My Favourite Piano Sonata of the 20th Century

[Peter1953]

I've been listening to quite some 20th century piano sonatas over the past few days. And there are some very good sonatas amongst them, sung and unsung.

Although there is a tough competition, my absolute favourite unsung is the Piano Sonata in D minor by Benjamin Dale (1902). Of course, important are the rich melodies in this work of the young student. But the structure and development are also rather unusual. After the opening Allegro deciso follow the slow movement, scherzo and finale, in total 8 variations on an original theme. It's a highly attractive, colourful work with enough challenges for the pianist and listener. A most delightful piece of music!

My favourite sung is Rachmaninoff's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, op. 36 (original version of 1913). No further comments.

I'm wondering what other members think.

[Jimfin]

I'd second the Dale: amazing piece

[Mark Thomas]

Absolutely no question - Dale's Sonata is a fabulous piece. Here's my previous rave about it.

[Alan Howe]

Hmmmmmm. This'll take some thinking about...

[petershott@btinternet.com]

The Mark Bebbington disc of the Dale sonata was the very first Dale piece I'd heard. Of course the name was reasonably familiar because he is often encountered in books and articles about Bax, Bowen and others making their way at the start of the century. But I'd never heard a note of Dale.

So imagine the astonishment when I first put that CD in the player. I actually toyed around with the idea that Somm had made some kind of serious production fault and had put a sonata by another composer onto a disc under the name of 'Dale'. But that wasn't a helpful idea at all - for what other composer could it possibly be? The astonishment was that someone so young, and at the time so unknown save to those within his own circle, could write such a 'big' and tremendously bold piece and make it sound as if written by some especially gifted composer at the height of his or her maturity.

Thus, yes Peter, a great candidate for a favourite unsung 20th century piano sonata!

[Jimfin]

Now this question comes up I realise how few major piano sonatas there seem to be among British composers (the area I'm most familiar with) . There is of course Tippett's great set, Bax has been mentioned, and York Bowen wrote at least six, I think, but there's nothing compared to all the symphonies and concertos of the same period.

[eschiss1]

Er- ...can't decide between Weinberg's 4th (at least as played by Gilels- such an ending!) or Medtner's Night Wind (as played by Ogdon).

[alberto]

Sung: if a "Sonatina" is allowed my absolute favourite is by far the Ravel Sonatina (anyway as long -or even longer- than Scriabin late Sonatas or Bartok only Sonata: all very worthy contenders).
Otherwise uncertain between Rachmaninov Second and Prokofiev Seventh.
Unsung: Dukas big Sonata (completed just in 1900).

[BFerrell]

Dale, an incredible work.

[doctorpresume]

...or Medtner's Night Wind (as played by Ogdon).

If you ever get a chance to hear Jonathan Powell play it live, JUMP at that chance. I've heard him play it twice in concert - "staggering" just about covers it!

Speaking of Powell, I suspect the work of Sorabji doesn't have many fans round here, but Sorabji's massive 4th sonata would be somewhere near the top of my list of C20 sonatas.

[Sydney Grew]

Two I rather like are a) Scott's (especially to follow the score with its constantly changing time-signatures), and b) Philippot's First (which I posted here last night - it has hidden depths and layers revealed after repeated hearings).

[shamokin88]

Aaron Copland.

Best to all.

[eschiss1]

Sorabji fan for over a decade, and I've heard 3 of his piano sonatas. Still not among my top three or four sonatas of the century but I still like the fourth sonata a whole lot and look forward to hearing no. 5 (and am sorry I haven't heard one of the recordings, commercial or otherwise, of no.3 yet (I gather sonata no.
(Definitely hoping to hear the 4th toccata of 1969, of which I have a copy of (a microfiche of) the manuscript, but that's a tangent.) (Sort of regretting that the sonata no.0  MIDI had to be taken down from that website though.)

[doctorpresume]

Sorabji fan for over a decade.... sorry I haven't heard one of the recordings, commercial or otherwise, of no.3 yet

I wouldn't be too sorry about that. It's not really one of Sorabji's best works, by any means (it's better than number 2, though).

[ahinton]

Sorabji fan for over a decade, and I've heard 3 of his piano sonatas. Still not among my top three or four sonatas of the century but I still like the fourth sonata a whole lot and look forward to hearing no. 5 (and am sorry I haven't heard one of the recordings, commercial or otherwise, of no.3 yet (I gather sonata no.
(Definitely hoping to hear the 4th toccata of 1969, of which I have a copy of (a microfiche of) the manuscript, but that's a tangent.) (Sort of regretting that the sonata no.0  MIDI had to be taken down from that website though.)

Why? It's available on a CD played by the same pianist (Soheil Nasseri) on Centaur (CRC2894) - or at least it certainly was (it was released in 2007).