yurshta

There's no right or wrong in something subjective like this but I'll rattle off
a few favorites and this is coming from a former concert pianist and composer himself:

Bach: Tocata and Fuguge in D minor (esp Stokowsky's arrangement for orch.)
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons.
Pachebel: Canon in D
Mozart: Fantasy and Fugue in C Major (The A minor fugue at the end is
perhaps the grandest three voci fugues ever written)
Requiem (orchestra and choir), Piano Concerto in D minor.
Beethoven: Ninth Symphony and the Appassionata Sonata, Emp. Concerto
Chopin :Nocturne in C# minor (Post) and Prelude in F# minor
Brahms : Rhapsody in G minor
Liszt: Transcendental Etude Mazeppa, Totentanz (orchestra and piano
mini concerto based on the Gregorian chant Dies Irae), L'Orage
Mendelssohn: The collection of piano shorts known as Songs Without Words
Rachmaninoff: The 2nd Piano Concerto
Haydn: The "Surprise" symphony.
Schumann: In Der Nacht (from his Fantasiestucke)
Schubert: March Militaire (four hand version) and the
unfinished symphony.
Grieg : Hommage a Chopin
Scriabin : The White and Black Mass Sonatas
Stravinsky: Rites of Spring original version
Clementi: His collection of piano exercizes Gradus Ad Parnassum.
Edward McDowell: not so well know American composer. His collection of
Sea Pieces and New England Idylls has some really
great piano shorts. This American composer was
eclipsed by Gershwin's great popularity and blending of
"negro" melodies with a Classical foundation.
Stephen Heller: Piano Concerto no 1 (rather difficult to get ahold of).
Mussorgsky : Night on Bald Mountain
Messaien : La Igliese Eternelle (The Eternal Church, symphonic like organ
solo. [The name possibly mispelled as my French is not all
that great.]

Here's some songs to feast on. As far as Beethoven's Fur Elise goes, I'd like to see that piece taken out of performance. It has been played so often by so many both well, poorly and downright crappily, that the piece needs to be retired as it has been played so much as to become odious and nauseous. I'd suggest Beethoven's Rage Over a Lost Penny be it's replacement). It seems like every doofus who fancies him or herself a pianist finds it de rigeur to play Fur Elise (and that is usually the only song they know too (thank God!).

Thank you. Likewise the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata is placed ad nauseam as if it were entire Sonata and usually played quite loud when the entire first movement is Sotto Voce with the pedal marked Una Corda. The Db Major transition is very sweet and lovely and the C# minor finale (although a bit long if you ask me putting the work out of balance) is fast, furious and an endurance contest for the aspiring pianist. Likewise with the not so difficult but extremely long finale to the Tempest Sonata, another endurance training seminar (but cool piece anyway!).