A Catalogue of Virtuoso Piano Études and Exercises, from Chopin to Sorabji | Jean-Michel Serres, Composer-pianist (Apfelsaft / Allemagne): Website

The following expanded list is arranged in five broad grades, from advanced conservatory repertoire to the extreme virtuoso level. Each collection has a short comment describing its technical and musical focus.

The order is approximate rather than absolute. In particular, Liszt’s three versions of his transcendental études represent successive stages of revision, while Godowsky, Alkan, and Sorabji present different kinds of difficulty that cannot be measured by finger technique alone.

Grade 1 — Advanced

Frédéric Chopin: Études, Op. 10 — A cornerstone of the advanced piano repertoire, developing agility, voicing, octave technique, and expressive control.
Frédéric Chopin: Études, Op. 25 — Extends Chopin’s technical language through complex textures, wide leaps, double notes, and refined musical expression.
Felix Mendelssohn: Études, Op. 104 — Three studies combining Romantic lyricism with demanding passagework and finger independence.
Camille Saint-Saëns: Six Études, Op. 52 — A varied collection requiring clarity, dexterity, rhythmic precision, and stylistic elegance.
Franz Liszt: Études en douze exercices, S. 136 — Liszt’s early studies, generally more compact and less technically extreme than his later versions.
Robert Schumann: Six Concert Études on Caprices by Paganini, Op. 10 — Transforms violin virtuosity into piano writing that requires dexterity, coordination, and character.
Alexander Scriabin: Études, Op. 8 — Passionate, intensely chromatic studies requiring flexibility, rhythmic freedom, and powerful climaxes.
Moritz Moszkowski: 15 Études de virtuosité, Op. 72 — Brilliant concert studies emphasizing fluent passagework, evenness, and polished virtuosity.

Grade 2 — Very advanced

Franz Liszt: Douze Grandes Études, S. 137 — A more elaborate revision of the early exercises, introducing formidable leaps, octaves, and expansive textures.
Charles-Valentin Alkan: 12 Études dans tous les tons majeurs, Op. 35 — A demanding set combining intricate passagework, unusual textures, and rigorous musical architecture.
Alexander Scriabin: Études, Op. 42 — Concentrated studies of rhythmic intensity, sonority, and complex technical patterns.
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Études-tableaux, Op. 33 — Richly textured concert pieces requiring a broad dynamic range, deep voicing, and substantial technical control.
Karol Szymanowski: Études, Op. 4 — Early modern Romantic studies combining brilliant technique with distinctive harmonic color.
Sergei Prokofiev: Four Études, Op. 2 — Energetic early works demanding incisive articulation, rhythmic accuracy, and strong coordination.
Claude Debussy: Études, L. 136 — A major collection exploring specialized techniques, intricate sonorities, and new approaches to piano touch.
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Études-tableaux, Op. 39 — Darker and often more technically and emotionally demanding than Op. 33, with formidable textures and endurance requirements.

Grade 3 — Virtuoso concert studies

Franz Liszt: Études d’exécution transcendante, S. 139 — The definitive revised set of twelve transcendental études, combining extreme virtuosity with poetic and dramatic expression.
Charles-Valentin Alkan: 12 Études dans tous les tons mineurs, Op. 39 — A monumental collection encompassing brilliant études, symphonic writing, and large-scale contrapuntal challenges.
Sergei Lyapunov: 12 Études d’exécution transcendante, Op. 11 — A Russian counterpart to Liszt’s transcendental studies, with rich harmonies, large textures, and demanding virtuosity.
Leopold Godowsky: Studies on Chopin’s Études — A landmark of piano technique, transforming Chopin’s studies through contrapuntal writing, unusual hand assignments, and extreme independence.
Ferruccio Busoni: Six Études, BV 213 — A technically and intellectually demanding collection reflecting Busoni’s distinctive approach to piano writing.
Alexander Scriabin: Études, Op. 65 — Three highly concentrated studies of double notes, demanding precision, control, and refined finger technique.
Nikolai Medtner: 12 Études, Op. 1 — Early virtuoso pieces combining contrapuntal thinking, expressive phrasing, and intricate passagework.
Karol Szymanowski: 12 Études, Op. 33 — Modernist concert studies with sophisticated harmonies, rhythmic complexity, and a wide range of pianistic colors.
Charles-Valentin Alkan: Le chemin de fer, Op. 27 — A compact, relentless study of perpetual motion, demanding speed, endurance, and evenness.

Grade 4 — Extreme virtuoso and modernist études

26. Charles-Valentin Alkan: Trois grandes études, Op. 76 — Three unusual studies exploring different technical challenges, including left-hand and right-hand virtuosity and independent-hand playing.

27. Franz Liszt: Études d’exécution transcendante d’après Paganini, S. 140 — The original piano versions of the Paganini studies, emphasizing dazzling passagework, leaps, repeated notes, and double-note technique.

28. Béla Bartók: Études, Op. 18 — Three modernist studies requiring rhythmic precision, incisive articulation, complex textures, and considerable strength.

29. Igor Stravinsky: Étude, Op. 7 — Four compact studies featuring sharp rhythms, brilliant passagework, and unusual harmonic and pianistic effects.

30. György Ligeti: Études, Book I — A demanding modern collection exploring polyrhythms, shifting accents, rapid patterns, and carefully controlled sound layers.

31. György Ligeti: Études, Book II — Develops these challenges into more elaborate rhythmic and textural structures, often requiring exceptional coordination.

32. György Ligeti: Études, Book III — Continues Ligeti’s exploration of complex rhythmic and pianistic ideas, with difficulty varying considerably between pieces.

33. Leopold Godowsky: Java Suite (selected technically demanding movements) — Not an étude collection, but certain movements provide a comparable challenge through layered textures, rhythmic independence, and intricate passagework.

Grade 5 — Transcendental and exceptional difficulty

34. Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji: 100 Transcendental Studies, Nos. 1–20 — The opening studies explore concentrated technical ideas, including rapid figures, leaps, double notes, and intricate rhythmic patterns.

35. Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji: 100 Transcendental Studies, Nos. 21–40 — Combines virtuoso passagework with increasingly elaborate textures, lyrical writing, and complex rhythmic relationships.

36. Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji: 100 Transcendental Studies, Nos. 41–60 — A varied group requiring exceptional control of sonority, rhythm, texture, and independent musical lines.

37. Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji: 100 Transcendental Studies, Nos. 61–80 — Includes studies that move beyond conventional technical exercises toward expansive, individually conceived musical structures.

38. Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji: 100 Transcendental Studies, Nos. 81–100 — The closing group includes some of the collection’s most ambitious writing, culminating in an extended elaboration of Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy and a quintuple fugue of approximately 55 minutes.

Important notes on the grading

Chopin’s études are advanced concert repertoire, but their technical demands differ significantly from one piece to another.
Liszt’s S. 136, S. 137, and S. 139 are successive versions of related material, not three entirely unrelated collections. S. 139 is the familiar final version of the Transcendental Études.
Godowsky’s studies on Chopin can exceed the difficulty of Liszt’s études, particularly in contrapuntal and left-hand arrangements.
Ligeti’s études are difficult in a different way from Romantic virtuoso studies: rhythmic coordination and precise control of complex patterns are central.
Sorabji’s collection cannot be graded reliably by number alone. Its 100 studies range from short technical pieces to works of extraordinary length and complexity. The Sorabji Archive provides individual descriptions and performance information: 100 Transcendental Studies — annotated list.

This is a suggested progression for repertoire research, not a standardized examination syllabus. Some Grade 3 and Grade 4 works overlap substantially, and individual pieces should be assessed separately when constructing a strict difficulty-ordered study list.

(The writing of this article was assisted and carried out by Gemini and ChatGPT. And it is only a reference document for discovering music that you do not yet know. The content of this article is not guaranteed to be completely accurate. Please verify the information with reliable sources.)