Classical piano masterpieces: legendary performances from around the world you should hear at least once
“Classical piano sounds interesting, but where should I start listening?” Even within classical piano, the music differs greatly by era, style, and composer—and everyone’s tastes vary.
This feature is an introductory guide just for you.
It broadly covers famous and popular pieces from across times and places, so you’re sure to discover a piece you love.
Once you find a favorite, it’s fun to compare works by the same composer or pieces written in the same period.
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Classical piano masterpieces: World-famous performances you should hear at least once (41–50)
Piano Concerto No. 2Sergei Rachmaninov
It is Rachmaninoff’s masterpiece, Piano Concerto No.
2.
This famous work fully brings out the piano’s beauty through the orchestra.
Evgeny Kissin is a pianist with Russian, British, and Israeli citizenship, and he is currently active on the world stage.
Transcendental Étude No. 4 “Mazeppa”Franz Liszt
Judging by the title alone it sounds outrageous, but in reality everything about this piece is extraordinary.
Beyond the sheer technical skill required to perform it, its powerful melodies make it a grand work that never feels like an étude.
If you buy the score you’ll see that there are passages where Liszt deliberately specifies awkward fingerings for performance, making it a piece whose difficulty truly befits the name Transcendental Étude.
Two RhapsodiesJohannes Brahms
Alongside Bach and Beethoven, the third of Germany’s famous “Three Bs” is Brahms.
He left masterpieces in every form, from symphonies to chamber music, but among his piano works, the first of the Two Rhapsodies is perhaps the most famous.
Moments Musicaux No. 3Franz Schubert
Although this piece has been used as a railway departure melody, many people are surprisingly unfamiliar with it.
Schubert, often called the King of Song, also displayed remarkable originality in his solo piano works, and this piece is one that represents that very Schubert.
Für EliseLudwig van Beethoven
A well-known masterpiece for solo piano, as everyone knows.
Its simple and accessible structure follows a rondo form, and it has been loved by children and adults alike, past and present.
It is a quintessential solo piano piece that almost everyone has heard at least once.
There is a theory that the “Elise” in the title actually refers to Therese, a woman Beethoven loved.
Classical piano masterpieces: legendary performances from around the world you should hear at least once
8 Concert Etudes, Op. 40 No. 1: PreludeNikolay Kapustin
8 Concert Etudes, Op. 40 No. 3: ToccatinaNikolay Kapustin
