Of all musical instruments, the piano is one of the most widely used and is recognized as a staple of both classic and modern music genres. For centuries, great composers have been constructing tunes intended to be played upon the keys of a piano and these compositions have survived and continue to be enjoyed by the masses today.

One of the most popular piano pieces of all time is Ludwig van Beethoven‘s “Fur Elise,” composed for a girl named Elisabeth. With an enticing melody and several intense measures of tricky notes, it’s no surprise that most students of the piano desire to learn this song.

Beethoven is also known for his “Moonlight Sonata,” written in 1801 and dedicated to Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. With a much slower tempo and darker tones, this piece conveys a deeper message of tranquility. Arranged to contradict the standards of the time, each of the three movements brings about a stir of emotions.

A slightly controversial piece is the simply named “Minuet in G,” which was discovered in a hand kept journal and attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach for decades until identified as a section of Christian Petzold’s harpsichord suite. With a mild, upbeat, composition filled by lofty notes depicting simple happiness, this song is easily learned and useful to impress.

Bach’s most often performed prelude is his “Prelude No. 1 in C major” from the Well-Tempered Clavier, a collection of Bach’s work generally regarded as the most influential selection of Western music. Conveying excited bliss at an accelerated tempo, the piece can aptly set the mood for positive ambiance.

Frederic Chopin, the greatest Romantic composer, has his piano talents best demonstrated by his “Scherzo No. 2 Op. 31.” Exploring the entire range of the instrument, this song employs nearly every key of the piano and includes long flowing passages of intricate melody. Louder than most of Chopin’s other works, this Scherzo welcomes a lively performer to bring it to life.

Johannes Brahms was both a traditionalist and an innovator, being somehow associated with Bach and Beethoven as the “Three Bs” of classical music. While much of his work is oddly familiar while still widely obscure, his “Rhapsody in B Minor Op. 79 No. 1” could be likened to a collage of his style, uncomplicated yet contrasting. Instead of being displeasing to the ear, this medley symbolizes a journey and ranges from meek to powerful.

Suffering from ridicule and depression most of his life, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was able to break free from his traditional Russian roots and compose music in compliance with his contemporaries from the West. His “Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 23” is a particularly lively song emphasizing the signature Russian sound with a refreshingly European repertoire.

Franz Liszt was considered the most technically advanced pianist of the 1840s, able to transcend the limiting boundary of composer and performer. Due to his notable skill, his songs are famously engrossing, especially his collection of Hungarian Rhapsodies. While the entire series is worthwhile, Number 14 is exceptionally inspirational and the basis for an entire orchestra performance.

Of course, it is impossible to compile an end-all list of the greatest classical piano compositions and these eight selections can only begin to introduce a novice to the glory of piano music. The exposure of an open mind to a plethora of expertly crafted tunes does only to build taste and develop a tuned ear.

Beethoven completed his twenty-seventh work in 1801, called “Quasi Una Fantasia.” It is a complex and riveting piano sonata written in C-sharp minor, a particularly emotional key. The name Moonlight Sonata did not come from Beethoven, but is believed to have been penned by a German music critic and poet named Ludwig Rellstab five years after Beethoven’s death in 1837. The poet Rellstab believed that the sonata sounded like moonlight shining on Lake Lucerne. To this day, nearly every publication uses the term for moonlight sonata either in English or in German (Mondscheinsonate.)

Ludwig van Beethoven, unlike Mozart, wrote in a very different musical style. His time period was shifting from the highly ordered classical era into the rule breaking and rebellious romantic era. His contemporaries in the arts were Thomas Jones, Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson and Eugene Delacroix. They were experimenting in colors, perspectives, themes and mediums. Their teachers all believed in very strict rules regarding art and its creation, while they wished to be free to compose or paint a subject as it exists as opposed to portraying it in a sophisticated light.

This shift away from the rules shows itself in Beethoven’s sonata quite clearly; it is not really a sonata at all. The standard sonata form from the classical period featured a fast-slow-fast-fast movement setup. Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata progresses from slow to moderate to extremely fast in three tempos.

Regardless of the formal classification, this work features great opportunities for dramatic expression and personality to be brought to the fore for any performer. Beethoven’s works are very serious and contemplative. It is important to avoid abrupt stylistic and dynamic changes. Each crescendo should be meticulously planned to prevent a sweeping increase in volume. Instead, a subtly increasing volume maintained over the length of the phrase embodies the heart and soul of Beethoven.