pace-insane :p

 

[Zantra]

6 (!) months? *gulp*

I never got past reading notes and playing some simple tunes with static hands, the first two parts of Für Elise were really easy, the rest quite a bit more challenging I'll try to get my hands on Chopin..

Hmm.. monique if you haven't mastered the quick (staccato?) piece in Fur elise I would suggest you stick with this song until you can play it all the way though at least once, if only badly, before you move on to some of the more complexed pieces being suggested.

I never had formal lessons but I taught myself the intro to fur elise- it's the only piece of classical music I can play. Very graceful and flowing.

 

[motai]

Anyone here a jazz pianist? My best friend plays the piano in the school's jazz band and is fairly good at it. Right now I am trying to (slowly) memorize the piano version of Winter Wonderland (Nowak). It sounds pretty neat and if the chords are broken apart and arpeggiated, it makes it seem like your at a fancy dinner party.

 

[humanino]

Yep ! I love Thelonious Sphere Monk, and I think there are very few technical difficulties to play Monk's compostition, with regards to the few notes he uses (almost never any 4 or 5 fingers chords). The difficulty lies in his ... very personal conception of rythm.

If you want to learn jazz though, you need to listen a lot of jazz, and many different artists, before you can develop your own feeling. It is yet another never-ending story.