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Hi!

I am looking for some angry, frustrated piano pieces in the vein of Rach's cis-minor prelude and Chopin's "revolutionary" etude. I've finished those two and I need something new that I and my piano teacher could work on. I've considered Toccata in D-minor by Prokofiev, but could I make it? Here is a good interpretation of the mentioned piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUU_0QMoe2k

Any suggestions welcomed!

Anders S

Chopin's No. 11 op. 25 and no. 12 op. 25 would be good candidates. The thirds etude is good too, although quite difficult.

Rachmaninoff's prelude in B minor, op. 32.

-Colin

Liszt's Wilde Jagd. It's presto agitato, so it's got some fury.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JgU-ZRRTqFY

Chopin 28/18 - F-minor prelude - it's about as fast, angry, tangled, and agitated as anything.

The Rachmaninoff C minor prelude
op. 23 no. 7

You want a really "badass" piece? Check out Rachmaninoff's First Piano Sonata in D minor. Not as well known as the Second Sonata, but a much better and much more intense piece in my opinion.

I'm playing that right now, and I agree that it fits this topic quite well.

bad assed, not angry and frustrating but funky?

Schnell und Spieland (closing of Kreisleriana)

How about Rach's Etude op.39 #6 ?
Here's Valentina Lisitsa's version
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tVuP1BjbhAg

I know people don't think of Mozart and bad-*** in the same sentence, but the first movement of the sonata in C minor K. 457 is rather angry and can be played with wild abandon. Check out Schiff's version for evidence. I just finished a hack at recording it. It leaves you a bit breathless at the end.

Funny, no one has yet mentioned one of Rachmaninov's angriest compositions: the C# minor Etude-Tableaux from the Op. 33.

An angry caricature of a certain bloody Prelude? :t:

He certainly had an axe to grind... "I coulda made money on that!"... at least he was a player with apologies to Paul Newman.

Chopin f# minor prelude.

Argerichfan, i love that piece. and it certainly is WOW angry.

How about Chopin's Funeral March. That is certainly not a happy piece and it sounds really great.

Even sadder is Liszt's Funérailles. I never heard of this today til I listened to it on pianosociety.com

Sad? Of course. Angry? Most definitely, what with Liszt's big build-up fortressed with the octave salvos in the middle section. This piece is the ultimate catharsis.

My personal axe to grind: some commentators have dismissed this piece as merely commemorating Chopin's Ab Polonaise.

Remove the famous left hand octaves, and the two compositions could hardly be more different. Talk about lazy, idiotic listening...

But of course it's really more about Liszt's presumed inferiority to Chopin isn't it?

Can you please not swear? I find that highly offensive.

maybe he was talking about a bad(wild donkey) minor piece. I suppose it's possible.

I have to admit, I've never heard a bad wild donkey piece. sounds cool though.


my contribution: Brahms 2nd hungarian dance. Even though it has some changes of mood, i think it'd fit your description.

Hmm, me too, now that you mention it.

I too find it highly offensive when people swear.

I second Mozart's Sonata in c minor K457, studied that piece for 10 months with my teacher, it does involve emotions (anger,frustration etc.) and has to be played with depth and a high level of maturity.

If you can find a partner you can play Saint Saens'"Animaux Veloces". They may not be badasses, but they are asses.