For anyone interested in the piano or classical music, there are plenty of great composers who spent their lives creating wonderful pieces. If you're looking to improve your technique, consider exploring piano lessons atlanta.
The popular definition of classical music tends to include any art music, particularly orchestral music, often without vocals. However, classical music can also be defined more specifically as the particular genre of art music from the 18th and 19th centuries. For the purposes of these composers, we'll use the broader popular definition since it means you can discover more great pieces for the piano.
Obviously, some of the earlier great composers that predate the piano actually wrote for the harpsichord and clavichord, but it's very common for musicians to play these pieces on their pianos since the instrument is more common in homes than other keyboard instruments. For performances, however, these will definitely be performed on the instruments they were written for.
Here are some of the greatest classical composers for the piano.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and though he technically didn't write any music for the piano, you can't really talk about classical piano music without giving him a nod.
He wrote a lot of compositions for the keyboard instruments of the time such as the clavier and the harpsichord. However, his Goldberg Variations that were composed for the harpsichord are part of the piano repertoire.
The Well-Temperered Clavier is another famous work that wasn't specifically written for the piano but you'll find that some of the world's greatest pianists have made some wonderful recordings of it on the piano.
Bartók (1881-1945)
Béla Bartók was a Hungarian composer and an amazing pianist. Don't be surprised if a lot of the composers in this article are also amazing pianists. The piano was instrumental in the development of classical music so it was very common for it to be the instrument of choice for composers.
Bartók is famous for his piano virtuosity as well as his technically challenging piano compositions. His most famous works include "Out of Doors", "Allegro barbaro", and "Six Romanian Folk Dances", which are great places to start.
Beethoven (1770-1827)
Ludwig van Beethoven is another of the world's most famous composers and pianists. The German composer regularly pushed the envelope for musical forms and the piano, with its dynamic range, was crucial in his expressive pieces.
Some of his most famous piano compositions include "Moonlight Sonata", "Für Elise", "Pathétique Sonata", "Appassionata Sonata", and "Waldstein Sonata".
Both aspiring and expert pianists will likely have a Beethoven composition or two in their repertoire and it's almost impossible to study the piano without coming across some of Beethoven's work.
Brahms (1833-1897)
Johannes Brahms is yet another famous German composer. He's considered one of the greatest composers of the Romantic period and while his works include symphonies, choral music, and chamber music, we're most interested in his piano music.
Brahms' piano concertos (or concerti), rhapsodies, and intermezzi are all great places for piano lovers looking to discover his work.
Chopin (1810-1849)
Frédéric Chopin was a Polish composer during the Romantic era. Most of his work was for the piano including many nocturnes, preludes, mazurkas, waltez, études, polonaises, ballades, and scherzos.
Chopin's piano pieces are technically brilliant, too, since Chopin was a virtuoso pianist. Chopin was particularly famous for pushing the boundaries of what was possible on the piano.
Debussy (1862-1918)
Achille-Claude Debussy, often called simply Claude Debussy, was a French composer and pianist. His work paralleled the Impressionist artistic movement pioneered by artists like Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Pissarro, with the musical movement sharing the same name.
Debussy created chamber music, vocal music, orchestral works, and piano compositions, of course. His most famous piano compositions include "Clair de Lune", "Children's Corner Suite", "Reverie", "Suite bergamasque", "L'isle joyeuse", and so many others.
Gershwin (1898-1937)
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. He fused classical, jazz, blues, and pop into his music and helped bridge the gap between the genres.
You likely already know his popular songs like “Summertime”, “I Got Rhythm”, “Rhapsody in Blue”, “Embraceable You”, and Someone to Watch Over Me”.
Some of his most famous piano compositions include “Preludes for Piano”, “Three Quarter Blues”, “Novelette in Fourths”, and “Lullaby”. To further enhance your skills in the American style, try piano lessons las vegas.
Haydn (1732-1809)
Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer and while most famous for symphonies and string quartet pieces, he also wrote operas and piano sonatas and heavily influenced Beethoven and Mozart.
In addition to his Piano Sonatas, his Keyboard Concertos, Keyboard Trios, and Keyboard Divertimenti are fine examples of works for anybody interested in piano compositions.
Liszt (1911-1886)
Franz Joseph Liszt was a Hungarian composer and arguably one of the greatest piano virtuosos of all time.
Compositions like the “Hungarian Rhapsodies” “Liebesträume” and the “Piano Sonata in B Minor” are just a few examples of the incredible works he wrote for the piano.
Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Felix Mendelssohn was a German composer, conductor, and pianist during the Romantic era. A musical prodigy from a young age, he wrote symphonies, choral music, chamber music, and piano compositions.
Mendelssohn composed a lot of music for the piano including “Songs Without Words”, “Rondo Capriccioso in E Major, Op. 14”, “Variations sérieuses in D Minor, Op. 54”, and “"Fantasia in F-sharp Minor, Op. 28, "Sonate écossaise”.
Mozart (1756-1791)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer and arguably one of the most famous composers of all time. Despite only living into his 30s, Mozart was a prolific composer who created hundreds of works including operas, symphonies, chamber music, choral music, string quartet pieces, concertos, and piano music.
Even if you don't know them by name, you'll likely recognize some of piano concertos and sonatas. We could go on and on about Mozart, but you really have to listen to the pieces he composed because words can't do him justice.
Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer and piano virtuoso. He wrote ballets, operas, symphonies, film scores, and several piano concertos and solo piano works that are incredibly expressive and technically challenging.
His most famous piano pieces include “Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26”, “Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83, "Stalingrad”, “Piano Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 82”, and “Toccata in D Minor, Op. 11”.
Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Sergei Rachmaninoff (sometimes spelled Rachmaninov) was one of the most famous and recognized composers of the late Romantic era.
In addition to composing, he was also a conductor at the Moscow Philharmonic Society and orchestras in the USA, where he lived following the Russian Revolution in 1917.
Ravel (1875-1937)
Maurice Ravel was a French composer who was incredibly influential during the Impressionist and Neo-Classical movements.
There are plenty of excellent examples of Ravel's work, but you should probably start with “Pavane pour une infante défunte”, “Jeux d'eau (Fountains)”, “Sonatine”, “Valses nobles et sentimentales”, and “Gaspard de la nuit”, though there are plenty of others.
Ravel is one of those composers that are often chosen for piano recitals and concerts.
Satie (1866-1925)
Erik Satie is a French composer who's most famous for his innovative and avant-garde piano music.
His most famous works include his “Gymnopédies” and “Gnossiennes”, which are fairly simple in comparison to a lot of the piano compositions from the other composers we've mentioned so far. However, the pieces are incredibly contemplative, atmospheric, and enigmatic.
Schubert (1797-1828)
Franz Schubert is another Austrian composer who, much like his compatriot Mozart, also died young.
Despite only living to the age of 31, Schubert composed operas, chamber music, symphonies, and piano music. He would often host gatherings called “Schubertiads” where he'd perform and showcase his music.
Schumann (1810-1856)
Robert Schumann was a German composer whose life story is as interesting as the works he created.
In addition to creating symphonies, chamber music, and piano pieces, he was also a music critic and journalist who promoted and championed the works of other composers such as Johannes Brahms and Frédéric Chopin.
Unfortunately, Schumann's life was plagued with mental health issues including depression and mania. Schumann's mental health deteriorated so much in his later life that he was institutionalized in an asylum until the day he died.
Be sure to check out his piano pieces such as “Carnaval”, “Kinderszenen”, “Arabeske in C Major”, “Papillons”, and “Fantasiestücke”.
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Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian Romantic-era composer who wrote the ballets “Swan Lake”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, and “The Nutcracker”, operas including “Eugene Onegin” and “The Queen of Spades”, and many piano concertos. In fact, it's classical music has many links to different kinds of dancing and performances and you may have noticed that most composers have written ballets, dance suits, minuets, etc.
Tchaikovsky's sexuality remains the subject of a heated debate with many biographers agreeing that Tchaikovsky was homosexual while the official line from the Russian government is that he wasn't, not that this has anything to do with his music other than the fact it's suspected to caused him a lot of inner turmoil. Either way, his legacy is for his incredible music, including the pieces for the piano.
Of course, these aren't all the greatest piano composers since classical music has a long and interesting connection to the piano, but if you're looking to find some fine examples of classical piano music, you can't go wrong with any of these composers.
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Excellent but delete satie and add scríabin.
Hello Richard, I’m glad you enjoyed the article!
Wonderful article. Satie stays! His music is peaceful and incredibly beautiful. It has it’s place among the greats. I love him.
I was born and raised hearing classical music, from Tchaikovsky’s nutcracker suite, to works of Brahms and Beethoven. From Debussy to Ravel,, Moussorgsky, and Shostakovich.. It is still my favorite genre of music.
Hello Lizabeth! I’m happy you enjoyed the article and classical music!
I found this very interesting. Schubert is by far my favorite composer. But I always make it to the symphony whenever Rachmaninov’s piano concerto is performed. There are many other composers not listed that I believe should have been on the list.
Hello Barbara! Thank you for your comment. I would love to know what composers you would have added to the list, feel free to add them in the comments section!