Ramblings of an Australian Writer

One of the main characters in the book I'm working on at the moment - Deliverance - is a classical pianist. When I was a little L. J., I learned how to play the piano, for eleven or so years. I wasn't too bad at it, actually, and I did enjoy it. More than I enjoyed learning ballet! So, I went through YouTube, looking for pieces that were technically difficult but sounded amazing for the character in the book. Being able to read music, I was able to look at the score after watching the vid, and often I'd find myself going "OMG, that's a hell of a score!"

These are the thirteen pieces with videos of the performances that I selected. Every single one wowed me, but the first nine really stayed with me, particularly Ravel's Left Hand Sonata. I hope you enjoy these performances as much as I did.



1. Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G Minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u15FeaOS-A

2. Liszt - Sonata in B minor
Part one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCF8C5U7Pco
Part two: http://youtu.be/CD0m9vfXadQ

3. Chopin - Scherzo No. 2 Op. 31
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alGaVou6lfk

4. Stravinsky - Three Movements from Petroushka
http://youtu.be/iFGdze-bxpA

5.Beethoven - Sonata Op. 106 Fugue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8gqsYx9NQ4

6. Ravel - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avj8Uau1kVk

7. Debussy - Reverie L. 68
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW9AVCRQKME

8. Scarlatti - Sonata in G
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8UXXNLtXMM

9. Beethoven - Pathetique Sonata No. 8 Second Movement A Flat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klZYv-f9kCE

10. Schumann - Piano Quintet in E-flat Major Op. 44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGYwkrv8q2I

11. Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words Op. 102 No. 4 (The Sighing Wind)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maq__moQyec

12. Scriabin - Etude Op 8 No 12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfXjk7GkCF8

13. Chopin - Polonaise in A-flat Opus 53
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4QUNNqlB7M