Difficult Piano Pieces | Even Pros Can't Play Them!? Classical Works Requiring Virtuosic Technique

There are countless classical piano pieces in the world that boast a level of difficulty that seems almost unplayable.

Their difficulty is downright diabolical!

Some works are said to be playable by only a tiny handful of even professional pianists.

This time, we’ve picked out famous masterpieces from among these most challenging piano pieces—works renowned for requiring transcendental virtuosity.

We’ll introduce them along with videos that showcase pianists’ superhuman fingerwork, so please enjoy them with both your ears and your eyes.

Playlist

Difficult Piano Pieces \| Even Pros Can't Play Them!? Classical Works Requiring Virtuosic Technique
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	IslameyMily Balakirev		It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s always mentioned as one of the most difficult piano pieces.
2	Transcendental Études No. 4 “Mazeppa”Franz Liszt		In Liszt’s Transcendental Études, the octaves and double notes are particularly difficult.
3	Etude ‘Railway’ Op.27bCharles Valentin Alkan		An étude by Alkan themed on railways, of high difficulty
4	La CampanellaFranz Liszt		Franz Li..., known as the magician of the piano
5	Transcendental Étude No. 5 “Will-o’-the-Wisp”Franz Liszt		The ultra-difficult set of 12 pieces crafted by Franz Liszt…
6	Spanish Rhapsody, S.254Franz Liszt		Fran..., who left behind numerous pieces that require virtuoso-level technique
7	Gaspard de la nuit, No. 3: ScarboMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s formidable piece Scarbo demands expressive power.
8	Goldberg Variations (Aria and 30 Variations), G major, BWV 988J.S.Bach		A famous piece by Bach, notable for its difficult octaves
9	Etude Collection for Piano, Volume 2, No. 13: “Devil’s Staircase”Ligeti György		Ligeti’s experimental piano piece
10	Toccata in C major, Op. 7Robert Schumann		Performance Techniques for Schumann’s Fiendishly Difficult Toccata
11	Chromatic Grand GallopFranz Liszt		Composer Fran… has produced many challenging pieces.
12	Three Movements from PetrushkaIgor Stravinsky		Focusing on primitivism, neoclassicism, and serialism...
13	12 Etudes, Op. 10 No. 2Frederic Chopin		Chopin’s études require finger flexibility.
14	Wanderer FantasyFranz Schubert		Struggling to compose a difficult Schubert piece
15	12 Etudes Op. 25-6Frederic Chopin		Chopin’s difficult piece; the thirds (interval chords) are hard.
16	Transcendental Études, S.139 No. 12 “Snowstorm”Franz Liszt		Liszt’s high-difficulty piano piece “Snowstorm”
17	Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S.514 “Dance in the Village Inn”Franz Liszt		Introduction to Liszt’s Passionate Waltz Pieces
18	Kreisleriana, Op. 16 No. 7Robert Schumann		A passionate minor-key piece: Schumann’s anguish
19	“Grandes études de Paganini,” No. 6: “Theme and Variations”Franz Liszt		A masterpiece of piano arrangement of a work by Paganini
20	Transcendental Étude No. 5 “Will-o’-the-Wisp”Franz Liszt		Liszt's Feux follets, a masterpiece of transcendental technique and poetic expression
21	12 Etudes in All Minor Keys, Op. 39: No. 3 “Diabolical Scherzo”Charles Valentin Alkan		The leading Romantic composer representing France, Cha...
22	12 Transcendental Etudes, Op. 11 No. 10 “Lezginka”Sergey Lyapunov,		Lyapunov: Caucasian Folk Dance
23	Scherzo Focoso, Op. 34Charles Valentin Alkan		A magnificent piano piece where advanced technique and passion intertwine
24	Etude Collection (Studies) No. 4, Op. 10-4 in C-sharp minorFrederic Chopin		Passionate music with advanced technique is captivating.
25	From Eight Concert Etudes: No. 8 “Finale”Nikolai Kapustin		A Captivating Fusion of Jazz and Classical
26	Picturesque Etudes “Tableaux,” Op. 39, No. 6: “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf”Sergei Rachmaninov		Sergei, the great composer who represents Russia, ...
27	Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, Op. 214Strauss=Cziffra		Composed by Johann Strauss II in 1858...
28	Twelve Etudes in All Minor Keys No. 2 in D minor, in a Morossian rhythmCharles Valentin Alkan		A piano solo piece characterized by triple meter
29	Concert Etude “Knight,” Op. 17Charles Valentin Alkan		Alkan’s masterpiece piano piece
30	RailwayCharles Valentin Alkan		A piano piece by Alkan depicting the railway
31	“Arpeggio,” No. 4 from the Grandes études de PaganiniFranz Liszt		Liszt, Grand Piano Variations on a Theme of Paganini
32	Concert Etudes, 8 Pieces: No. 5 “Joke”Nikolai Kapustin		A fusion piece of classical and jazz
33	Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40: No. 1 “Prelude”Nikolai Kapustin		Kapustin’s jazz-classical fusion piece
34	Saltarello in E minor, Op. 23Charles Valentin Alkan		A passionate piano piece originating in Italy
35	The Rite of SpringIgor Stravinsky		A musical revolutionary work by The Rite of Spring
36	Spanish Suite No. 1, Op. 47 ‘Asturias’Isaac Albéniz		Captivating piano works of the Spanish Suite
37	15 Virtuoso Études, Op. 72 No. 2Moritz Moszkowski		A Romantic masterpiece, where virtuosity and expressiveness shine.
38	Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 2 No. 1, Fourth MovementLudwig van Beethoven		A masterpiece renowned for its powerful and passionate performance