Top 10 Hardest Bartók Pieces for Piano

Béla Bartók was fascinated by the possibilities of the piano. Famously, he considered it a percussion instrument, and many of his mature works are preoccupied with rhythmic and textural innovations. The difficulties of accurately performing this kind of writing are immense, and even concert pianists shy away from Bartók's thorniest works. But he also occupies the other side of the difficulty spectrum with his series of pieces written for beginners (Mikrokosmos). 10. Burlesques, Sz.47 (7+) 0:00 No.1, Zoltán Kocsis 0:45 No.3 Noam Babany 9. Out of Doors Suite, Sz.81 (7+) 1:20 No.6, Mark Taratushkin 8. Piano Concerto No.3 (7++) 2:50 Mvt.I, Ránki/Oberfrank 3:38 Mvt.III, Argerich/Bashmet 7. Piano Sonata, Sz.80 (8) 4:33 Mvt.I, Jenő Jandó 5:11 Mvt.III, Zoltán Kocsis 6. Scherzo Burlesque, Sz.28 (8+) 6:08 Kocsis/Fischer 7:07 Sandor/Cao 5. Rhapsody, Sz.26 (8+) 8:18 Zoltán Kocsis 4. Etudes, Sz.72 (8+) 9:25 No.1, Mark Taratushkin 10:47 No.3, Zoltán Kocsis 3. Dance Suite, Sz.77 (8+) 11:33 No.6, András Schiff 2. Piano Concerto No.1 (8+) 12:56 Mvt.I, Freire/Boulez 13:59 Mvt.III, Anda/Fricsay 1. Piano Concerto No.2 (8++) 14:33 Mvt.I, Pollini/Abbado 15:37 Mvt.II, Kocsis/Fischer 16:30 Mvt.III, Richter/Svetlanov