Contemporary

[nikanikitina]

In your opinion... best solo piano works written in the last century?

[JCarey]

Oh dear...

Sorabji's Opus Clavicemablisticum

[Etude]

Oh no John, you've started it!

I agree anyway, plus the fourth sonata.

Also, Rzewski's people united variations, I think are very well written, if that's how we are defining 'best works'.

[superstition2]

Here's a short list. I'm mostly ignoring short pieces so I can get this list done quickly, even though some of them are great, like Scriabin's "Garlands" poem and the Op. 74 preludes.

Scriabin, sonatas: 5, 7, 10 (the others are also excellent), vers la flamme
Rachmaninov, sonatas: 1, 2 (original)
Prokofiev, sonatas: 6, 7 (I haven't listened to 5 much. 9 is pretty good.) Toccata.
Myaskovsky, sonatas: 2, 3
Roslavets: sonata 5, three etudes
Berg: piano sonata
Rautavaara: "thirds" etude
Ornstein: a morning in the woods, suicide on an airplane, sonata 7

I'm sure I'm forgetting something/someone, but I'm pressed for time.

[pita bread]

Ok here we go...

Barber - Piano Sonata Op. 26
Bartok - 3 Etudes Op. 18
Bridge - Piano Sonata
Prokofiev - Piano Sonata #7
Ravel - Jeux d'eau, Miroirs, Gaspard de la Nuit
Scriabin - Piano Sonatas #5, 6, 7, 10
Sorabji - Piano Sonata #1
Stravinsky - Petrushka

I'll add more once I'm back from practice.

P.S. I hate how you limit it to piano solo, because some of the greatest 20th century music literature involves Piano + Orchestra.

[sharon_f]

All the above plus:

Copland: Variations
Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jésus
Shostakovch: Preludes & Fugues
Ligeti: Etudes

[quantum]

Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jésus

Definately!

Plus all Scriabin Sonatas.
Ann Southam - Rivers

[ahinton]

Oh dear...

Sorabji's Opus Clavicemablisticum

Ha! Thanks for the opinion, John. And, while we're at it, let's hear it not only for for the same composer's Fourth Sonata (as already suggested below) but also for Gulistan, which Jonathan Powell reckons to be one of Sorabji greatest works of all (and not only does that not at all strike me as a rash claim, it rather coincides with the composer's own evaluation of it almost half a century after composing it).

Best,

Alistair

[BoliverAllmon]

I agree on the shostakovich P&F.

[g_s_223]

The Reger "Bach" variations are admirable.

[pseudopianist]

Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jésus
Sorabji: Gulistan / Opus Clavicembalisticum
Shostakovich: Preludes and Fugues

[superstition2]

I agree on the shostakovich P&F.

What recording do you suggest? I have a Naxos set that's dull.

[BoliverAllmon]

if anyones says Jarret shoot them, they don't know shostakovich. Ashkenazy is the best choice for CD, but if you can get a hand on LP then    Tatjana Nikolajewa is the way to go. DSCH wrote them for her and worked with her when she was recording them. If you listen to the two sets you will see that Ashkenazy plays them quite differently that Tatjana.

[pseudopianist]

if anyones says Jarret shoot them, they don't know shostakovich. Ashkenazy is the best choice

HAHAHAHAHA funniest thing I've read whole day.

I agree

[ibbar]

In no particular order, here are some possible candidates:

Berg- Sonata
Boulez- Sonatas #1,2
Sorabji- Piano Sonata #4, Gulistan
Ives- "Concord" sonata
Barber- Sonata
Copland- Piano Variations, Piano Fantasy
Scriabin-"Vers la Flamme", Sonatas 7,8
Prokofiev-Sonatas 6,7,8
Messiaen-Vignt Regards...
Barraque-Sonata
Polansky-Crawford Variations
Ligeti-etudes, bk. 1
Flynn-Trinity
Barlow-Cogluotobusisletmesi
Feldman-Triadic Memories
Duckworth-Time Curve Preludes, Imaginary Dances
Xenakis-Herma, Evryali
Scelsi-Suite #9
Wolpe-Passacaglia
Finnissy-English Country Tunes
Ferneyhough-Lemma-Icon-Epigram
Barrett-Tract, Lost
Vivier-Shiraz
Curran-some pieces from Inner Cities
Crumb-Makrokosmos
Ravel-Gaspard de la Nuit
Nancarrow-Study #41