Greatest Classical Music Piano and Organ Works (Revision Version)

[Brian]

Criteria: Classical Piano and Organ Works are ranked for their innovation and influence, as well as their aesthetic importance, historical significance and lasting popularity.

Edited By: Brian
Last Updated: 2017-05-07

Link: https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best ... c-key.html

Greatest Solo Keyboard Works
1. Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor "Appassionata" - Ludwig van Beethoven
2. Well Tempered Clavier - Johann Sebastian Bach
3. Goldberg Variations - Johann Sebastian Bach
4. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor "Moonlight" - Ludwig van Beethoven
5. Piano Sonata in B minor - Franz Liszt
6. Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major - Franz Schubert
7. 24 Preludes - Frederic Chopin
8. Préludes, Book 1 - Claude Debussy
9. Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major "Heroic" - Frederic Chopin
10. Pictures at an Exhibition - Modest Mussorgsky
11. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor - Ludwig van Beethoven
12. Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major "Waldstein" - Ludwig van Beethoven
13. Fantasy in C major "Wanderer" - Franz Schubert
14. Ballade No. 1 in G minor - Frederic Chopin
15. Carnaval - Robert Schumann
16. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major "Hammerklavier" - Ludwig van Beethoven
17. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor - Frederic Chopin
18. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor "Pathetique" - Ludwig van Beethoven
19. Préludes, Book 2 - Claude Debussy
20. Gaspard de la Nuit - Maurice Ravel
21. Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 - Robert Schumann
22. Piano Sonata No. 20 in A major - Franz Schubert
23. Impromptus, D899 - Franz Schubert
24. Kinderszenen - Robert Schumann
25. Gymnopédies - Erik Satie
26. Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
27. Iberia - Isaac Albeniz
28. Four Pieces for Piano, Op. 119 - Johannes Brahms
29. Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118 - Johannes Brahms
30. Intermezzi - Johannes Brahms
31. 24 Etudes - Frederic Chopin
32. Kreisleriana - Robert Schumann
33. Impromptus, D935 - Franz Schubert
34. Pavane pour une Infante Défunte - Maurice Ravel
35. Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major - Ludwig van Beethoven
36. Phantasie in C major - Robert Schumann
37. Seven Fantasias - Johannes Brahms
38. Goyescas - Enrique Granados
39. Variations on a Theme by Paganani - Johannes Brahms
40. Fantasia in C minor - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
41. Ballade No. 4 in F minor - Frederic Chopin
42. Ballade No. 3 in A flat major - Frederic Chopin
43. Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat "Les Adieux" - Ludwig van Beethoven
44. Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel in B flat major - Johannes Brahms
45. Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 - Frederic Chopin
46. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor - Frederic Chopin
47. Hungarian Rhapsodies - Franz Liszt
48. Songs without Words for Piano - Felix Mendelssohn
49. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major - Serge Prokofiev
50. Piano Sonata No. 5 in D sharp minor - Alexander Scriabin
51. Piano Sonata No. 19 in C minor - Franz Schubert
52. Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major - Ludwig van Beethoven
53. Piano Sonata No. 2 "Concord, Mass." - Charles Ives
54. Fantasie for Piano in F minor/A flat major - Frederic Chopin
55. Le Tombeau de Couperin - Maurice Ravel
56. Thirteen Preludes, Op. 32 - Sergei Rachmaninoff
57. Ten Preludes, Op. 23 - Sergei Rachmaninoff
58. Prelude, Chorale and Fugue - César Franck
59. Suite Bergamasque - Claude Debussy
60. Estampes - Claude Debussy
61. Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2 - Sergei Rachmaninoff
62. Keyboard Sonata No. 62 in E flat major - Joseph Haydn
63. Transcendental Etudes - Franz Liszt
64. Children's Corner - Claude Debussy
65. Lyric Pieces - Edvard Grieg
66. Italian Concerto - Johann Sebastian Bach
67. Barcarolle in F sharp major - Frederic Chopin
68. Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
69. Valses Nobles et Sentimentales - Maurice Ravel
70. Annees de Pelerinage - Franz Liszt
71. Islamey - Mily Balakirev
72. Images for Piano - Claude Debussy
73. Polonaise No. 3 in A major "Military" - Frederic Chopin
74. Mephisto Waltz No. 1 - Franz Liszt
75. Piano Sonata No. 9 in F major "Black Mass" - Alexander Scriabin
76. Piano Variations - Aaron Copland
77. Five Piano Pieces - Arnold Schoenberg
78. Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli - Ludwig van Beethoven
79. Piano Sonata No. 18 in G major - Franz Schubert
80. Jeux D'eau - Maurice Ravel
81. Grande Valse Brillante in E flat major, Op. 18 - Frederic Chopin
82. Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
83. Moments Musicaux - Franz Schubert
84. Partita No. 1 in B flat major - Johann Sebastian Bach
85. Nocturne in D flat major, Op. 27 No. 2 - Frederic Chopin
86. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
87. Piano Sonata No. 13 in A major - Franz Schubert
88. Variations Sérieuses in D minor - Felix Mendelssohn
89. Rhapsodies, Op. 79 - Johannes Brahms
90. Fantasiestucke - Robert Schumann
91. Petrouchka, three movements for piano - Igor Stravinsky
92. Nocturnes - Gabriel Fauré
93. Andante and Rondo Capriccioso - Felix Mendelssohn
94. Fantaisie Impromptu - Frederic Chopin
95. Invitation to the Dance - Carl Maria von Weber
96. Preludes and Fugues for Piano, Op. 87 - Dmitri Shostakovitch
97. Liebesträume No. 3 - Franz Liszt
98. Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor - Johann Sebastian Bach
99. Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor - Frederic Chopin
100. Suite Española - Isaac Albeniz
101. Suite for Harpsichord No. 5 in E major "The Harmonious Blacksmith" - George Frideric Handel
102. Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor - Johannes Brahms
103. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor - Sergei Rachmaninoff
104. Waltz in C sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 - Frederic Chopin
105. Miroirs - Maurice Ravel
106. Piano Sonata No. 6 in A major - Serge Prokofiev
107. Three Piano Pieces - Arnold Schoenberg
108. Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 1 - Frederic Chopin
109. Etude in D sharp minor, Op. 8 No. 12 - Alexander Scriabin
110. Les Saisons - Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
111. Harpsichord Sonata in E major, K380 "Cortege" - Domenico Scarlatti
112. "Minute" Waltz in D flat major, Op. 64, No. 1 - Frederic Chopin
113. Piano Sonata No. 8 in B flat major - Serge Prokofiev
114. Arabesques - Claude Debussy
115. Sonatine - Maurice Ravel
116. Three Etudes de Concert, S.144 - Franz Liszt
117. Preludes for Piano - George Gershwin
118. Etude in C sharp minor, Op. 2 No. 1 - Alexander Scriabin
119. Berceuse in D flat major - Frederic Chopin
120. Andante Spianato et Grand Polonaise Brillante in E flat - Frederic Chopin
121. Piano Sonata in E flat minor - Samuel Barber
122. Piano Sonata No. 10 - Alexander Scriabin
123. Mouvements Perpetuels - Francis Poulenc
124. Piano Sonata No. 2 - Pierre Boulez
125. Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor "Tempest" - Ludwig van Beethoven
126. Consolation No. 3 in D flat major - Franz Liszt
127. Scherzo No. 3 in C sharp minor - Frederic Chopin
128. Vingt Regards sur l'enfant Jesus - Olivier Messiaen
129. Arabeske in C major - Robert Schumann
130. Sports et Divertissements - Erik Satie
131. Piano Sonata No. 8 - Alexander Scriabin
132. L'isle Joyeuse - Claude Debussy
133. Fur Elise - Ludwig van Beethoven
134. Harpsichord Sonata in D minor, K9 "Pastorale" - Domenico Scarlatti
135. Etudes - Claude Debussy
136. Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major - Ludwig van Beethoven
137. Scherzo No. 1 in B minor - Frederic Chopin
138. Piano Sonata in F sharp minor - Charles Griffes
139. Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major "Sonata semplice" - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
140. Romanian Folk Dances, Sz.56 - Béla Bartók

Greatest Organ Works
1. Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV565 - Johann Sebastian Bach
2. Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV542 - Johann Sebastian Bach
3. Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C major, BWV564 - Johann Sebastian Bach
4. Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor, BWV582 - Johann Sebastian Bach
5. Prelude & Fugue on B-A-C-H, S. 260 - Franz Liszt
6. Chorale No. 2 in B minor, Op. 39 - César Franck
7. Chorale No. 3 in A minor, Op. 40 - César Franck
8. Fantasia & Fugue on Ad nos, ad salutarem, S. 259 - Franz Liszt
9. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV645 - Johann Sebastian Bach
10. Organ Sonata in F minor/major, Op. 65 No. 1 - Felix Mendelssohn
11. Variations on America - Charles Ives
12. Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV532 - Johann Sebastian Bach
13. Pièce Héroïque in B minor, Op.37 - César Franck
14. Passacaglia in D minor, Bx161 - Dieterich Buxtehude
15. L'Ascension - Olivier Messiaen
16. Fugue in G minor "Little", BWV578 - Johann Sebastian Bach
17. Fantaisie No. 1 in E flat major - Camille Saint-Saëns
18. Toccata and Fugue in D minor "Dorian", BWV538 - Johann Sebastian Bach
19. Prelude, Fugue & Variation in B minor, Op.18 - César Franck
20. Litanies, Op. 79 - Jehan Alain
21. Grand Pièce Symphonique in F sharp minor, Op.17 - César Franck
22. Prelude and Fugue in E flat major "St. Anne", BWV552 - Johann Sebastian Bach
23. Symphony for Organ No. 6 in G minor, Op. 42 No. 2 - Charles-Marie Widor
24. La Nativité Seigneur - Olivier Messiaen
25. Organ Sonata in D minor/major, Op. 65 No. 6 - Felix Mendelssohn
26. Organ Sonata in A major, Op. 65 No. 3 - Felix Mendelssohn
27. Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV543 - Johann Sebastian Bach
28. Prière in C sharp minor, Op 20 - César Franck
29. Finale for Organ in B flat major, Op. 21 - César Franck
30. Toccata & Fugue in F major, BWV540 - Johann Sebastian Bach
31. Symphony No. 3 for Organ in F sharp minor, Op. 28 - Louis Vierne
32. Fantasia & Fugue on B-A-C-H, Op. 46 - Max Reger
33. Trio Sonata No. 5 in C major, BWV529 - Johann Sebastian Bach
34. Livre d'Orgue - Olivier Messiaen
35. Trio Sonata No. 1 in E flat major, BWV525 - Johann Sebastian Bach
36. Prelude & Fugue in D Major, Bx139 - Dieterich Buxtehude
37. 3 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 7 - Marcel Dupré
38. Trio Sonata No. 3 in D minor, BWV527 - Johann Sebastian Bach
39. Adagio and Allegro for Mechanical Organ in F minor, K594- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
40. Symphony No. 5 in F minor, Op. 42 No. 1 - Charles-Marie Widor
41. Prelude and Fugue in E minor "Wedge", BWV548 - Johann Sebastian Bach
42. Toccata in E minor, T. 240 - Johann Pachelbel
43. Chaconne in F minor, T. 206 - Johann Pachelbel
44. Apparition de l'Église Éternelle - Olivier Messiaen
45. Symphony No. 1 for Organ in D minor, Op. 14 - Louis Vierne
46. Fantasia & Fugue in D minor, Op. 135b - Max Reger
47. Chaconne in E minor, Bx160 - Dieterich Buxtehude
48. Chorale prelude in G major “In dulci jubilo”, Bx197 - Dieterich Buxtehude
49. Variations sur un Thème de Clément Janequin - Jehan Alain
50. Piece Fantaisie in A major, Op. 35 - César Franck
51. Pastorale in F major, BWV590 - Johann Sebastian Bach
52. Fantasia for Mechanical Organ in F minor, K608- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
53. Organ Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 28 - Edward Elgar
54. 3 Toccatas for the Elevation of the Host from 'Fiori Musicali', Op.12 - Girolamo Frescobaldi
55. Prelude and Fugue in E minor No. 2 - Arthur Bruhns
56. Nun danket alle Gott, Op. 65 No. 59 - Sigfrid Karg-Elert
57. Pastorale in E major, Op. 19 - César Franck
58. Fugue in A flat minor - Johannes Brahms
59. Variations for Organ on "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen", S. 673 - Franz Liszt
60. Prelude and Fugue in G minor - Johannes Brahms

Greatest Composers for Piano
1. Frederic Chopin
2. Ludwig van Beethoven
3. Franz Schubert
4. Robert Schumann
5. Johannes Brahms
6. Franz Liszt
7. Claude Debussy
8. Maurice Ravel
9. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
10. Sergei Rachmaninoff
11. Alexander Scriabin
12. Felix Mendelssohn
13. Serge Prokofiev
14. Isaac Albeniz
15. Erik Satie

Greatest Composers for Organ
1. Johann Sebastian Bach
2. César Franck
3. Olivier Messiaen
4. Franz Liszt
5. Felix Mendelssohn
6. Dieterich Buxtehude
7. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
8. Johannes Brahms
9. Charles-Marie Widor
10. Jehan Alain

[Brian]

I've revised the Organ Works and Composers for Organ lists. For now, I will post them in this post, and in about a week I'll post them in the first post and send them to Lew. Here they are:

Greatest Organ Works
1. Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV565 - Johann Sebastian Bach
2. Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV542 - Johann Sebastian Bach
3. Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C major, BWV564 - Johann Sebastian Bach
4. Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor, BWV582 - Johann Sebastian Bach
5. Prelude & Fugue on B-A-C-H, S. 260 - Franz Liszt
6. Chorale No. 2 in B minor, Op. 39 - César Franck
7. Chorale No. 3 in A minor, Op. 40 - César Franck
8. Fantasia & Fugue on Ad nos, ad salutarem, S. 259 - Franz Liszt
9. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV645 - Johann Sebastian Bach
10. Organ Sonata in F minor/major, Op. 65 No. 1 - Felix Mendelssohn
11. Variations on America - Charles Ives
12. Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV532 - Johann Sebastian Bach
13. Pièce Héroïque in B minor, Op.37 - César Franck
14. Passacaglia in D minor, Bx161 - Dieterich Buxtehude
15. L'Ascension - Olivier Messiaen
16. Fugue in G minor "Little", BWV578 - Johann Sebastian Bach
17. Fantaisie No. 1 in E flat major - Camille Saint-Saëns
18. Toccata and Fugue in D minor "Dorian", BWV538 - Johann Sebastian Bach
19. Prelude, Fugue & Variation in B minor, Op.18 - César Franck
20. Litanies, Op. 79 - Jehan Alain
21. Grand Pièce Symphonique in F sharp minor, Op.17 - César Franck
22. Prelude and Fugue in E flat major "St. Anne", BWV552 - Johann Sebastian Bach
23. Symphony for Organ No. 6 in G minor, Op. 42 No. 2 - Charles-Marie Widor
24. La Nativité Seigneur - Olivier Messiaen
25. Organ Sonata in D minor/major, Op. 65 No. 6 - Felix Mendelssohn
26. Organ Sonata in A major, Op. 65 No. 3 - Felix Mendelssohn
27. Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV543 - Johann Sebastian Bach
28. Prière in C sharp minor, Op 20 - César Franck
29. Finale for Organ in B flat major, Op. 21 - César Franck
30. Toccata & Fugue in F major, BWV540 - Johann Sebastian Bach
31. Symphony No. 3 for Organ in F sharp minor, Op. 28 - Louis Vierne
32. Fantasia & Fugue on B-A-C-H, Op. 46 - Max Reger
33. Trio Sonata No. 5 in C major, BWV529 - Johann Sebastian Bach
34. Livre d'Orgue - Olivier Messiaen
35. Trio Sonata No. 1 in E flat major, BWV525 - Johann Sebastian Bach
36. Prelude & Fugue in D Major, Bx139 - Dieterich Buxtehude
37. 3 Preludes & Fugues, Op. 7 - Marcel Dupré
38. Trio Sonata No. 3 in D minor, BWV527 - Johann Sebastian Bach
39. Adagio and Allegro for Mechanical Organ in F minor, K594- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
40. Symphony No. 5 in F minor, Op. 42 No. 1 - Charles-Marie Widor
41. Prelude and Fugue in E minor "Wedge", BWV548 - Johann Sebastian Bach
42. Toccata in E minor, T. 240 - Johann Pachelbel
43. Chaconne in F minor, T. 206 - Johann Pachelbel
44. Apparition de l'Église Éternelle - Olivier Messiaen
45. Symphony No. 1 for Organ in D minor, Op. 14 - Louis Vierne
46. Fantasia & Fugue in D minor, Op. 135b - Max Reger
47. Chaconne in E minor, Bx160 - Dieterich Buxtehude
48. Chorale prelude in G major “In dulci jubilo”, Bx197 - Dieterich Buxtehude
49. Variations sur un Thème de Clément Janequin - Jehan Alain
50. Piece Fantaisie in A major, Op. 35 - César Franck
51. Pastorale in F major, BWV590 - Johann Sebastian Bach
52. Fantasia for Mechanical Organ in F minor, K608- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
53. Organ Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 28 - Edward Elgar
54. 3 Toccatas for the Elevation of the Host from 'Fiori Musicali', Op.12 - Girolamo Frescobaldi
55. Prelude and Fugue in E minor No. 2 - Arthur Bruhns
56. Nun danket alle Gott, Op. 65 No. 59 - Sigfrid Karg-Elert
57. Pastorale in E major, Op. 19 - César Franck
58. Fugue in A flat minor - Johannes Brahms
59. Variations for Organ on "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen", S. 673 - Franz Liszt
60. Prelude and Fugue in G minor - Johannes Brahms

Greatest Composers for Organ
1. Johann Sebastian Bach
2. César Franck
3. Olivier Messiaen
4. Franz Liszt
5. Felix Mendelssohn
6. Dieterich Buxtehude
7. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
8. Johannes Brahms
9. Charles-Marie Widor
10. Jehan Alain

[Tim]

So you don't think Bach deserves to have 14 out of top 15 by himself, I see.

[Brian]

Right, I thought giving him the entire top 4 was good enough. Another thing that I found odd about the old list was that after all the works at the top of the list, not a single Bach work appeared on the rest of the list, as if there were a big divide between his 14th greatest work and 15th greatest work.

I found when researching the revision that there were some noted organ works by composers that overall aren't especially noted, so now composers barely mentioned if at all on the other classical lists can get a mention here.

[Brian]

I'm about to send the updated lists to Lew. In this post are the old lists, which I'm posting here so that there will be a record of them in the forum.

1. Toccata and Fugue in D minor - Johann Sebastian Bach
2. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme - Johann Sebastian Bach
3. Fugue in G minor, "Little G minor" - Johann Sebastian Bach
4. Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major - Johann Sebastian Bach
5. Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, "Great G minor" - Johann Sebastian Bach
6. Trio Sonata for Organ no 5 in C major - Johann Sebastian Bach
7. Prelude and Fugue in E flat major, "St Anne" - Johann Sebastian Bach
8. Trio Sonata for Organ no 1 in E flat major - Johann Sebastian Bach
9. Toccata and Fugue in D minor, "Dorian" - Johann Sebastian Bach
10. Trio Sonata for Organ no 3 in D minor - Johann Sebastian Bach
11. Prelude and Fugue in D major - Johann Sebastian Bach
12. Pastorale in F major - Johann Sebastian Bach
13. Prelude and Fugue in E minor "Wedge" - Johann Sebastian Bach
14. Prelude and Fugue in A minor - Johann Sebastian Bach
15. Fantasia for Mechanical Organ in F minor - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
16. Prelude, Fugue and Variation for Organ in B minor, Op. 18 - César Franck
17. Prelude and Fugue for Organ on B-A-C-H - Franz Liszt
18. Chorales (3) for Organ: no 2 in B minor - César Franck
19. Pieces (3) for Organ: no 3 - Pièce héroïque in B minor - César Franck
20. Chorales (3) for Organ: no 3 in A minor - César Franck
21. Adagio and Allegro for Mechanical Organ in F minor - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
22. Andante for Mechanical Organ in D major - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
23. Grande pièce symphonique for Organ, Op. 17 - César Franck
24. Pastorale for Organ in E major, Op. 19 - César Franck
25. Fantasy and Fugue for Organ, "Ad nos, ad salutarem" - Franz Liszt
26. Prière for Organ in C sharp minor, Op 20 - César Franck
27. Sonatas (6) for Organ, Op. 65: no 1 in F minor - Felix Mendelssohn
28. Pieces (3) for Organ M 35: no 1 - Fantaisie in A major - César Franck
29. Finale for Organ in B flat major, Op. 21 - César Franck
30. Fantasy for Organ in E flat major - Camille Saint-Saëns
31. Sonatas (6) for Organ, Op. 65: no 6 in D minor - Felix Mendelssohn
32. Fugue for Organ in A flat minor - Johannes Brahms
33. Trumpet Tune for Organ in C major, "Indian Queen" - Henry Purcell
34. Variations for Organ on "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" - Franz Liszt
35. Prelude and Fugue for Organ in G minor - Johannes Brahms
36. Sonata for Organ in G major, Op. 28 - Sir Edward Elgar
37. Chorale Prelude and Fugue for Organ, "O Traurigkeit" - Johannes Brahms
38. Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district, Op. 29: Passacaglia - Dmitri Shostakovich
39. Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes (3) for Organ: no 2, Rhosymedre - R. V. Williams

Greatest Composers for Organ
1. Johann Sebastian Bach
2. César Franck
3. Franz Liszt
4. Camille Saint-Saëns
5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
6. Johannes Brahms
7. Felix Mendelssohn
8. Sir Edward Elgar
9. Ralph Vaughan Williams
10. Dmitri Shostakovich

[pauldrach]

32. Kleisleriana - Robert Schumann

Should be "Kreisleriana".

[Brian]

You're right. Thanks.