Unsung Piano Sonatas 1860-1910

[Alan Howe]

I would like to explore more of the unsung piano sonatas from the period 1860 to 1910 (approx.) Which ones would friends recommend? And in which performances?

[TerraEpon]

I've mentioned it before, but Niels Gade's Piano Sonata in e, which has a second movement that even a casual jazz listener might do a double take on. The whole thing is very tuneful, though.

And I wouldn't be me without giving a nod to Chaminade as well...

[thalbergmad]

I am not big sonata listener, but the Romanticism, lyricism and power of the Paderewski Sonata appeals to me greatly. I would doubt if there is a better recording than the Plowright, but if there is i would wish to hear it.

I won't mention the Dreyschock as that is too early

Thal

[eschiss1]

I wish at least the third of Robert Fuchs' piano sonatas (D-flat major, op.109- written around 1919 though so this is cheating for which I apologize), which charmed not only me but also a good friend of mine, were still available on CD. Maybe again sometime.

Some really very good ones not already often discussed on this forum (I think), though, include

Istvan/Steven Heller's piano sonata no. 4 in B-flat minor op.143 (1878) (recorded on a CD with his op.47 studies, and available in score at IMSLP)
Arnold Bax's sonata no. 1 (1910) (recorded several times now)
Woldemar Bargiel's piano sonata op.34 in C (1867) (unrecorded as yet, though I can send you MIDIs if you don't mind the sound. Someone I expect will make a commercial recording eventually   Score available on IMSLP, again.
If you can find William Newman's book The Sonata Since Beethoven, have a gander if you haven't already
(oh- i suspect you already have and already have it. sorry, am very sleepy.)
Eric

[JimL]

Surely you can't forget Mili Balakirev's monumental sonata.  I forget what year it comes from but since he died in 1910, and I believe it was composed after 1860 I think it fits the topic.

[eschiss1]

Surely you can't forget Mili Balakirev's monumental sonata.  I forget what year it comes from but since he died in 1910, and I believe it was composed after 1860 I think it fits the topic.

His two sonatas are in the same key, but I'm guessing you mean the 2nd sonata, from 1905 - I'm not sure though.

[chill319]

Jonathan Plowright's performance of the Paderewski on YouTube makes a strong case for the piece. Earl Wild's performance of the Balakirev has a ravishing fugue (one of the most successful fugues of the late Romantic era, IMHO), a melting middle movement and a well-played proto-Ravelian finale, lacking only that last ounce of virtuosity Wild himself would have delivered 10 years earlier. The Endres performance of Bax 1 is a stunner. Another remarkable sonata from Britain around 1910 is Scott's first, with a good performance by Leslie De'ath on Dutton.

For quality works in the Brahmsian vein, I've long loved the Goetz four-hand sonata, op. 17. Fuchs and Rheinberger hardly need mentioning to this group, of course. Nor do Draeseke and Raff. During the last decade of the century the four sonatas of MacDowell injected new vigor into the genre, I believe, but I have yet to hear a recording that does justice to their formal and expressive sophistication.

Love the d'Indy sonata but haven't heard a recording. Like the Dukas sonata but haven't heard a recording.

[Peter1953]

I would like to make a strong case for Antoni Stolpe's Piano Sonata in D minor (1870).

I only have this sonata played by Mirosław Gąsieniec on the Pro Musica Camerata label (2008), so I cannot compare it with Stefan Łabanowski on Acte Préalable (2010). It's quite difficult to get that CD, and when I was in Poland last May, I couldn't find it in 2 CD shops in Warsaw and Krakow.

[Delicious Manager]

I adore the late-Romantic, highly fragrenced Piano Sonata by Alban Berg (a relatively unsung work by a reasonably sung composer). Alfred Brendel plays it wonderfully: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlV-ksfS7F8.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for all the suggestion, friends. Any more perchance?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Istvan/Steven Heller's piano sonata no. 4 in B-flat minor op.143 (1878) (recorded on a CD with his op.47 studies, and available in score at IMSLP)

I did not know this work had been recorded. Can you provide me with details of the recording, please, if it is still available and, if so, from where?

[eschiss1]

Istvan/Steven Heller's piano sonata no. 4 in B-flat minor op.143 (1878) (recorded on a CD with his op.47 studies, and available in score at IMSLP)

I did not know this work had been recorded. Can you provide me with details of the recording, please, if it is still available and, if so, from where?

I have no idea if it's still available- the existence of the recording, when I found it at a local booksale, threw me. (Its quality of production is none so good. Performance, yes, but to supplement - well:

the back cover etc. seems to think all 25 etudes of op.47 are on one track, and gives them no individual description. It wasn't until just yesterday, when I discovered that someone had, earlier this year, uploaded a score of op.47 to IMSLP, that I was able to remedy that in iTunes. Mind, different scores of opp.45-47 have different- sometimes very different- tempo indications or even keys at some points - so an etude that's played in B minor on my recording is in G-sharp minor in someone else's edition in a performance - a good one, too- on YouTube. BTW quite a bit of Heller has been uploaded in good performances on YouTube , legally by the performers themselves, not from CD-rips.)

Anyhow, to the details, I apologize, sorry...

OCLC description here http://www.worldcat.org/title/25-etudes-op-47-integrale-sonate-no-4-op-143/oclc/54483836

(and a couple of other places)
Sergio Marengoni, piano, plays the 25 études (Études pour former au sentiment du rhythme et à l'expression) op.47 and the sonata no. 4 op.143 by Stephen Heller on Arcobaleno SBCD-6300 (1990s)

(ciao.de lists it as Koch International and gives the date as 1997. They don't offer a price, though, but link to Ebay. No luck at broinc.com.  Can't seem to find a place that's offering it in stock, but maybe somewhere is...)

Amazon.com (US) only is reselling a used copy for $100 (rather higher than what I got at the booksale.)


Eric

[Martin Eastick]

One of my favorite piano sonatas of all is Stenhammar's 1890 G minor (actually his 4th - those preceeding it are relatively unimportant juvenilia) - I was so impressed with this when I first obtained its premier recording on a Bluebell LP performed by Lucia Negro, that I just had to write to the producer to obtain a copy of the unpublished score! Since then, however, there have been several recordings and the score is now available in print for the first time (2008)! Unreservedly recommended. It would also be relevant here to mention the D major sonata of 1878 by Stenhammar's teacher Richard Andersson. He in turn studied with Clara Schumann and her husband's influence can be easily detected here but it nevertheless is a good solid attractive work. (Opus 3 CD19303 with Stefan Lindgren - piano  also includes sonatas by Johan Lindegren & Jakob Hagg).

I also strongly recommend Henryk Pachulski's 2nd sonata - in F major Op27 (1910). Having known both this and the earlier Op10 sonata No1 for some time, I was pleased to note that Acte Prealable were doing a Pachulski piano works series, but the first volume, which includes Op27, was IMHO rather disappointing, both from a performance and recording point of view.


The two Parry sonatas are quite interesting, but I would welcome a new recording on a more appropriate instrument than Parry's own piano as used by Tony Goldstone in his the only recording made so far.

There are two interesting piano sonatas by John Francis Barnett which as yet have not made it to disc - but perhaps this oversight may be resolved in the not too distant future! The first - in E minor , dates from 1885 and is reminiscent in places of Sterndale Bennett, and thus may be considered conservative, although overall it is an attractive 3-movement work with a rousing tarantella finale. The 2nd sonata - in A minor, was published in 1917 ( the year after Barnett's death) and is a rather substantial work in 4 movements - I would imagine it was probably written in the very early 1900's and there is the odd suggestion or two of Grieg in the 1st movement!

[Gareth Vaughan]

Thanks very much for the extensive info., Eric. If I can't track down a reasonably priced copy I'm wondering if I can get Valentina Seferinova interested in the Heller sonatas.

[eschiss1]

Thanks very much for the extensive info., Eric. If I can't track down a reasonably priced copy I'm wondering if I can get Valentina Seferinova interested in the Heller sonatas.

Hope so! (Hrm. I don't think I've heard her Noskowski recordings yet- other works by that composer, but not those.)
Eric