Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner What's the most 'bombastic' piece you play?

And would that Rachmaninov had made some money on it...

Probably have to go with the Rach C # minor as well.

Why would you think I might have "an axe to grind"? With whom? Over what? What I said is simply a personal opinion. I simply cannot find anything "musical" in Islamay. To me, it is as I stated above: an extremely difficult piece - if not the most difficult in the piano repertoire - that is (to my sensitive ears) nothing but sound and fury, banging and bashing, with no musical interest. That would, without putting to fine a point on it, or trying to refine the definition a little more eloquently, qualify for a piece of bombast. I am not asking that all or anyone agree with me; I'm just stating my opinion.

Others have voiced a similar opinion about the Rachmaninoff C# minor Prelude, and I didn't notice that you were accusing them of "grinding an axe"!

I respect your right to disagree about the musical content - or lack thereof - in Islamey, but I don't think that I have any "axe to grind" with anyone. If you enjoy it, then that's your pleasure. It's certainly not mine.

Regards,

Would Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet - Montagues and Capulets qualify for the definition of bombastic ?

Some of Schumann's piano music tends IMO towards the bombastic (parts of Faschingsschwank, certain Novelettes, etc). Doesn't mean it's not great music though .

-Michael B.

I thought bombastic means loud .. i didn't know that you guys meant it to be loud + low-standard music

I like the Rachmaninoff prelude (not like i used to in the past) but i certainly think that it is a fine piece of music, and i still play it to this day

Bassio: Nor did I. I took it to mean a composition each of us plays that's perhaps more con brio or con fuoco and/or very rythymic(sp?) and virtuosic in content and fun to play( once mastered) & listen to.

Here's another fun one: Sousa-Horowitz (you guessed it!),
Stars & Stripes Forever.

Well okay, then. Funnily, I have never thought of the C# minor Prelude as being "bombastic" and confess to being rather surprised that it has been mentioned so often in this thread. In fact, I find little in all of Rachmaninov that is bombastic, at least in how I view the word. But perhaps the 6th of the Moments musicaux comes close. Slim musical pickings indeed...

"Fun" is an understatement. Jaw-dropping might be more appropriate.

In response to Shosti, I agree about Ravel's La Valse for two pianos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwVDbXUmv-M

Mike

Tausig's transcription of Toccata and Fugue is bombastic I think. I tried playing it and after a while put it aside, as one does. What makes it bombastic is that Tausig in adapting an organ piece for the piano of the day, and being an amazing virtuoso has embellished it with thundering octaves and tenths. It's actually wonderful in parts but it is demanding and well, for my money, I think it is rather bombastic. I think the original organ piece is also bombastic but then a lot of organ music is because it is ceremonial.

Wow! Thanks for sharing that. And Sergio got to kiss Ms. Argerich at the finish. Lucky boy...

Goes with the territory. Anytime you try to transfer the full sounds of the organ to the piano, a certain amount of bombast will be unavoidable. For all that, Tausig's transcription is leagues ahead of Busoni's, which tends to collapse under it's own crushing weight.

I have, and it's one of my favourites. Have you tried Brendel's studio recording? I would call it demonic much rather than bombastic, and certainly wouldn't call it tawdry. It's easy to turn the piece into tawdry music, though, as Berman's recording indicates.

Another piece by Gottschalk - the Fantasy on the Brazilian National Anthem - completely over the top!

Shellman: Agree 100%. Do you know where I can get the sheetmusic? My Gottschalk album doesn't have that one.

There's also the Scriabin Etude Op 8 nr 12. A nice piece of bombast!

BTW, the term can have negative connotations, but I don't think it's bad to have a little bombast in your repertoire. After all, we play the most self-indulgent instrument there is... Whoever heard of a bombastic flute solo?

This guy:

I agree with either Rach Prelude in C# or Chopin Etude op.25 no.12

That's interesting. I've not heard Brendel, so that could change my perception. As for Berman, I've noticed he really seems to polarize members here. I don't claim familiarity with very many of his recordings, yet based upon what I have heard, his playing is not to my taste, certainly if his recording of the Transcendental Studies is a fair example.