A few months ago I acquired a double disk with Czerny's piano sonatas 5, 6, 8 and 9 played by Martin Jones on Nimbus Records. A must for anyone who likes this genre! Especially #6 is exciting (6 movements in almost 51 minutes, but not for a second boring, on the contrary). I already had 1 and 3 played by Anton Kuerti on Analekta, both gorgeous and interesting pieces.
This brings me to the question, which surprising unsung piano sonatas are your favourites?
Mine are
1. All 4 piano sonatas by Rubinstein (Leslie Howard on Hyperion). These superb sonatas are all interesting, full of emotion and most impressive, especially 3 and 4. One of the reasons why Rubinstein is my number one unsung composer
2. Raff's opus 14 of course, which is a masterpiece
3. Ludwig Berger's Grande Sonate in C minor (Frederick Marvin on Genesis). A "trouvaille"!
4. Norbert Burgmüller's sonata in F minor (Adrian Ruiz on Genesis)
5. Sigismund Thalberg's Grande Sonate in C minor (Ian Hominick on Titanic)
None of these sonatas deserve to be background music. You have to sit down, just listen and get overwhelmed!
There is so much more in this genre, but certainly you can add interesting unsung piano sonatas which are fascinating to discover and explore.
Mine would be the sonatas by Reubke and Draeseke: both very avant-garde for their day. Alfred Brendel apparently has a high opinion of the Draeseke sonata - a shame he never played it in public. He left that to his pupil Claudius Tanski!
The Niels Gade Piano Sonata in e, Op. 28 is quite a lovely piece, and jazz fans may find the 2nd movement a bit uncannily familiar...
There's also Stenhammar's sonatas -- in fact I love all three BIS CDs of his piano music.
Alan, what is your opinion of the Reubke coupled with Schuncke on the Dynamic label, played by Mario Patuzzi? I don't feel much attracted to Reubke's (or any composers) organ sonata on the Tanski/Sander disk.
I don't know that recording: I have Till Fellner on a very cheap Apex reissue (coupled with Schumann's Kreisleriana) which I recommend.
I love the Dussek Sonata CDs played by Markus Becker on CPO label. Moments of astounding beauty and power. I also love the sonata that Stephen Hough plays on his album of York Bowen's music.
High on my list is the Sonatine by Alkan, especially played by Hamelin.
There was also a beautiful piano sonata by George Frederick Pinto that I used to have, but cannot seem to locate in my collection any more....
Steven, on the CD "Pinto Piano Music" played by Míceál O'Rourke (Chandos) you will find even 3 piano sonatas (in E flat minor, A major and C minor). All very pleasant to listen to. The disk is still available.
Peter,
I think I had a Pinto sonata on a recording by Ian Hobson. I actually have the music to it, but it is at my brother's house, 3000 miles away!
Thanks for the mention of the Chandos disc.
Quote from: Peter1953 on Tuesday 05 May 2009, 23:03
A few months ago I acquired a double disk with Czerny's piano sonatas 5, 6, 8 and 9 played by Martin Jones on Nimbus Records.
I am not familiar with those works. I have a disc of Czerny's 3 sonatas for piano 4 hands, which I find disappointingly dull, and therefore I have not been encouraged to explore him further.
Quote from: Peter1953 on Tuesday 05 May 2009, 23:03This brings me to the question, which surprising unsung piano sonatas are your favourites?
It is probably unobtainable now, but Olympia issued a complete set of the published sonatas of Myaskovsky on three CDs. They consist of Sonatas Nos. 1 to 9, plus Sonatina, Prelude, Rondo-Sonata, Reminiscences, a transcription of the scherzo from his String Quartet No. 5, and Yellowed Leaves: "The
Yellowed Leaves, Op. 31, were composed in 1928, but differ completely from another Op. 31 written the same year — Schoenberg's
Variations for Orchestra; Myaskovsky's is far removed as one could imagine from the possessed dodecaphonic music Schoenberg wrote. We find instead a series of character pieces in the spirit of the late nineteenth century" (OCD 704 ABC).
I have just listened for the first time to both piano sonatas by Reubke and Schunke. Thanks Alan, for your recommandation of the Reubke.
My first impression is that the Sonata in B flat minor (1857) by Julius Reubke (1834-58) sounds rather complex, with an almost scientific building and development of the 3 movements. How about the first movement: Allegro maestoso – Sostenuto – Quasi recitativo – Dolce e con espressione – Animato – Allegro appassionato – Sostenuto – Quasi recitativo – Dolcissimo con espressione – Animato – Allegro con fuoco – Maestoso. If I didn't knew the composer, I should think that it could be an unknown sonata by Liszt. The same virtuosic writing, full of surprising twists. An exciting piece of music to listen to, that's for sure.
The Grande Sonata in G minor, op. 3 (1832) by Christian Ludwig Schunke (1810-34, in French: Schuncke, according to Wikipedia) is much more accessible, and sounds influenced by Schumann and Mendelssohn. It features a sparkling scherzo and finale.
What a pity both composers suffered an untimely death at the age of 24.
Well, if you like unsung piano sonatas I can heartily recommend this CD on the Dynamic label, played by the Italian pianist Marco Patuzzi.
Peter: do get hold of the Draeseke Piano Sonata - a magnificent piece written, no doubt, under the influence of Liszt, but with a heroic and poetic quality all its own.
Has anyone ever heard the Ketelby Piano sonata.
I didn't know Ketelbey had written one. Does the music still exist?
Well Groove's mentions it.
Has anyone attempted to tackle the sole surviving Dreyschock Sonata (Op. 30)? I understand it is phenomenally difficult, but supposedly musically worthwhile.
The fact that it is mentioned in Grove is no guarantee that it is still extant - or even existed. When it comes to lesser known composers Grove is unreliable: a recent edition credited Bronsart with a second piano concerto (wrong) and stated that Felix Dreyschock was Alexander's son (wrong - he was his nephew). A lot of Ketelbey's music was lost in a fire - I suspect the piano sonata was a casualty.
As to the surviving Dreyschock sonata, I have a copy of this. It is indeed v. difficult, but I'm not sure it's that good. I remember thinking the opening theme sounded rather silly. I must dig it out and have a look at it again.
I kind of agree with you about the Grove being unreliable. My piano teacher has the complete A-Z volumes; Under Glazunov's works Grove mentions a second Violin concerto in "A major" (not sure what Op. no .. i think 77). I tried searching every possible place I could think about and came up with nothing. I guess being a Glazunov fan I found the aspect of another violin concerto titillating. Glazunov is by no means a lesser known composer so I still find it hard to believe they could have bungled up so. Anybody come across this "phantom" concerto if only as a mention ??!!??
Maybe Grove online is better? There is no mention there of any 'phantom' VC by Glazunov - and his Op.77 is, of course, his 7th Symphony. Curious...
i didnt mean "Phantom" literal i meant they mentioned a Violin concerto in A major by glazunov
I understood perfectly what was meant! However, Grove online makes no mention of another VC by Glazunov, so we are no nearer to the source of information regarding this supposedly lost concerto. Do you by any chance mean Goldmark's 2nd VC? Now that is mentioned in Grove online, but I have never managed to find out anything about it...
No it was a Glazunov concerto i read about, infact it was an earlier Op before the famous a minor concerto..but hey! maybe Groves did make an honest mistake!?!
The Goldmark no 2 is only in manuscript and was never published and seems never performed. Its quite possible its somewhere in some unknown catalogue or lib. in same as the case with the Moscheles PC No 8.
There's no listing for any other violin and orchestra piece by Glazunov in the big-book-o-worklists that I own either. He DID write a piece for cello and orchestra in A (Spanish Serenade) but that's as close as it gets.
The Glazunov VC debate has now been made into a separate thread...
This sonata isn't quite obscure but one doesn't encounter it much either Clementi - Piano Sonata in G major, Op. 37/2.
Now here is a real find: Draeseke's "Sonata quasi Fantasia" in C sharp minor, op. 6 (1862-67, published 1869). Draeseke's piano sonata is coupled with Liszt's, marvellously performed by Claudius Tanski on an only 53min.41sec. lasting Altarus CD.
Draeseke's sonata is "progressive" (like the Reubke, see Reply #9) in the style of Liszt who wrote in 1884 that he "knew no more important work in this form since Schumann's F minor Sonata". I disagree of course, because there was a Real Giant and that was Brahms. Just listen to his piano sonatas. Or did Liszt meant "in this form the way I like it"?
Having said that, Draeseke's sonata is very intriguing, and you can hear it already in the opening theme. I had to listen to his sonata a few times, spread over a few days, to fully appreciate it. A fascinating first movement called "Introduzione e Marcia funebre", followed by a short, surprising brilliant waltz before the last movement begins. And now I cannot stop playing the disc over and over again. It's a delightful musical experience for me.
The Liszt sonata, well... Brilliant in every respect. A difference with the Draeseke is that the main theme remains easily in my memory.
The booklet notes are very informative and on an academic level, written by William Kinderman. The cover shows an ominous picture of a graveyard in the snow.
Thanks very much, Alan, for your good suggestion. A strong recommandation for those who like exciting piano sonatas.
This is a very insightful review, Peter. I think you have captured the essence of the Draeseke PS - and I am sure that you are right about Liszt having neglected Brahms' sonatas, but then Liszt and Brahms were ideological opponents.
Quote from: Hovite on Sunday 10 May 2009, 10:01
I am not familiar with those works. I have a disc of Czerny's 3 sonatas for piano 4 hands, which I find disappointingly dull, and therefore I have not been encouraged to explore him further.
Off-topic, but... you'll be missing out on Czerny's monumental symphonies 1&5 if you do this. The scherzo of each of these symphonies in particular is outstanding. Like Clementi before him, he was known for the piano but was better with the orchestra. In my opinion, of course; though I love Clementi's solo piano music, I don't care that much for Czerny's, with a handful of exceptions.
My latest discoveries. Bortkiewicz's piano sonatas nos. 1 in B major, op. 9, and 2 in C minor, op. 60. Just brilliant. These jewels easily fit between most masterpieces of the sung heros. I will come back to these works in the thread on Bortkiewicz.
Lovers of the genre: don't wait till Santa Claus is coming with gifts, spoil yourself and buy these winners. You will definitely not be disappointed.
Other very pleasant piano sonatas are those by Robert Fuchs. His 1st piano sonata is op. 19 (1877) and is much inspired by no-one less than Schubert, despite the fact that he deceased about half a century earlier. Never mind, it's a lovely sonata. More interesting and totally different are his other two sonata's op. 88 (circa 1910) and op. 109 (circa 1919). Sophisticated, well-crafted piano music in a romantic style of a high level and reminiscent of Brahms. In those days Fuchs's sonatas might be considered as old-fashioned and incomparable with progressive contemporaries like Berg, Schönberg and Webern. But for the classical music lover of today that is uninteresting.
The 1st is coupled with the 2nd on a Marco Polo disc (what else?), and the 3rd is on a MP disc with the lovely "Jugendklänge" (Memories of Childhood) op. 32 and 12 Waltzes, op. 110.
Anyone familiar with the 3 Fuchs piano sonatas and what is your opinion?