[Classical] A collection of piano pieces with cool arpeggios
Are you familiar with the musical term arpeggio?
It refers to playing the individual notes that make up a chord—what we commonly call a chord or code—one by one, and if you play guitar, it’s a familiar term.
On piano, arpeggios are basically the same and are a technique you can use for accompaniment in singing and playing, but they’re also something you can’t avoid when performing classical piano pieces.
In this article, we introduce a selection of classical piano works that use arpeggios strikingly—whether in the right hand’s main melody or the left hand’s accompaniment.
Focusing primarily on solo piano pieces, but also including piano concertos, we invite you to savor the intense, cool, and beautiful appeal of arpeggios!
Playlist
| [Classical] A collection of piano pieces with cool arpeggios | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1east | Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight,” 3rd MovementLudwig van Beethoven | play_arrow | Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata |
| 2east | 12 Etudes, Op. 10 No. 1 in C majorFrederic Chopin | play_arrow | Chopin’s etudes are technically demanding and very difficult |
| 3east | Fantaisie-Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. posth., Op. 66Frederic Chopin | play_arrow | A masterpiece by Chopin, a work that condenses both virtuosity and lyricism |
| 4east | Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36Sergei Rachmaninov | play_arrow | Characteristics and Appeal of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 2 |
| 5east | TARKUS for pianoEmerson Lake&Palmer | ![]() | Performing an EL&P suite in a piano arrangement |
| 6east | Song of SpringFelix Bartholdy | play_arrow | A piano piece by Mendelssohn that expresses the joy of spring |
| 7east | Étude Op. 10, No. 12 in C minor “Revolutionary Étude”Frederic Chopin | play_arrow | A masterpiece that expresses Chopin's love for his homeland |
| 8east | Etude of the Wintry WindFrederic Chopin | play_arrow | Introduction to Chopin’s Winter Wind Étude |
| 9east | Sonata-Fantasy (Piano Sonata No. 1), Op. 39Nikolai Kapustin | play_arrow | Kapustin’s piano sonata fusing classical and jazz |
| 10east | Prelude Op. 40 No. 1 (Kapustin: Eight Concert Etudes)Nikolai Kapustin | play_arrow | Composed by Kapustin, a fusion of classical and jazz |
| 11east | Polonaise No. 6 in A-flat major, Op. 53 “Heroic Polonaise”Frederic Chopin | play_arrow | The characteristic arpeggios of Chopin’s Heroic Polonaise |
| 12east | Finale, Op. 40 No. 8 (Kapustin: Eight Concert Etudes)Nikolai Kapustin | play_arrow | Kapustin’s representative work, Etude |
| 13east | Piano Concerto No. 2Sergei Rachmaninov | play_arrow | The beauty and characteristics of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 |
| 14east | Play of WaterJoseph Ravel | play_arrow | Ravel’s Jeux d’eau is fantastical and beautiful. |
| 15east | Arabesque No. 1Claude Debussy | play_arrow | Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1: musicalizing curvilinear beauty |
| 16east | 12 Etudes for Piano, Book II: No. 11, Etude for Combined ArpeggiosClaude Debussy | play_arrow | Debussy's late collection of piano études |
| 17east | Piano Sonata in C major, K. 545, 1st movementWolfgang Amadeus Mozart | play_arrow | A famous piano sonata composed by Mozart |
| 18east | Three Concert Études No. 3 “Un Sospiro”Franz Liszt | play_arrow | Liszt’s Concert Études are masterpieces that combine virtuosity with lyricism. |
| 19east | Spanish Rhapsody, S.254Franz Liszt | play_arrow | Liszt's technically demanding piece, Spanish Rhapsody |
| 20east | Those Who FightUematsu Nobuo | play_arrow | FF7 battle theme, a masterpiece by Nobuo Uematsu |
| 21east | Scherzo Focoso, Op. 34Charles Valentin Alkan | play_arrow | A magnificent piano piece where advanced technique and passion intertwine |
| 22east | “Arpeggio,” No. 4 from the Grandes études de PaganiniFranz Liszt | play_arrow | Liszt, Grand Piano Variations on a Theme of Paganini |
| 23east | Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 7Robert Schumann | play_arrow | A passionate minor-key piece: Schumann’s anguish |
| 24east | 12 Etudes, Op. 8 No. 12 in D-sharp minorAleksandr Skryabin | play_arrow | The passionate final piece of Scriabin’s Études |
| 25east | Two Arabesques No. 1 in E majorClaude Debussy | play_arrow | An elegant piece composed in 1888, ideal for improving performance technique |
| 26east | Children’s Corner No. 1: “Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum”Claude Debussy | play_arrow | A lively piano miniature dedicated to Debussy’s beloved daughter |
| 27east | Turkish RondoJohann Burgmüller | play_arrow | A brilliant modulation piece from A minor to A major |
| 28east | Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40: No. 1 “Prelude”Nikolai Kapustin | play_arrow | Kapustin’s jazz-classical fusion piece |
| 29east | The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 846 – PreludeJ.S.Bach | play_arrow | Bach’s first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier is beautiful. |
| 30east | Fantasy in C major, Op. 15, D.760 “Wanderer Fantasy”Franz Schubert | play_arrow | Schubert Fantasy, quoting the Wanderer melody |
| 31east | Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40 No. 8: FinaleNikolay Kapustin | play_arrow | |
| 32east | 12 Etudes, Op. 25 No. 1 in A-flat major “Aeolian Harp”Frederic Chopin | play_arrow | Chopin’s Etude, with beautiful arpeggios |


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