This thread is a place to discuss any piece you have been listening to recently, or are listening to now.

La Valse - Ravel

I had the opportunity to see this in concert once, performed by one person than by two. It's a stunning piece.

That's all well and good, but can you play it?

I played it in youth symphony way back. I really like that piece

Can anyone recommend me some incredible and technical Piano Concertos? I've heard some of Beethoven's later works take the more technical approach. I've mainly only listened to his early Piano works and his symphonies..

Like just technically difficult? The four Rachmaninoff concertos are a good place to start I guess. Numbers 2 and 3 are the most performed and best known. #4's a good piece, #1 isn't my favorite but not bad

Check out Keith Jarrett's concerts. They're all improvised.

Thanks John, I'll try to find those to download.

lol nope I can't. I'd like to though since it looks like fun.

until then here's a nice performance of the second concerto:

Movement I



Movement II



Movement III

Thanks for the recs and videos john17! I found a download of Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos no. 2 and 3, and they were both brilliant (I especially thought #2 was phenomenal). I really starting to get into these Russian composers, they're easily distinguishable from the other Eastern European and Western European composers (not to say that those guys aren't unique in their own right).

Anyone have some essential listening from more Russian composers to recommend me? I especially love Piano Concertos, as well as Flute and Violin Concertos. So if you can limit your recs to that

Pascal's versions of Satie's 3 Gymnopedies and Other Piano Works
10.0

The Gymnopedies alone make it a 10, but everything this guy did on the piano really impresses me. He can conjure so many different moods, and the Gymnopedies basically spawned modern ambient music, so it's endlessly interesting to hear the influence in his music. I think Pascal does a great job of translating it, but I've only heard his versions of Satie's music, so if there's better recordings out there, I'd love a rec.

yeah except that isn't classical..

Jew, why do you have to ask for technical stuff? I suppose you don't play piano so technical or not, what's the differenece..? and even so this are masters we are talking about. Anyway, have you heard Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1?

Yeah but he was talking about technical pieces so I threw it out. I guess it's technical in the way Satie is, though. Either way, all of the ones I've heard of his are phenomenal jazz piano. I didn't realize The Koln Concert was improvised until like 3 times after hearing, and it still blew my mind the first time.

Also, is it generally accepted that Klieber's version of Symphonie No. 4 is the best recording? I normally can't notice a difference between performances, but I at least want to try and see the differences and make up my mind.