so you want to listen to classical music? (part I)

putting my MM (Master of Music) to use: an ex-concert pianist and her friends share 100+ must-know solo piano works.

This post is over 4,500+ words long. Read it in the Substack App for the complete list!

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Classical music is finding renewed interest in younger audiences thanks to social media. Or at least Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2, Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1, and Debussy’s Clair de Lune are—all of which are popular backtrack choices accompanying a Nara Smith-style, soft-spoken haul or “get ready with me” video. I'll keep this preamble short since we have much to get to. All you need to know for now is that you’re in the right place if you’re interested in expanding your classical music playlist — specifically where solo piano works are concerned, consider this your first foray into a healthy, well-rounded, repertoire.

the eras tour (but make it classical)

Every pianist-in-training follows a strict diet when crafting their repertoire. An academic year at a conservatory kicks off by hand selecting one piece from each of the four major eras of classical music:

• Baroque (1600 - 1750)

• Classical (1750 - 1830)

• Romantic (1830 - 1900)

• 20th Century and beyond (1900s onwards)

Pianists will spend the year working alongside their professor on these pieces, getting them performance-ready for year-end recitals, juries, and competitions before swapping them out for a fresh set the following year.

The following isn’t an exhaustive list of pieces, rather, they are solo piano works I, along with my fellow alumni and colleagues at Juilliard, The California Institute of the Arts, and The San Francisco Conservatory believe every interested patron of classical music should add to their playlist.

(Buckle up, we’ve got 70+ pieces incoming. Over 100 if you count individual movements. All linked to performances and interpretations I admire.)

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the baroque period: early keyboard music & polyphony

Just like its furniture, art movements, and architecture — the music of the Baroque period is highly elaborate and ornate. It’s a busy time for music development from the rise of new musical styles (sonatas, concerti, operas, etc.), to the popularization of polyphony (several melodies played at the same time) as evident in J.S. Bach’s fugues.

The era also lent itself to improvisation, with Basso Continuo (figured base) allowing musicians to create and collaborate within the confines of the provided harmonic structure of a piece.

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François Couperin (1668 - 1733)

A French Baroque composer, organist, and harpsichordist, who introduced Italian style into French Classicism.

• 🎧 “La Couperin” from Pièces de Clavecin, Book IV, Order 21 — Performed by Lim Yunchan

• 🎧 Pièce de Clavecin, Book III, Order 13 — Performed by Grigory Sokolov

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Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764)

A French composer and music theorist of the late Baroque period. He’s important to the development and dominance of French opera and the traditional, functional harmony of the 18th Century.

• 🎧 Les Cyclopes — Performed by Grigory Sokolov

• 🎧 La Poule — Performed by Grigory Sokolov

• 🎧 Les Sauvages — Performed by Grigory Sokolov

• 🎧 Suite en la Gavotte et Six Doubles — Performed by Natacha Kudritskaya

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Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757)

An Italian composer who spent much of his life in the service of Spanish and Portuguese royal families. Also born in the same year as other Baroque greats like J.S. Bach and George Frideric Handel.

• 🎧 Sonate, K.141 — Performed by Martha Argerich

• 🎧 Sonata in E Major, K.380 — Performed by Vladimir Horowitz

• 🎧 Sonate K. 455 — Performed by Yuja Wang

• 🎧 Sonate K. 427 — Performed by Yuja Wang

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J.S. Bach (1685 - 1750)

95% of pianists will fulfill their Baroque requirement with a work of Bach’s. And with good reason. Regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time, he devoted much of his career to keyboard works. The German composer’s legacy is rooted in the intellectual rigor and emotional expressiveness of intricate polyphony. Also, if you’re particularly interested in the intersection of religion (Christianity) and music, Bach is a great study.

*Note: All linked works are performed by Glenn Gould, one of the most notable interpreters/performers of Bach. I’ll eventually get around to writing a post on interpretations of classical works.

• 🎧 Goldberg Variations BWV 988

• 🎧 French Suite No. 5 BWV 816

• 🎧 English Suite No. 2 BWV 807

• 🎧 Italian Concerto BWV 971

• 🎧 Partita No. 2 BWV 826

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the Classical period: with a capital “C”

There’s classical music — a general categorization of Western instrumental, orchestral, or choral music). Then there’s Classical music — referring specifically to the music composed between 1750 and 1830. Some might even refer to this era of music as “Viennese Classical,” paying homage to the hotspot of musical activity, and home to the great Classical composers Gluck, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Salieri, and Schubert.

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Muzio Clementi (1752 - 1832)

An Italian-born British composer who is widely considered to be “the father of the piano.” Although overshadowed by the Classical Greats, like Mozart (who was rumored to have called Clementi a “charlatan,” having composed a piece marked “Presto” but “plays only in ‘allegro’”), Clementi’s influence on keyboard compositions and his new school approach to piano technique should not be ignored.

• 🎧 Sonatina No.1 in C Major, Op. 36: I. Spiritoso | II. Andante | III. Vivace — Performed by Lang Lang (Disclaimer: Lang Lang is not my preferred performer of this piece, but alas. It was the best YouTube had to offer.)

• 🎧 Sonatina No.4 in F Major, Op. 36 — Performed by Diane Hidy

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Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1805)

If Clementi was “the father of the piano,” Haydn was “the father of the Symphony” and “the father of the string quartet.” Still, his piano works possess an orchestral quality that would go on to inspire a renowned pupil of his — Ludwig van Beethoven. Haydn’s piano sonatas are often overshadowed by his contemporaries (Mozart and Beethoven), which is why he’s one of my favorites when selecting a Classical work for programs.

• 🎧 Sonata No.59 in E-flat, Hob. XVI: 49 — Performed by Alfred Brendel

• 🎧 Sonata in B minor, Hob. XVI: 32 — Performed by Grigory Sokolov

• 🎧 Sonata in E-flat, Hob. XVI: 52 — Performed by Alfred Brendel

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1757 - 1791)

We know him. We love him. There’s nothing that I can say about Mozart that hasn’t already been said. Amongst the young pianists on the competition circuit, many will opt for the more virtuosic sonatas of Beethoven to fulfill their Classical requirement. To the immature ear, Mozart’s compositions are considered “elementary” or “too easy.” But as a pianist, what’s notationally sparse is often the hardest to perform. What makes a piece difficult isn’t how fast or dense it is. Rather, what occupies the silences between each note and how a pianist can turn the dead, evaporating sound produced by the piano into a cohesive phrase in the operatic voices that Mozart is so known for.

*Note: All linked works are performed by Mitsuko Uchida.

• 🎧 Sonata No.8 in A minor, K.310

• 🎧 Sonata No. 9 in D Major, K. 311

• 🎧 Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331

• 🎧 Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K. 576

• 🎧 Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457

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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)

Another composer who requires no introduction. Beethoven is one of the most renowned and revered figures in Western classical music. Although all 32 piano sonatas of his should 100% be on your playlist, I wanted to introduce you to other notable “named” piano sonatas that aren’t the infamous Moonlight sonata.

*Note: All linked works are performed by Daniel Barenboim

• 🎧 Sonata No. 8, Op. 13 “Pathétique”

• 🎧 Sonata No. 21, Op. 53 “Waldstein”

• 🎧 Sonata No. 23, Op. 57 “Appasionata”

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Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)

An Austrian late Classical composer known for his vast oeuvre of Lieder (German art songs). His piano works, like Mozart’s, are composed very much with the human voice in mind. This presents a challenge for the instrument and its percussive nature. But when performed well, Schubert’s music holds an ethereal quality — singing, fleeting, and feeling.

• 🎧 Six Moments Musicaux, D. 780, Op. 94 — Performed by András Schiff

• 🎧 Impromptu No. 3 in G-Flat Major, Op. 90, D. 899 — Performed by Khatia Buniatishvili (*Note: All four Op. 90 Impromptus are fantastic and should be included on your playlist!)

• 🎧 Wanderer Fantasy in C Major, Op. 15 — Performed by Paul Lewis

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the romantic period: an ode to literature, nature, and poetry

Despite its name, the romantic period isn’t so much inspired by romance as it is an ode to literature, nature, poetry, and all external forces that remind us of our humanity. This era in music was experimental and exploratory. Composers pushed far beyond the confines of traditional structures and rules of harmony, often borrowing notes from other keys and employing chromatic writing to create more lavish, languid, and dramatic harmonies.

This is my favorite period of music history, not because of the works composed during the time, but because it also happens to be slightly more diverse than previous eras with the inclusion of two female composers — Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn.

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Fanny Mendelssohn (1805 - 1847)

The older sister to composer Felix Mendelssohn, Fanny Mendelssohn is a German composer and pianist of the early romantic period. Known as Fanny Hensel after her marriage, she composed over 125 pieces for piano and over 250 lieder — most of which remain unpublished in her lifetime. Das Jahr (The Year) cycle, composed in 1841, consists of 12 character pieces depicting the months of the year which concludes with a postlude. It was written 35 years before Tchaikovsky’s famed The Seasons, a cycle of 12 pieces inspired the months of the year not unlike Fanny’s own work.

• 🎧 Das Jahr — Performed by Gaia Sokoli

• 🎧 3 Charakterstücke I. Allegro molto vivace e leggiero in B Major, H.414 [0:53:15] | II. Allegro molto vivace in C Major, H.442 [0:56:09] | III. Andante con moto in E Major, H.452 [1:00:36] — Performed by Gaia Sokoli

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Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847)

A German composer of the early romantic period, Mendelssohn’s breadth of work spans from symphonies, concerti, piano music, organ music, and chamber music. His “Greatest Hits” include the overture and incidental music to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (you might recognize this wedding march). But I digress, let’s get into a few of his solo piano works.

• 🎧 Variations Sérieuses, Op. 54 — Performed by Benjamin Frith

• 🎧 Lieder ohne Worte (Songs Without Words) Op. 67. No.2: Allegro Leggiero “Lost Illusion” — Performed by Daniel Barenboim

• 🎧 Lieder ohne Worte (Songs Without Words) Op. 19, No. 6 in G minor, “Venetian Gondola Song” — Performed by Jan Lisiecki

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Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896)

Considered one of the most distinguished pianists of the romantic period, Clara Josephine Wieck, later Schumann through her marriage to Robert Schumann, had major influence over the programming of recitals, lessening the importance of purely virtuosic pieces. Clara’s piano trio in G minor is considered to be one of her greatest compositions, but her solo piano works (though lesser performed) were written with great emotional depth. Not only was she one of the few female composers of her time, she was also the main breadwinner of her family… eventually becoming the sole earner with her husband’s hospitalization, supporting 8 children with her concerts and teaching. She was also a great champion of the works of her husband (Robert Schumann), Johannes Brahms, Chopin, and Mendelssohn.

Sidebar: While I didn’t plan to write about the speculative details of Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms’ relationship, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Brahms’ great love for Clara (and Robert), of which many a “love” letters were written. (From what I know, their relationship always remained professional but who can’t help but swoon at such declarations of love? After all your honor, I’m just a girl.)

“I cannot tell you how I long for your return. I can no longer exist without you. I want so much to be able to hold your hand again and to sit beside you. Everything and everybody seems to me so cold… Please go on loving me as I shall go on loving you* always and forever.

Wholly yours, Johannes”

Johannes to Clara, June 25th, 1855

*Note: All linked works are performed by Jozef De Beenhouwer

• 🎧 Sonata in G minor

• 🎧 Soirées Musicales, Op. 6 I. Toccata | II. Notturno | III. Mazurka | IV. Ballade | V. Mazurka | VI. Polonaise

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Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856)

One of the great German romantic composers, Robert Schumann was a student of Clara’s father, Friedrich Wieck. Despite Friderich believing Robert to be an unsuitable match for Clara, Robert and Clara married in 1840. Many of Schumann’s song cycles were later inspired by Clara, including Frauenliebe und Leben (“Woman’s Love and Life”), and Dictherliebe (“Poet’s Love”). Many of Robert Schumann’s works are programmatic in nature (which renders an extramusical narrative as opposed to absolute music, which adheres strictly to the rules of form e.g. sonata.)

• 🎧 Kinderszenen (“Scenes from Childhood”) Op. 15 — Performed by Vladmir Horowitz (*Disclaimer: Horowitz’s performances are often regarded as a little “messy,” however, his performance of Kinderszenen perfectly balances the clumsiness and brashness of immaturity with a nostalgic wisdom of aging)

• 🎧 Papillons Op. 2 — Performed by Vladmir Ashkenazy

• 🎧 Carnaval Op. 9 — Performed by Evgeny Kissin

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Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)

Considered to be both a traditionalist and innovator, Brahms’ compositions are largely rooted in the traditional structures and compositional techniques of the Baroque and Classical periods. This was the setting for many debates that ensue in “The War of the Romantics” — a philosophical divide amongst musicians, composers, and music critics of that time, in which Brahms accuses his great rival, Franz Liszt, of being “an evil influence” to True Art.

• 🎧 Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118 — Performed by Evgeny Kissin

• 🎧 Four Ballades, Op. 10 — Performed by Krystian Zimerman

• 🎧 Piano Sonata in F minor No. 3 Op. 5 I. Allegro maestoso | II. Andante expressive | III. Scherzo: Allegro energico | IV. Intermezzo (Rückblick): Andante molto | V. Finale: Allegro moderato ma rubato — Performed by Jon Nakamatsu (*Note: Jon’s my professor of 2 years during my graduate degree at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His impact on my music and life cannot be summed up in words. Not only is he one of my favorite pianists, but he’s a tremendously important figure in my own career as a pianist and now writer.)

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Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849)

Chopin, a Polish composer who spent much of his time in Paris, has been a favorite amongst social media users today. The most commercially successful nocturnes and preludes of his frequently make their rounds on Instagram and TikTok, so I wanted to curate this introductory playlist of his works with similarities in mind. In other words, I’ve intentionally left out his larger piano works (sonatas) because they’re absolutely beastly and quite a huge jump from what’s currently trending online. You might even recognize the fourth impromptu (Fantasie Impromptu) as the melody of the 1946 Vaudville hit by Perry Como and The Satisfyers.

• 🎧 Four Scherzos: Op. 20, No. 1 | Op. 31, No. 2 | Op. 39, No. 3 | Op. 54, No. 4 — Performed by Ivo Pogorelich

• 🎧 Four Impromptus: Op. 29, No. 1 | Op. 36, No. 2 | Op. 51, No. 3 | Op. 66, No. 4 (Fantasie Impromptu) — Performed by Evgeny Kissin

• 🎧 Four Ballades: Op. 23, No. 1 | Op. 38, No. 2 | Op. 47, No. 3 | Op. 52, No. 4 — Performed by Murray Perahia

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Franz Liszt (1810 - 1849)

Before there was Elton John, there was Hungarian composer and virtuoso, Franz Liszt. Liszt was rumored to have changed the precedent of concerts altogether, being the first to angle the piano on a right angle on stage (allowing audiences to admire the handiwork and profile of the pianist a little more fully). It’s also said that he was the first performer to have entered from the right wing of the stage. Liszt is synonymous with bravado and showmanship (sometimes to a really annoying degree), but that’s with good reason. His compositions are technically impressive — shimmering quick notes, full-bodied chords, and good use of the extreme lower registers of the modern-day piano… yeah, he’s a bit of a show-off. His most famous piece, Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 has been forever immortalized in this episode of Tom & Jerry. (No joke, this episode is referenced in many a masterclass at Juilliard whenever someone brings this piece for critique). However, I think Liszt’s best works are his transcriptions of lieder, including Robert Schumann’s Widmung, and Franz Schubert’s Gretchen am Spinnrade.

• 🎧 Rhapsodie Espagnole, S.254 — Performed by Oleg Marshev

• 🎧 Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S.514 — Performed by André Laplante

• 🎧 Paganini Etude No. 3 S.161, “La Campanella” — Performed by Yundi Li

• 🎧 Schumann/Liszt “Widmung” — Performed by Evgeny Kissin (*Note: Did you catch the little nod to Schubert’s “Ave Maria” at the end?)

• 🎧 Schubert/Liszt “Gretchen am Spinnrade” — Performed by Sergei Bababyan

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Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907)

Another thing I love about the romantic period of music is the access to new sounds beyond the reach of Italy, France, Germany, and Austria. Grieg, a Norwegian composer, best known for his hit “Hall of the Mountain King,” often uses Norwegian folk music in his compositions. I’m a huge fan of programming Grieg into my performances. My biggest claim to fame? Changing Garrick Ohlsson’s mind on the Grieg Piano Sonata. (Which he told me in a masterclass he had previously disliked until my performance. This was in public so I have witnesses!)

Performing Grieg’s Piano Sonata for Garrick Ohlsson’s Masterclass at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 2019

• 🎧 Piano Sonata, Op. 7 — Performed by Einar Steen-Nøkleberg

• 🎧 “To Spring,” Lyric Pieces Book III, Op. 43 — Performed by Alice Sara Ott

• 🎧 “Nocturne,” Lyric Pieces Book V , Op. 54 — Performed by yours truly (as part of Spectrasonics’ launch of Keyscape)

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Enrique Granados (1867 - 1916)

My approach to curating this introductory list of classical works is simple: to take you beyond the commercialized hits of some of the most well-known composers, and to introduce you to a wider variety of composers who often get left out of the conversation amongst casual classical listeners — Enrique Granados, a Spanish composer, being one of them. His pieces carry the swoon-worthy elements of Spanish dances, rhythms, and flair.

While I can introduce you to his larger body of work, my goal in with Granados in this post is to present Goyescas, also aptly subtitled “Los majos enamorados” (The Gallants in Love). Inspired by the work of Spanish artist Francisco Goya, this suite is considered to be Granados’ crowning achievement. It’s lavish. It’s rich and sweeping. And it’ll make you feel as though Eros himself shot you straight in the heart with a gold-tipped arrow. Some even say the fourth movement, Quejas, o La Maja y el ruiseñor (“Complaint, or the Girl and the Nightingale”), delivered in a perfumed scented envelope the motif to the ever-famous tune of Bésamé Mucho.

• 🎧 Goyescas, “Los majos enamorados” (The Gallants in Love) I. Los requiebros (The Compliments) | II. Coloquio en la reja (Conversation at the Window) | III. El fandango de candil (Fandango by Candlelight) | IV. Quejas, o La Maja y el ruiseñor (Complaint, or the Girl and the Nightingale) | Intermezzo | V. El Amor y la muerte (Balada) (Ballad of Love and Death) | Epilogo: Serenata del espectro (Epilogue: Serenade to a Spectre) — Performed by Luis Fernando Pérez

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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)

Since I mentioned Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons before, I wanted to include it in this post. I won’t spend too much time on Tchaikovsky here. Instead, I’m thinking about writing another guide compiling great Russian works.

• 🎧 The Seasons Op. 37a — Performed by Olga Scheps

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Modest Mussorgsky (1839 - 1881)

I’m a great lover of Russian music, which is why no “introductory listening guide” is complete without a mention of my favorite solo piano work out of the country. Mussorgsky is a Russian composer who is part of a group known as “The Five” (or “The Mighty Handful,” or “The Mighty Five”), which consists of Mily Balakirev, César Cui, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Alexander Borodin. These five composers are prominent figures in 19th-century Russian music as they worked together to create a distinctly national style of classical music. While Mussorgsky is probably known to you through his work, Night on Bald Mountain, the piece I want to introduce to you today is Pictures at an Exhibition.

Pictures at an Exhibition is a ten-movement piano suite based on pictures by the artist, architect, and designer Viktor Hartmann. Maurice Ravel would later go on to transcribe this work for orchestra. But according to my Russian teacher at Juilliard, “the orchestral transcription sucks the Russian-ness out of it.” Maybe it’s because she’s responsible for shaping much of musical tastes, but I agree. So here’s my favorite performance of Pictures at an Exhibition.

• 🎧 Pictures at an Exhibition — Performed by Evgeny Kissin

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20th Century and Beyond: the birth of ‘isms’

Welcome to the 20th Century and everything we know today. This is the biggest umbrella term that captures all the ‘isms’ and new branches of music, including modernism, impressionism, serialism, and minimalism. This category of classical music also takes influence from non-classical styles, like jazz and experimentation with recorded sound. It’s a time heavily impacted by 20th-century global politics, with many composers writing music rife with political subtext, some even being forced to write music that was “acceptable” stylistically to avoid persecution. This is also the point in time where music diverts from “tonality,” but as it isn’t necessarily “easy listening,” I won’t include 12-tone music on this list. (Maybe one day, but not today.)

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Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943)

Considered to be one of the last great Russian romantic composers, Rachmaninoff’s virtuosity is more widely observed through his Piano Concertos. A great pianist himself, Rachmaninoff’s works largely center around the instrument, exploring the full range of expressiveness and technical abilities of the keyboard. I won’t go into much detail today, as I’m planning to dedicate a post entirely to Russian composers and piano works.

• 🎧 Études-Tableaux, Op. 39 — Performed by Evgeny Kissin

• 🎧 Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 36 — Performed by Nikolai Lugansky

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Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)

A student of Erik Satie (of Gymnopédie fame), Poulenc is one of the six composers who made up “Les Six” — a name given to six composers (fix French, one Swiss), who lived in Montparnasse. Members of “Les Six” include Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Germaine Tailleferre, and Poulenc. Their compositions were viewed as a neoclassical response to the impressionist music movement (Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel).

• 🎧 Trois Mouvements Perpétuels — Performed by Pascal Rogé

• 🎧 Nocturne No. 7 — Performed by Gabriele Tomasello

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Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953)

One of my favorite composers, Sergei Prokofiev was responsible for many recognizable masterpieces, including his orchestral works of Romeo & Juliet, and Peter & the Wolf. A graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Prokofiev’s composition was most known for its distinct dissonance and virtuosity. Eventually, I’ll wax poetic about his Piano Concerto No. 2 (specifically the anguish and agony of the cadenza in the first movement, only to be swallowed whole by the beast of the orchestra… it’ll never not move me to tears. If the myth of Sisyphus were captured in music, this would be it), but for now, here are my favorite solo piano works.

• 🎧 10 Pieces from Romeo & Juliet, Op. 75 — Performed by Igor Roma

• 🎧 Piano Sonata in B-flat Major No. 7, Op. 83, “Stalingrad” — Performed by Maurizio Pollini

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Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971)

Possibly one of the most important composers of the 20th century, Stravinsky is known his Ballets Russes, The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), The Rite of Spring (1913). His compositional career could be dissected into three parts: his Russian period (1913 - 1920), neoclassical period (1920 - 1951), and his serial period (1954 - 1968).

Although originally an orchestral work, Stravinsky made a piano arrangement of his ballet, Pretushka, for his friend Arthur Rubinstein, 10 years after the original was composed.

• 🎧 Trois Mouvements de Petrouchka — Performed by Maurizio Pollini

*Here’s an original recording of Arthur Rubinstein performing the piece. It’s not my favorite (admittedly, it’s technically messy, but it’s a tremendously difficult piece).

• 🎧 I. Danse Russe (Russian Dance)

• 🎧 II. Chez Pétrouchka (Petrushka's Room)

• 🎧 III. La Semaine Grasse (The Shrovetide Fair)

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Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918)

The French impressionist composer is most widely known today for Clair de Lune. But that’s just the tippy tip of the iceberg. Debussy’s orchestral works include the masterful Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and La mer.

• 🎧 L’isle Joyeux — Performed by Cho Seong-Jin

• 🎧 Children’s Corner — Performed by Mieczyslaw Horszowski

• 🎧 Images, Book I, L. 110, I. Reflets dans l’eau — Performed by Jeans Yves Thibaudet

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Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937)

Another French impressionist composer and Debussy’s contemporary, Ravel’s compositions are heavily influenced by elements of Baroque, neoclassicism, modernism, and later on — jazz. I’ll get around to writing more about that particularly as it pertains to his Piano Concerto.

• 🎧 Gaspard de la nuit: Trois poèmes pour piano d'après Aloysius Bertrand I. Ondine | II. Le Gibet | III. Scarbo — Performed by Ivo Pogorelich.

• 🎧 Sonatine in F-sharp minor — Performed by Cho Seong-Jin

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George Gershwin (1898 - 1937)

The first American composer on this list, Gershwin has no shortage of recognizable hits, including Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, Cuban Overture, Porgy and Bess (where “Summertime” is from), along with jazz standards such as “I’ve Got Rhythm,” and “Embraceable You.”

*Note: All linked works below are performed by Jon Nakamatsu.

• 🎧 Prelude No. 1

• 🎧 Prelude No. 2

• 🎧 Prelude No. 3

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Nikolai Kapustin (1937 - 2020)

A composer and pianist of Russian-Jewish descent, Kapustin’s pieces make for great program closers and encores. These pieces are heavily influenced by jazz, although Kapustin never claims to be a jazz musician, saying:

I was never a jazz musician. I never tried to be a real jazz pianist, but I had to do it because of the composing. I'm not interested in improvisation – and what is a jazz musician without improvisation? All my improvisations are written, of course, and they became much better; it improved them.

• 🎧 Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40 — Performed by Nikolai Kapustin

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Lowell Libermann (1961)

Last but not least, I couldn’t wrap this list up without including a piece by a living composer today. Gargoyles by Lowell Libermann is a wonderful intersection of my experience in classical music and my interest in gothic aesthetics. Haunting, eerie, grotesque, Gargoyles approaches its statue muses with flamboyance and at times, humor.

• 🎧 Gargoyles for Piano, Op. 28 — Performed by Yuja Wang

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encore! standing ovation for making it to the end!

“Play Salieri”

Admittedly, this post took me over 10+ hours to draft (not permitting the time spent foraging for performances and compiling my absolute “must include” pieces, and whatever light editing will ensue). I hope you’ve found a piece or a few hundred to add to your ever-growing classical (with a small “c”) playlist.

This post is just the beginning as I plan to curate a list of the following:

• Piano concerti (across all four periods)

• Russian piano works

• Chamber music (across all four periods)

• Favorite operas

• And my favorite piano-free works

Special thanks to my friends and colleagues from The Juilliard School, The California Institute of the Arts, and The San Francisco Conservatory of Music for sharing your favorite piano works to be included on this list.

And as always, a debt of gratitude to my teachers and professors who nurtured me over the last two decades — Jon Natamatsu, Ory Shihor, Vicki Ray, Victoria Mushkatkol, Yoheved Kaplinsky, and Tedd Joselson. It’s because of all of you that I can yap for this long about music.