I am interested in starting a Liszt or Rachmaninoff piece. I have never played either of these composers. Any suggestions of a good piece to start with? As a reference to my level, some pieces I play: Debussy's Reflets dans l"eau, Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata (all movements), Bach's P&F #2 in C minor, Lecuona's Maleguena. Thanks.

good Liszt starter pieces:
Un Sospiro
Liebestraume
Consolations

good Rach starter pieces:
? Maybe a prelude opus 23 or 32

rach: the oh so famous prelude in c# minor

Thanks for the suggestions. I am more familiar w/ Liszt, and even have the sheet music for Un Sospiro and Liebestraume, so I will probably start w/ one of those. But are there any other Rach suggestions of a good piece that would acquaint me w/ his piano music? Are the preludes all there is (other than his concertos)?

Also Etude-Tableaux opus 33 and 39, Moment Musicals, and Sonatas. The Sonatas are quite difficult from what I've seen.

How about Melody, Op. 3. No. 3. I recently played that and liked it very much. I have a link to sheet music and a pretty good recording if you want.

Or the Rachmaninov Elegy, Op. 3 No. 2

I would learn the Liszt "Un Sospiro" and Rachmaninov "Elegy".

Op. 3 No. 2 is actually the Prelude in C#minor
Op. 3 No. 1 is the Elegy
Op. 3 No. 4 is Polichinelle, also a nice piece.

I am only starting to get familar with Rachmaninov, listening!

I can't play squat, but am hopeful in a decade or so.

My wife plays Prelude in C sharp minor op3, no2.

She has being playing it almost nightly since we got our grand and also 3 times on our friends Mason. Its amazing listening to it on the Mason and then again on his Sonus Faber Amati. It gets close but the live instrument still wins even when we crank the Sonus up and rock the house