List of longest non-repetitive piano pieces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page attempts to list the longest non-repetitive piano pieces along with approximate duration. The number of pages their scores cover and their formats are listed where available.
Works that have been performed or recorded
| Piece | Composer | Approximate duration | Page count |
Page size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beatus Vir | Jacob Mashak | 11 hours | 53 (in proportional notation)[1] | A work for two pianos. Premiered by three pianists (including the composer), who played in rotation.[1] | |
| The Road | Frederic Rzewski | 10 hours | 539 (manuscript)[2][3] | Premiered by the composer, Ian Pace and several other pianists.[4] | |
| Symphonic Variations for Piano | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 10 hours | 484 (manuscript)[5] | A3 | Premiered by Yi-Chung Huang on the 4th of July 2026 at Montesilvano, Italy; with the US première on the 12th of July 2026 .[6] Other pianists have recorded sections of the piece.[7] |
| 100 Transcendental Studies | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 8½ hours | 456 (manuscript)[8][9] | A3 | The complete cycle of 100 études has been recorded by Fredrik Ullén.[9][10] The études that have not been performed in public are Nos. 27, 33, 39, 42, 45–48, 51, 53–58, 60–64, 68, 74, 82, 87, 90, 91 and 93.[11] |
| Sequentia cyclica super "Dies irae" ex Missa pro defunctis | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 8½ hours | 335 (manuscript)[8][12] | A3 | Premiered and recorded by Jonathan Powell.[12] |
| Piano Sonata No. 5 (Opus archimagicum) | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 6½ hours | 336 (manuscript)[13][14] | A3 | Premiered in its full/complete form by Yi-Chung Huang on the 15th of February 2026 at PianoForte Studios, Chicago.[15] Movements 8 and 9 from the 10-movement work were individually premiered by Tellef Johnson.[14] |
| Inner Cities 1–14 | Alvin Curran | 6 hours | Premiered and recorded by Daan Vandewalle. | ||
| November | Dennis Johnson | 6 hours | 6 (manuscript)[16] | Premiered by the composer, recorded by R. Andrew Lee. | |
| The Well-Tuned Piano | La Monte Young | 5-6 hours | Premiered and recorded by the composer.[17] | ||
| The History of Photography in Sound | Michael Finnissy | 5½ hours | 365 (edition)[18][19] | A3 | Premiered and recorded by Ian Pace.[18][20] Performed by Mark Knoop.[21] |
| Piano Symphony No. 6 (Symphonia claviensis) | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 4¾ hours | 270 (manuscript)[8][22][23] | A3 | Premiered by Jonathan Powell.[22] |
| Piano Symphony No. 4 | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 4½ hours | 240 (manuscript) | A3 | Premiered by Reinier van Houdt.[24][25][26] |
| Opus clavicembalisticum | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 4 hours | 253 (manuscript)[27][28] | A3 | Premiered by the composer. Performed and recorded by Geoffrey Douglas Madge[n 1] and John Ogdon.[28] Performed by Jonathan Powell, Daan Vandewalle, Yi-Chung Huang and Hiroaki Ooï.[28] Recorded by Eric Xi Xin Liang but in sections.[29] |
Works that have not been performed or recorded
| Piece | Composer | Approximate duration | Page count |
Page size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For Clive Barker | Matthew Lee Knowles | 26 hours (1 day 2 hours) | 1,061 (manuscript)[30][self-published source?] | A4 | |
| Piano Sonata No. 5 | Maurice Verheul | 7 hours 18 minutes | 441 (manuscript)[31][self-published source?] | ||
| Piano Symphony No. 0 | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 5½ hours | 333 (manuscript)[32] | A3 | Planned to be premièred by Yi-Chung Huang. |
| Piano Symphony No. 1 (Tāntrik) | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 4½ hours | 284 (manuscript)[33] | A3 | |
| Piano Symphony No. 2 | Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | 4½ hours | 248 (manuscript)[34] | A3 |