Most beautiful pieces for cello and piano

[gyzzzmo]

I'm planning to give a few concerts with a friend of mine, so i'm starting this thread so i can get some idea's of wich pieces to play

Pieces i like alot:

-Rachmaninov cello sonata op 19 (especially the 3rd adante part!)
-Saint Saëns cello sonata no1 opus 32 (expecially final part is kinky)
-add as many as you please to this list

Gyzzzmo

[invictious]

One of my favourite pieces of all times, is Piazzolla's Le Grand Tango. It is so awesome, I just cannot phrase it in words. If your friend is technically competitive, then go for the Rococo Variations.

Also consider Schumann's Allegro and Adagio Op.70, also a very nice piece.

Hard to give a list of pieces unless you tell us what kind of pieces you want to perform

[bella_brito]

I love Villa-Lobos' "O Canto do Cisne Negro".

I'll play this with friend next year, a lovely piece.

[communist]

I like the Faure elegy op.24 (a little schmaltzy though).

Mendelssohn variations concertantes op.17 and his 2nd cello sonata are both very good.

The Debussy cello sonata is very nice.

If I recall correctly Samuel Barber has a very good cello sonata.

[weissenberg2]

Look at some Hindemith.

[samjohnson]

Chopin's cello sonata op. 65 is great.  The cello part was revised by his friend Auguste Franchomme (with whom he premiered the piece) so, unlike many of his compositions including instruments other than the piano, both instruments in this sonata are written competently.  It is by no means easy though..

[retrouvailles]

Kapustin has two cello sonatas and three shorter pieces for cello and piano (Elegy, Burlesque, and Nearly Waltz), which are all very beautiful pieces. They are quite difficult though.

[kay3087]

My favourites are: Gabriel Fauré's Elegie (Op. 24), Prokofiev's Cello Sonata (Op. 119), and the cello sonatas of Brahms and Mozart. An easier piece might be Schubert's Fantasia in F minor D. 940 (originally composed for solo piano and four hands, so the sheet music might be hard to find). Also take a look at Beethoven's first cello sonata (this piece is very fun and not very complicated).

[ahinton]

What about some cello sonatas by pianists - Chopin, Alkan, Rakhmaninov, Shostakovich?. Magnard has a fine sonata, too - and Fauré has two of them. Bridge. Britten. Thousands of works - just go look. (I believe that some Scots composer who is a member of this forum has a sonata for cello and piano, too, though I cannot be sure who that person may be...)...

Best,

Alistair

[retrouvailles]

I believe that some Scots composer who is a member of this forum has a sonata for cello and piano, too, though I cannot be sure who that person may be...

Surely, you can't be referring to Scots composer James MacMillan. He isn't a member of this forum! He, however, has a nice catalogue of works for cello and piano (including two sonatas), and his music is quite beautiful.

[communist]

Surely, you can't be referring to Scots composer James MacMillan. He isn't a member of this forum! He, however, has a nice catalogue of works for cello and piano (including two sonatas), and his music is quite beautiful.

I think he was referring to himself, he does in fact have a cello sonata.

[weissenberg2]

Weinberg.

If you are looking for something *beautiful* but not necessarily deep, you could do Spiegel Im Spiegel by Arvo Part.

[kay3087]

Is there anyone on the forum that knows where "Romanze nach dem Albumblatt" by Wagner is from? I found it on IMSLP. It says there that it's a transcription, and apparently there is also a violin and piano version. I can't find any recordings of it.

Edit: Found it. It's a transcription of WWV94 "In das Album der Fürstin Metternich" (I still can't find a recording though), a work for solo piano. Perhaps take a look at that, if you like Wagner. Here is the link.

[retrouvailles]

I think he was referring to himself, he does in fact have a cello sonata.

I KNOW THAT. You don't have to ruin my joke.

[communist]

I KNOW THAT. You don't have to ruin my joke.

Sorry. Non-Americans such as myself have a tendency to not get jokes 

[samjohnson]

What about some cello sonatas by pianists - Chopin, Alkan, Rakhmaninov, Shostakovich?. Magnard has a fine sonata, too - and Fauré has two of them. Bridge. Britten. Thousands of works - just go look. (I believe that some Scots composer who is a member of this forum has a sonata for cello and piano, too, though I cannot be sure who that person may be...)...

Best,

Alistair

Is there any way I could perhaps get my hands on a recording of the cello sonata by this anonymous scots composer?  I would love to hear it.

-sj

[gyzzzmo]

So far everybody thanks for the suggestions, i'll look into all of them. And ofcourse the more suggestions the better

[retrouvailles]

Is there any way I could perhaps get my hands on a recording of the cello sonata by this anonymous scots composer?  I would love to hear it.

This "anonymous" Scots composer is the poster himself, Alistair Hinton. He withheld his name for purposes of modesty, I think. I don't think there is a recording of his cello sonata, for I have never seen one online, and I don't remember seeing a mention of one on the Sorabji Archive. However, the man himself might have something to say.

[samjohnson]

This "anonymous" Scots composer is the poster himself, Alistair Hinton.

Yes I had figured that but was continuing the theme of discretion. 
We will see what he has to say  on the subject...

[rob47]

If you are looking for something *beautiful* but not necessarily deep, you could do Spiegel Im Spiegel by Arvo Part.

Yo weissenberg2, I'm really happy for you, and imma let you finish, but Rachmaninoff cello sonata is one of the most beautiful but not necessarily deep pieces of all time...OF ALL TIME

[retrouvailles]

Rachmaninoff cello sonata is one of the most beautiful but not necessarily deep pieces of all time...OF ALL TIME

You're just making that piece even MORE overrated than it already is. It's not a bad piece, but it is NOT the best piece for cello and piano.

[weissenberg2]

Yo weissenberg2, I'm really happy for you, and imma let you finish, but Rachmaninoff cello sonata is one of the most beautiful but not necessarily deep pieces of all time...OF ALL TIME

yo, what do you mean by you are really happy for me? I don't like Spiegel Im Spiegel but it fits, everyone says it is so beautiful.

[mikey6]

and the cello sonatas of Brahms and Mozart.

You might have a tad difficult time finding the cello sonata of Mozart as he did not in fact write any!

[gyzzzmo]

Hard to give a list of pieces unless you tell us what kind of pieces you want to perform

The main reason for the concerts to is give my friend more solo-stage experience. He got his Master for cello not long ago in the Royal Academy in London, so technically he should be allright, but they dont do much to get somebody more solo experience.

The pieces i'm looking for are supposed to be nice to hear for a broad audience, but we're mainly playing them for ourselves, the fun and the money is nice too ofcourse .
Thats why i like pieces like the Rachmaninov sonata so much; technally challenging enough but not too hard, musically very nice for both cellist and pianist and good for a broad audience.

Btw, we still both enjoy playing 'the Swan' alot, it should be definitely somewhere in the top of the 'most beautiful cello pieces-ever'-list, but the piece is too damn cliché to perform anywhere :p

Gyzzzmo

[jim_24601]

How about the cello arrangement of Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise"?

[gyzzzmo]

How about the cello arrangement of Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise"?

Nice piece, but bit cliché too

[rob47]

probably should have posted this with my comment

https://kanyegate.tumblr.com/

[gyzzzmo]

You're just making that piece even MORE overrated than it already is. It's not a bad piece, but it is NOT the best piece for cello and piano.

BLASPMEMY!!!
If you perform this piece yourself with a good cellist, your mind will be changed!
Btw, i dont like the first part that much, but the other 3 parts are diamonds with a cherry on top.

[zemyk4e]

Although I have not heard enough 'piano+cello' works, I feel like plugging in a work I heard by composer Kunsu Shim for these very 2 instruments, coincidentally.

The work is called 'trace, elements III' and is by far some of the most beautiful contemporary music writing. Aesthetically he's comparable to M. Feldman, and his music very simplistic and quiet.

Due to lack of recordings, I can suggest listening to his other available works such as '54 things' or 'trace, elements II' which are recorded.

[richard black]

You might have a tad difficult time finding the cello sonata of Mozart as he did not in fact write any!

That's true, but someone's arranged some violin sonatas for cello. I know because I edited the recording - it's on Toccata Classics. Can't remember who's playing but there's a Toccata website.

I may have missed it, but I don't see any mention of the Debussy cello sonata in this thread. Lovely piece.

[kay3087]

You might have a tad difficult time finding the cello sonata of Mozart as he did not in fact write any!

Some of the violin sonatas were transcribed for cello and piano, actually. And they are beautiful.

[camstrings]

Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata. Compositional quality will always shine through.
Bach's Gamba sonatas are sublime.....listen to Leonard Rose & Glenn Gould recordings.

[lmiller2501]

I think it is the one you write 'together'?

[point of grace]

Brahms' sonatas!! love them

[ahinton]

Yes I had figured that but was continuing the theme of discretion. 
We will see what he has to say  on the subject...

Sorry - should have seen this and responded to it ages ago! There is no recording of that cello sonata at present, I'm sorry to say.

Best,

Alistair

[chuck297]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone can help me please, I am searching for a good quality sheet music copy of Rach's Piano & Cello Sonata op19 3rd movement....err free that is?? Sorry to be cheap guys 

[hansscherff]

Have a look here:

https://imslp.org/wiki/Cello_Sonata,_Op.19_(Rachmaninoff,_Sergei)

imslp.org should be the website for most of your sheet music requests.

It states that the full score is not Public Domain in Europe, but i highly doubt that, so i guess you would be fine downloading it.

Regards,
Hans