[Intermediate Level] A curated selection of piano masterpieces featuring strikingly brilliant melodies!

When you think of brilliant, showy piano pieces, what comes to mind?

The piano can play melody and accompaniment simultaneously, not only connecting lines smoothly but also creating bold, percussive rhythms—it’s even said to be an instrument capable of recreating an orchestra all on its own.

Piano timbre has many facets—beauty, poignancy, fragility—but this time we’ve selected intermediate-level works that let you fully savor its bright, powerful, and dazzling side!

Even if you prefer gentle or wistful pieces, we hope this will be a chance to discover a new charm of the piano and inspire you to give these works a try.

Playlist

[Intermediate Level] A curated selection of piano masterpieces featuring strikingly brilliant melodies!
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Sonatina No. 1, Movement I, Op. 20-1Friedrich Kuhlau		A clear and approachable piece in C major
2	white birchJean Sibelius		A piano piece that depicts an elegant scene of nature
3	Etude Allegro: A Duet Collection for ChildrenNakata Yoshinao		Nurturing children's musicality with a C major duet piece
4	Sonatina No. 12, Movement IMuzio Clementi		A bright Classical-era piano piece like spring
5	Sonatine No. 8, Movement IMuzio Clementi		The charm of piano pieces: brilliant and powerful
6	A Doll’s Dream and AwakeningTheodor Oesten		The graceful doll dance of the Romantic era
7	Sonatina No. 9, First MovementMuzio Clementi		Clementi’s lively composition, brimming with vibrant tones.
8	Ballade No. 1, Op. 23Frederic Chopin		Frederic Ch…, a composer representing the Romantic era,
9	Liebesträume No. 3Franz Liszt		Hungarian-born composer Franz Liszt...
10	Arabesque No. 1Claude Debussy		In learning polyrhythms, frequent repeti...
11	Etude Op. 10 No. 1Frederic Chopin		Fré… , a Romantic composer representing the 19th century,
12	Happiness, Opus 292-6Gustav Lange		Heal your heart with an elegant piano piece
13	Piano Sonata K. 545 in C majorWolfgang Amadeus Mozart		Mozart’s graceful three-movement piece
14	Polonaise No. 6 in A-flat major, Op. 53 “Heroic Polonaise”Frederic Chopin		Characteristics of Chopin’s “Heroic” Polonaise and tips for performance
15	The EntertainerScott Joplin		As the King of Ragtime, many artists...
16	Songs Without Words, Book I, No. 3, Hunter’s Song, Op. 19Felix Mendelssohn		Mendelssohn’s passionate hunting piece
17	SummerHisaishi Joe		The Appeal and Characteristics of the Piano Pieces from Kikujiro’s Summer
18	Impromptu of the WindNakata Yoshinao		A melody like a refreshing, free wind
19	Waltz, No. 1 from the Suite “Masquerade”Aram Khachaturian		Aram Kha... with its strikingly elegant waltz rhythm...
20	Sonatina No. 7, First MovementMuzio Clementi		An elegant and technically skillful piano piece, brilliant and bright.
21	TAKUMI / ArtisanMatsutani Taku		Theme song of an inspiring documentary program
22	Cuckoo WaltzJohan Emanuel Jonasson		The motif of the cuckoo’s call is scattered throughout the piece…
23	Tufted puffinHakasé Tarō		Taro Hakase, one of Japan’s most renowned violinists…
24	Maiden’s PrayerTekla Badarzewska		Polish female composer Tekla Bądarzewska...
25	Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2Franz Liszt		Liszt’s fiendishly difficult piece, “Hungarian Rhapsody”
26	Song of SpringFelix Mendelssohn		When asked, 'Which composers have many brilliant works?' ...
27	Csikos PostHermann Necke		This work, published in 1895, is Germany…
28	Adeline by the SeasideRichard Clayderman		French pianist Richard Clay…
29	Fantasia “Sakura Sakura”Hirai Kōsaburō		A composition that pursued the fusion of Japanese tradition and Western music…
30	Etude Op. 10, No. 5 “Black Keys”Frederic Chopin		A Polish-born composer who was active in France…
31	Six Waltzes, Op. 83 No. 1Auguste Durand		One of France’s foremost, great organists…
32	12 Variations on “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Variations)Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart		Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart…
33	Lyric Pieces, Book VIII, Op. 65, No. 6: “Wedding Day at Troldhaugen”Edvard Hagerup Grieg		Grieg’s masterwork Lyric Pieces, Book VIII, Op...
34	Waltz No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 18 “Grande valse brillante”Frederic Chopin		A delicate and beautiful melody, like the 'Farewell Etude,' leaves an impres…
35	Promenade from Pictures at an ExhibitionModest Mussorgsky		Modest Mussorgsky, one of the members of the Russian Five…
36	The Alps at sunsetTheodor Oesten		German-born composer Theodor Oesten…
37	Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79 No. 1Johannes Brahms		A piano competition in which junior high and high school students participate…
38	Polonaise No. 3 in A major, Op. 40-1 “Military Polonaise”Frederic Chopin		From the bright and dignified tone to the “Military Polonaise”…
39	Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Movement IWolfgang Amadeus Mozart		When the Viennese musician Mozart was 31 years old...
40	Sonatina No. 10, First MovementMuzio Clementi		A masterpiece that conveys the expressiveness and allure of piano music
41	Barcarolle, Op. 60, CT 6, in F-sharp majorFrederic Chopin		A “barcarolle” refers to the gondolas of Venice, the city of water…
42	Piano Collection “The World of Sweets,” Finale: “March of the Sweets”Yuyama Akira		Akira Yuyama, one of Japan’s most distinguished composers...
43	Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331, Third Movement “Turkish March”Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart		The famous masterpiece that everyone has heard at least once, “Tor...
44	Love’s GreetingEdward Elgar		Composed by Elgar, a masterpiece of love, spring music
45	“Butterflies,” Op. 2: No. 10, “Unmasking the Mask”Robert Schumann		Schumann’s piano suite, a masterpiece brimming with lyric poetry
46	ChaconneJ.S.Bach＝Busoni		“Chaconne” is by Johann Sebastian...
47	Hungarian Dance No. 5Johannes Brahms		Frequently heard at recitals and the like as a duet practice piece…
48	Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118 No. 3 “Ballade”Johannes Brahms		Johannes, a great composer who represents Germany, ...
49	Brilliant WaltzGlenda Austin		An elegant composition that fuses waltz and jazz
50	Impromptu FP 176 No. 15 in C minor “In Praise of Édith Piaf”Francis Poulenc		Francis Poulenc’s masterpiece “Improvisation in F…”
51	ParadeMaurice Ravel		Toshio Horiuchi’s grand, dramatic wind ensemble work
52	Moments Musicaux, Op. 16 No. 6Sergei Vasil’evich Rachmaninov		Composed by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff...
53	“Frayce A’s Flowers,” Volume 3, Op. 16: No. 2 — Moving into the Summer HideawayWilhelm Peterson-Berger		A gentle summer piano piece, soothing to the heart
54	gold dustErik Satie		Composer Erik Satie, famous as an enfant terrible of the music world, …
55	I am (Theme Song of “Hodo Station”)Morita Manami		A famous line that any Japanese person will have heard at least once…
56	Carnival, Op. 9Robert Alexandet Schumann		Robert, a composer representing the German Romantic school…
57	Noble and Sentimental Waltzes: No. 1, Modéré (Moderato), G majorMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s waltz, a modern and elegant masterpiece
58	Fantasia, Op. 28Alexander Scriabin		The Russian composer Aleksandr Skrya...
59	Three Military Marches, D.733 Op.51 No. 1Franz Schubert		Fran…, which is frequently performed by orchestras and wind ensembles as well,
60	Etude Op. 25, No. 11 “Winter Wind”Frederic Chopin		Fré… , a Romantic composer representing the 19th century,
61	Etude No. 13 in A-flat major, Op. 25 No. 1 “Aeolian Harp”Frederic Chopin		A technically intricate piano piece that expresses the atmosphere of spring
62	Je te veux (I want you)Éric Satie		Waltz: A Passionate and Elegant Masterpiece
63	Waltz No. 6 in D-flat major, Op. 64 No. 1 “Minute Waltz”Frederic Chopin		Known as a masterpiece by Frédéric Chopin…
64	Suite “Dolly,” Op. 56 No. 2 “Mi-a-ou”Gabriel Fauré		A piano duet composed to celebrate a young girl's birthday
65	“Butterflies,” Op. 2, No. 12: “Final Scene and the Returning Brothers”Robert Schumann		Schumann’s Butterfly finale depicts the end of a ball
66	Joy of LoveFritz Kreisler		A traditional light dance from Vienna
67	Waltz EtudeWilliam Gillock		The enchanting melody of a glamorous waltz
68	Waltz No. 6 in D-flat major “Minute Waltz”Frederic Chopin		A piano solo piece depicting a puppy scampering about