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#1541534 10/23/10 06:25 AM
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Hello everyone,

I was just wondering, what pieces do you think are really underated? I think Joplin's Bethena most certainly is. I'm doing it with my teacher now and I think it's so beautiful. It was virtually forgotten about for a long time which I find very sad. I also think the Chopin Concerto's aren't given enough credit, they're often critisised for the orchestration being 'weak', I think they're amazing.

Regards,
Samuel


Currently working on...
Chopin - Fantasie Impromptu in C sharp minor Op.66
Mozart - Piano Sonata in E flat K.282
Liszt - Romance in E minor "O pourquoi donc" S.196
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Kabalevsky's preludes set from the 1940s Opus 38, I think.

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what do you mean the chopin concertos are underrated???!!! if they are underrated hardly anyone would play them! His Grand Rondo de Concerto is underated. I've heard chopin 1 so many times that i'm sick of it.


Mastering:Chopin Etudes op.10 nos.8&12 and op.25 no.1, Chopin Scherzo no.4 in E major op.54, Mozart Sonata in B flat major K.333& Khachaturian Toccata
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Originally Posted by pianist.ame
what do you mean the chopin concertos are underrated???!!! if they are underrated hardly anyone would play them! His Grand Rondo de Concerto is underated. I've heard chopin 1 so many times that i'm sick of it.


Yes, I know. My point wasn't that they were underplayed, I said they're underated. The Concerto's are played a lot, but they're often critisised for the orchestration.


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Chopin - Fantasie Impromptu in C sharp minor Op.66
Mozart - Piano Sonata in E flat K.282
Liszt - Romance in E minor "O pourquoi donc" S.196
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It's always hard to get agreement in a thread like this because one person's "great piece" is another's very minor piece or what one person thinks is underrated(as in not played often enough)can seem frequently played to others.

For example, I agree with the poster who said that the Chopin PC #1 is neither underrated in quality or infrequently played. And I don't see Bethena, or any Joplin for that matter, as a particularly good piece. For that type of music I much prefer the works of James P. Johnson or Fats Waller.

Here are my two votes for most underrated piece. I've posted before about how great I think these pieces are, and in my experience they are woefully underperformed.

Chopin:Rondo a la Mazur Op.5
Here played by the phenomenal Ingolf Wunder, 2nd prize winner at the latest Chopin Competition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jVMUyBUDts

I first heard this piece played by Evgeny Bolzhanov(who also played it at the Chopin Competition) at the most recent Van Cliburn Competition last year. I had never heard it before that.

The other piece I think is an underrated masterpiece is the Brahms Variations, Op.21 No.1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfbrRMtPj7M

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Originally Posted by pianoloverus
It's always hard to get agreement in a thread like this because one person's "great piece" is another's very minor piece or what one person thinks is underrated(as in not played often enough)can seem frequently played to others.

For example, I agree with the poster who said that the Chopin PC #1 is neither underrated in quality or infrequently played. And I don't see Bethena, or any Joplin for that matter, as a particularly good piece. For that type of music I much prefer the works of James P. Johnson or Fats Waller.

Here are my two votes for most underrated piece. I've posted before about how great I think these pieces are, and in my experience they are woefully underperformed.

Chopin:Rondo a la Mazur Op.5
Here played by the phenomenal Ingolf Wunder, 2nd prize winner at the latest Chopin Competition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jVMUyBUDts

I first heard this piece played by Evgeny Bolzhanov(who also played it at the Chopin Competition) at the most recent Van Cliburn Competition last year. I had never heard it before that.

The other piece I think is an underrated masterpiece is the Brahms Variations, Op.21 No.1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfbrRMtPj7M


I agree with what you're saying, I guess it varies person to person. For example, I love Bethena but you don't think it's that great, it's down to the individual preference. Agreed with the Brahm's Variations, wonderful piece.


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Chopin - Fantasie Impromptu in C sharp minor Op.66
Mozart - Piano Sonata in E flat K.282
Liszt - Romance in E minor "O pourquoi donc" S.196
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What about Rachmaninoff's 1st piano sonata?

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oh yeah, that is quite underrated...

I would also think rach 4 concerto is quite underrated.


Some of Rachs obscure pieces like the Op.3 suite (excluding Op.3 No.2) are quite underrated, they are really nice i really enjoy them.

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Conlon Nancarrow??? lol

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Originally Posted by Jared Hoeft
Conlon Nancarrow??? lol


Once in a theory class during my undergrad, the professor played a recording of Nancarrow's studies for player piano (just a couple of them).

Fascinating premises for the pieces but for some reason I found them strangely, almost physically, uncomfortable to listen to, perhaps because they are humanly impossible to play.

They have the kind of surreal effect of an M. C. Escher picture. My eyes tell me that the picture 'works' even though my brain knows that it doesn't. (Of course in this case, it's my ears trying to persuade me that something is happening which my brain knows is impossible!)

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I'm not sure if this is underrated in the wide music world but i have rarely heard it before! Lovely piece though.





All theory, dear friend, is grey, but the golden tree of life springs ever green.
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I completely agree with the Kabalevsky preludes - that prelude gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Same with the second movement of the 2nd sonata (also playes by Horowitz).


Professional pianist and piano teacher.
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Rach piano concerto 1


Ravel - Une Barque Sur l'Ocean
Kapustin - Etude No. 7
Bach/Busoni - Chaconne
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Paderewski - Piano Concerto in A Minor (op.17) (1888)
One of the greatest pianists in the world ever and a great composer. Very underrated piece.



Playing is by Earl Wild (RIP). I saw him live a few years ago on his 90th birthday recital wow

Last edited by FreddyChopin; 10/23/10 07:53 PM.
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Henselt etudes?


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Beethoven's Pastoral. I mean, just listen!


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I find Liszt's Grand Concert Solo to be quite underrated and underappreciated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32CipHEYsOU

That's the only performance on youtube I believe.

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How about the Op. 44 Polonaise in F#m? That's one awesome piece that doesn't receive enough recognition. Ivo Pogorelich's 1983 DG Recording of this piece is phenomenal!

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Haydn sonatas.

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How about Debussy's 'Valse Romantique'? I never see it mentioned anywhere and it's amazing!


Music is what feelings sound like.
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