My guess would be that the thread-starter does NOT have 32 years of piano experience. I`ve been playing for about 9 years now, and I consider myself quite good. However, I`m nowhere near professional, though I`m probably to the point where I can learn essentially any piece, with proper instruction and determination. There is still so much theory that I have to learn, but in 23 years, I expect that I will be able to play just about anything. I also expect that in 32 years, I won`t be asking what the "hardest piece ever" is, because that`s quite a stupid question. If this guy has really had 32 years of piano experience, he won`t be BORED by being able to play things like La Campanella, Flight of the Bumblebee, Pathetique Sonata, Rach 3, etc, etc...He will be overjoyed, because that`s the point where every pianist wants to get. The ultimate object is to be able to express yourself absolutely, which is achieved through playing the most amazing pieces of music, effortlessly. If I had 32 years of piano experience, I wouldn`t be trying to find something harder, I`d simply be playing any piece I could get my hands on. Basically, I think that this guy is just some dorky piano student who has been playing for a few years and wants to know what the hardest piece ever is so he can gaze at it, and vow to someday play it.

The answer would be, you`re an idiot. Go use your "32 years" of piano experience to WRITE some music, or something. Or just don`t lie about it in the first place.

Hello, I am 14 and I have been taking piano for about 9 years, but I have only been working hard for about 3. Try Beethoven`s Op. 13 Pathetique, in C Minor. I am learning it now, it`s pretty difficult.

I love the Pathetique`. I have played almost half of the
Beethoven sonatas, and right now, I am still drawn to it.
Actually I`m playing it in my next recital. Which recording
are you listening to??? I would recommend Sviatoslav Richter
in Moscow or Stephen Kovacevich.

Well,i have been playing the piano for less than 6 months and nobody teach me how to play the piano,actually I dont think that I am a musician,but maybe a good interpreter,I dont know anything about scales and even have the concept,but I think that piano its the easiest instrument to play on earth because the notes are so visual,and you just have to know where to hit the key and that`s it,the think its how you interpret the song,and my father that is a clasical guitar concertist told me that i got a gifted musical ear...however i just enjoy playing the songs that i like because i hate all about scales y minor and mayor notes...
Until now,I know how to play the typcal for elise,schuman traumerai,the whole sonata pathetic,I like the adagio cantabile because is so romantic sonate claro de luna the 2 movement and the 3 movement of the sonata 17 "tempest",and from chopin the typical nocturne 9 N-2...lento con gran espresionato or 20 c sharp minor,and grande polonaise brillante,the one that appear in the movie the pianist ...
Well i just want you to tell you that music no matter how difficult or easy a piece is,the important thing its that you like it for your soul and nor for impress others...
Luis

Will you people ever start telling the truth? "Piano Enjoy", if you want your lies to be believed, stay consistent. Don`t start out modest by saying "can only play the TYPICAL for(sic) elise" and then switch to braggart mode with "the WHOLE pathetic(sic) sonata". Oh, and also...anybody who could play Schumann`s Traumerei with 6 months of experience would never be on an internet forum bragging about it, they would be too busy with photo ops to be on the cover of Time magazine.

Compose your own, and perfect it.
Thats the hardest thing you can do.

Compose your own, and perfect it.
Thats the hardest thing you can do.

i dont think pathetique is hard at all...

im 15 by the way. and turkish march, mentioned earlier in this topic, is very easy.

Although I`m only 15, I play the Liszt and Chopin etudes and the Douze Grandes Etudes by Liszt are the hardest pieces ever written for the piano. Equal with them is the Islamey Oriental Fantasy.

IT`s impossible to lable something hard. First of all, every pianist has their own physical limitations and capabilities. By this, I am refering to the size of one`s hands. A person with smaller hands would consider playing Chopin Polonaise in Ab (heroic) impossible because of the inability to grasp the octave. This works both ways, as a person with real big hands may be clumbsy with the faster and finer playing.

Hard can be described many ways. For example, Mozart is easy for beginners, but hard for experts. To what I am referring is that the notes are easy, but there is more interpretation to play Mozart well which a beginner cannot see. And therefore this works the other way around. A person can play a piece with many technical scales, very quickly, but this type of interpretation is hardly even musical. There are technical hard pieces with prestissimo passates. There are hard pieces with many octaves, moving in both contrary and parallel motion. And there are hard slow pieces (hard in getting the sound you want).

It should also be noted that a person can be very good at almost anything, the main factor to determine is time. The similarities between a chess grandmaster, a good athlete, and a pianist is the requirement of 10,000 hours of good practice. I tend to spend half of my three-hour practicing time in the unproductive mode. WHat is really needed to master anything is good conscious practice and repition to strengthen the nerve connections with in the brain (as piano is truly a mental-cognitive proce, not a physical one). THerefore, with good instruction and practice, a person should be able to reach their highest music potential.

Therefore in getting into the literature, MOzart sonata K310 is his hardest sonata for piano. with this, one may be able to get through the notes very easily, but many will rush through this piece, not realizing good phrasing nor good tone. Bad interpretation will make both the first and third movements tiresome to listen to, especially because of the harsh sound.

In beethoven, one of his hardest sonatas, in my opinion, is Opus 111. not only from a technical aspect is this hard, but getting the second movement to sound good is the hardest task.

Chopin has all types of difficulties, as he tested the capabilities of the piano with pieces such as Polonaise-fantasie, many of the etudes (especially ones which require a lot of left hand work), and even some of the nocturnes are hard to get the perfect sound.

I mention little with 20th century music, due to the abstract sounds, and wild interpretations. Also, Bach doesn`t get his mention as his music is a whole new type of beast.

I apologize, I didn`t read many replies before posting myself.

Acknowledgements- The Art of Piano playing a scientific approach. by George Kochevitsky.

Piano, of all things, is a mental activity, not a physical one. As this has been noted, for the last 200 years piano has been taught incorrectly. The main ideas teachers brought fourth were finger velocity. This was the incorrect process of raising the fingers as high as possible, and then striking down at the keys. Based on further reading, I understand that many students/ or teachers are under the impression that piano is very easy.

Unfortunately, it is not. PIano is not just finger work, as thistype of practice will eventually produce injuries. It should be noted that piano is a mental task based purely on the dexterity of the brain. Piano is also not natural. In terms of moving fingers very fast, it is proven that this is related primarily to IQ (intelligence quotient). A person with higher intelligence capabilities will be able to wiggle two adjacent fingers much faster with in the duration of one second. One reason why piano isn`t sole based on finger work. Because of the abnormality of piano, it should be understood that it is a cognitive process. These processes are conditioned reflexes.

Proficient piano playing is more than the ability of seeing the written note, and then finding it on the keyboard. One must be able to see, hear inwardly, perform motor action, and then physically hear the sound to determine the results of playing. This motor coordination requires the ability to quickly calculate the distances between note (be it black and white notes) and intervals. THe mind must be able to read patterns, not individual notes. Being able to recognize patterns of successive notes, helps a pianist learn new material faster. Every Chopin Etude has a pattern which needs to be worked out. After working this out, the rest of the piece falls into place. Note in the c#-minor etude, one should recognize the four note patterns. Seeing this helps comprehend the piece as a whole. Also observe the ascending pattern of notes (begins on half beats). THe brain should process this as four sequential notes in a row. But this should be played and heard with the down beat in the correct places (the third of the consecutive notes).

Therefore, instead of quibbling with the ------ contest, may I suggest some practice guidelines for conquering your dream piece.

For those of you who hate scales, these are very important. They not only help a pianist understand the feeling of each key, but this also helps them calculate distances between notes. DO NOT SKIP OVER THESE. IT should also be noted when reading music that a long group of notes may be comprehended as a simple scale, which is something you have been practicing every single day.

THe next important point is slow practice with the METRENOME. DO NOT jump into material you are not prepared for, and don`t get a head of yourself with speed. SLow concious practicing helps not only timing(essentially what piano is), but, believe it or not, this will help improve your reading ability.

To improve your reading, try looking at the piece with a wider view. First of all, to change ones focus, practice the following drill. move your hand 2-4 inches in front of your music and focus on your hand. When you move your hand away, you want to beable to keep this, lazy-cross-eyed vision. This drill will help you expand your vision.

Also, never fear hands alone drilling (especially left hand). This helps improve your memory of a piece and this is good practice.

And remember, piano performance is not playing the most challenging piece for Vladmir Horowitz, nor even Artur Rubenstein. Being The best pianist is fulfilling your physical and musical capabilities. Music is language of the heart, and that of life. It is futile to spend six hours practicing at the piano (3 hours is the most anyone should spend). This not only burns one out (I have seen this from experience), but what do they have to convey with the piano if piano is life. HOw can a person convey passion of their personal/emotional life, and their music when their life is piano.

mmmm, i dont agree with one of the replys on this post

im 13 and i have played fantasie imprompto and revolution etude,and schummans piano concerto? they are not at all the hardest songs in the world, the hardest song in the world would run along the lines of something like:

Beethoven -Hammerklavier
Rachmaninoff -Piano concerto no.3 in D minor
Chopin -Winterwind Etude
Liszt -Etudes
Chopin -Ballade F minor
Tchaikowsky -Piano concerto no.1 Bb minor

I can name many more, but learn these an then email me for more

Good luck btw

Arsha

well, i`m just 17 year old boy and will turn 18 this month, i`ve played piano for about 10 years, i`ve tried many piece of classic piano from baroque - to modern, from bach to joplin, and finally i realized that, every piece can be so hard if you don`t know how to play it, i mean, how you can express the song? for yourself, your audience and etc. The rules is only the rules, you must able to play rachmaninoff as well as rachmaninof himself play it.... sory if i`m too fuzzy and talk bulls**t, well if you asked me what is the hardest piece then, i gonna said that rachmaninof pieces and from modern composer (1890-now) is quite diffcult to play... well, i want to ask all of you if there is another forum for classical pianist... thanks alot

I saw all those hard works and everything and all the pieces you can find on internet, but has anyone allready found or composed the sheet piano thing by muse? (i know it`s a symphony of rachmaninov, but then you get the whole symphony and you have to buy it)
If you have it, will you please send it to me? I would be extremely happy then.

Thanks in advance
Inflatabl

u guys have senn nothing until u have seen either cziffas bumble bee or mazeppa by liszt