5 Piano Pieces That Are Nearly Impossible to Play

The question of “What piano pieces are the most difficult to play?” has inspired friendly arguments among music lovers for as long as piano pieces have been composed. A piece which is ten hours in length is going to be “difficult” regardless of the complexity of the piece itself, and if a piece is unpleasant to hear, then pianists will have little interest in playing.

The only true way to determine which piano pieces are the most difficult is simply to ask pianists themselves. So, challenge accepted! Here are five compositions perceived as “nearly impossible to play,” chosen for their variety, depth of sound, and, of course, difficulty.

1. Piano Sonata in D Major, K. 576 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Piano Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K. 576, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as part of a set of six for Princess Friederike of Prussia in 1789. It is often nicknamed “The Hunt” or “The Trumpet Sonata”, for the hornlike opening. The sonata, having a typical performance duration of about 15 minutes, is Mozart’s last.

In a letter to a fellow Freemason Michael von Puchberg, dated July 12, 1789, Mozart wrote: “Meanwhile I am working on six easy piano sonatas for Princess Friederike and six quartets for the King”. Hermann Abert believed K. 576 to be one of these sonatas; however, Wolfgang Plath and Wolfgang Rehm stated in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe that they doubted this, as K. 576 is demanding to play, often considered one of Mozart’s hardest sonatas, due to its technically difficult counterpoint passage

2. Piano Concerto Number 3 by Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninoff (also spelled Rachmaninov) was a Russian composer and pianist who arguably became the greatest pianist of the early 20th century. He was the first living piano composer to make recordings of all his piano concertos, including Piano Concerto Number 3 first performed in New York City on November 28, 1909. Rachmaninoff called Concerto Number 3 his favorite, saying that it was much more “comfortable to play” than his second concerto.

Fellow musicians, however, found the concerto extremely challenging to play, making Piano Concerto Number 3 one of the most technically challenging piano concertos in all of classical music. Famous pianist Gary Graffman said that he wished that he had learned this concerto while he was a student when he was “still too young to know fear.”

3. Hammerklavier by Ludwig Van Beethoven

Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-Flat Major, Op. 106 (also known as the Große Sonate für das Hammerklavier, or more simply as the Hammerklavier) is known as one of the greatest piano sonatas of all time. The piece is often considered to be Beethoven‘s most technically challenging piano composition and one of the most demanding solo works in all of classical music.

The sonata was composed in 1817-1818 and was dedicated to Beethoven‘s patron, Archduke Rudolph. The Hammerklavier set a precedent with a standard performance length of 45-50 minutes (previous concerto movements were typically 15-20 minutes).

The work was admired but received as nearly unplayable by many pianists. It requires incredible dexterity and a stunning level of stamina to complete the piece. Even classical pianist Emanuel Ax stated that he believes himself too old to now learn the sonata. The time investment required both to learn and to play the piece make it a challenge many musicians simply choose not to face.

4. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp Minor, is the second in a set of 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies by composer Franz Liszt and is by far the most famous of the set. In both the original piano solo form and in the orchestrated version this composition has enjoyed widespread use in animated cartoons. Its themes have also served as the basis of several popular compositions.

Though it is familiar to the ear, this piece is difficult for even the most talented pianists. The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 opens in a dark and dramatic mood with strong low chords. Dotted rhythms of alternating short and long notes borrowed straight from Hungarian folk dances become prominent. These slow opening pages gradually lead to brisk and energetic ones, just as folk dances may pick up the pace with time.

5. Fantaisie – Impromptu, Op. 66 by Frederic Francois Chopin

The Fantaisie-Impromptu was written in 1834, but unlike other works that were written during this year, Chopin never published the Fantaisie-Impromptu. Instead, Julian Fontana published it posthumously, along with other waltzes.

This piece has proved to be difficult to pianists for many reasons, one being that each of the hands play in a different meter: the right in duple time, the left in triple time. It also features a middle section in D♭ major, while the beginning and end of the piece are in C♯ minor.

These five pieces are among many seen as being nearly “impossible” to play, but any pianist will tell you that the most difficult piece of music is always the one you are about to learn. The best musicians are those who continue to challenge themselves, and luckily for the music lovers of the world, the five pieces above are a great way to accomplish just that!