Like the `Subject` says... who is your favorite composer, what I your favorite piece and why.

I am interested to find out who all you guys here like.

For me it must be a) Chopin and Rachmanninoff

b) Chopin - Polonaise op 53
Etude no 9 op 25 (butterfly)

Rachmanninoff- Piano Concertos 2 and 3

Why? Chopin - His wonderful tunefulness and clever harmonies.

Rachmanninoff- Explination is beyond words. It touches your soul.

Beethoven - Pathetique piano sonata
I just like Beethoven as a composer, and I like classical very much. For the most part I like most of his works

Chopin - Fantaisie-Impromptu, and Ballade No. 1
Very challenging and it`s very fun to listen to and play.

Gershwin - Rhapsody In Blue
I like the uniqueness of it, the piano part is wonderful and very neat to watch, listen and play.

Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto 3
Just listen to it, it`s an amazing piece.

Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor
It`s very "wow" factor for me, I love the sound of a cello and this piece is just very well put together.

Gershwin- A Rhapsody in Blue (solo piano)... I can listen to it for hours and I wouldn`t get bored.
Rachmaninov- Prelude in G minor... No comment needed... I might actually play it some day
and
Tchaikovsky- Piano Concerto 1... Perfection itself... When I listen to it and turn up the volume really loud this piece totally engulfs me...... Even my heart starts beating faster...

Oh, I nearly forgot about Liszt... His "Mephisto Waltz" is mesmerizing...
I wonder how much time you have to spend to learn to play the piano version?

I am primarily a clarinetist but with good piano experience as well. I`m all for Romantic era composers like Chopin. I too find his heroic polonaise opus 53 a tremendous and overwhelming piece. All his etudes are terrific as well, especially the tritese, torrent, black keys, revolutionary, butterfly, winter wind, and ocean etudes. (doesnt take a genius to figure out that his nicknamed etudes are the best).

I like Gershwin`s Rhapsody in Blue as well. Not for the piano solo`s though but for the opening clarinet glissando and smear instead, lol. It`s a good embouchure and finger work out as well for us clarinetists. I play 5 times as a warmup excercise!

I love Gershwin`s Rhapsody in Blue...I am actully attempting to play it this summer for a concert...I haev only been playing since I was 12, so 2 years. I also love Joplin because ...wow, I don`t know how to explain!! He was just SO amazing! Wow. I wish I could meet that man...both of those men!

an interesting question... not easy to answer... well no to me... but`ll begin...
BACH: chromatischen fantasien, and the piano concerto n 1... really... bach was a genius...all his music is great...
now the classical composers... i dont like them very much... but i respect them a lot...
MOZART: his piano concerto n 20... and of course his requiem... but listening carefully each piece... his genius... wow!!!... ok... CHOPIN: of course... his sonatas... his music!!!...
SCHUBERT: impromptus... fantasia for two pianos!!! i dont remember its opus... i think 103... its wonderful...
LISZT: mostly everything!... not only its virtuso composing... but his last years... his music... excellent...
SCHUMANN: carnival and Kinderzscenen...
MENDELSSOHN: variations serieuses...
BRAHMS: a truly architect of music!!! and his last compositions... DEBUSSY AND RAVEL... mostly everything!!!... preludes, gaspard dela nuit... everything!...
SCHONBERG: another truly musician... piano pieces op11,19... all his piano music...
WEBERN and BERG... great composers... berg`s first soanta is great!!!
and webern`s das augenlischt... great.
STOCKHAUSEN,BOULEZ,VARESE,MESSIAEN,CAGE... ahhh!!!! all the contemporaries... great composers!!! you should listen to L`ecalier du diable... a LIGETI composition for piano!!! great!!!...
and my truly predilect... among the others i forgot to name... like kodaly, bartok, russians.... and whatever... but MINE... at least for the moment... SCRIABIN... excellent pianist... composer... a crazy guy... but awesome music!!!... Vers la Flamme... sonates... preludes... nocturnes... etudes... EVERYTHING!!!! his`s for now my NUMBRE 1!!!

I would like to second the earlier mention of Scott Joplin - ragtime genius. Although maybe not strictly classical, one of the great composers of his time. I particularly like some of his more contemplative pieces, such as solace - the mexican serenade, and bethena - a concert waltz.
Also Rachmaninov, piano concertos 1,2 and 3 for obvious reasons

right!!! joplin`s ragtime is excellent!!! and have you heard scott joplin playing his works??? its great!!!... like jelly "roll" morton!!!... excellent ragtime too!!!... by the way... have you heard gerswin`s ragtimes???... its full of chords... and they`re also very fun!!!

I haven`t heard many of Gershwin`s rags, but I will definitely look for some. I`ve heard Joplin`s own recordings of his rags - excellent!! Strangely I find ragtime very relaxing to listen to and play - I have no idea why! Maybe it`s to do with it the march time and heavy syncopation.

wow man!!! to me... isn`t that easy!!! nor relaxing.... its fun... but i`ll have to work it first... a lot!!! then... yeah!!! jejeje... really... look for those gershwin rag`s... they`re great.

Tchaikovsky:Symphony no.6 Tchaikovsky is definetly my favorite composer bacause of the way his music sounds u can practically tell if your listeining to tchaikovsky and not Mozart or Brahm or Beethoven but thats just my opinion.

Hey Guys,
my absolute favorite piece of piano music is "Spiral Dance" by David Lanz. It`s just sheer genius. When I`m listening to it, it feels like I`ve been transported to some mystical place where everything is beautiful. So, I would love to learn how to play it on piano. Does anyone know where I could find sheet music for it? I don`t really want to buy a book of it just for the one song. Or, if you have it, is there any way you could scan it and send it to me? Let me know if anybody knows anything about that!! amm_plifier@hotmail.com
Thanx, Amm

Ack, I forgot about a few...
*Clears throat*
Prokofiev - Very powerful music, especially "Montagues and Capulets". GOD I love it so much...
Grieg - I had to play his "Morning Mood" for 2 people at a school celebration lately... Astounding.
Johann Strauss - His waltzes are so light and airy... Just listening to them makes you wish that you were back in the beginning of the 19 century when people loved going to balls (when I was in Vienna a few years ago I was lucky enough to attend a, heh, "street ball". Thing is, the city was celebrating the anniversary of Strauss` birth and people were dacing to his music on the streets while it snowed... When they got cold they drank Glintwein... Good memories)
Richard Strauss - I like him because of 1 piece- "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (2001- A Space Odysee theme). Very, very nice.
Sviridov - "Time, Forward!" (unusual but

Hmmm...I don`t play piano but I do play violin.

Without a doubt I would have to say Pachelbel`s Canon In D for obvious reasons.