It seems many people are very interested in tackling only the hard literature.
Foolish...

Many people are interested in going for "Rach 3". I really don`t care for difficulty and would rather play Beethoven`s 4th or the Mozart c-minor Concerto (being that I don`t like the "rach 3" anyway). Many of you concern yourselves too much with difficult technical music. Take a deep breath and play music you enjoy. yes, technique is important, and it is important to practice one or two technical pieces a year, but more can be learned in a pianists study in the time you would learn Rachmaninov`s third concerto.

When I choose my repertoire each year, I like to choose music from 4 time periods. e.g. my recital this year includes Bach Prelude &fugue (book2 WtempClav. no.1), Brahms Op. 118 no.2,3, Beeth. Sonate Op31No2, Ravel Mothergoosesuite 1,(I vetoed the second movement)3,4,5(a duet), and Fantasia by Benjamin Lees. These are all NOT technically the MOST difficult pieces, but I play them because I love the music and am passionate.

I am able to take this selection of pieces and not only play them at the college, but go to retirement homes or community centers and play for people with true love and appreciation of music. Where as if I decided to spend time learning three movements of a concerto, I would not be able to practice the way it should sound (I don`t have an orchestra) and my actual PERFORMANCE opportunities are rather limited (Don`t see myself touring with any orchestras). There aren`t many places with 2 pianos (much less one good piano), and therefore Concertoes make difficult duo repertoire.

Therefore I conclude, A person will learn more with four or five smaller pieces from many musical categories, rather than from learning three big pieces in one category. The idea is to be a WELL-ROUNDED pianist.

The idea is to be a well-rounded pianist? Whose idea is this? There are no set "rules" for what music you to learn. Maybe some people love a good challenge, and the Rach 3 certaintly meets those qualifications, besides the fact that is beautiful, passionate music (in my opinion). Also, who`s to say that it is impossible to have a "true love of music" for a piece that happens to be nightmarishly difficult? I suppose it`s all a matter of taste and personal style.

If you happen are playing piano mostly for leisure, learn whatever you want. If are trying to start a career as a performer, or a collaborative artist, it is better use of your time to learn many styles of music. From the professional standpoint a teacher needs to teach french, impressionistic music, than Rachmaninov`s 3rd concerto.