Schubert and Beethoven are the masters of sonatas.
Scriabin. Absolutely.
Medtner's sonatas are absolute masterpieces as well.
Liszt Eb, you know it, you love it. Good night.
Of course, how many noteworthy composers wrote in the sonata form? Brahms gave it up before he got really good. Debussy didn't write any I know of. Chopin only wrote two or three. Not Gershwin, not Granados, not Grieg. Not Mendelssohn, not Albeniz. (Please correct me if I'm wrong -- I'll go listen to them.)Schubert wrote many sonatas, some of them spectacular. Richter really seemed to like them. Anyway, point is that there were only a few composers who really did the sonata thing -- basically Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert... Scarlatti... and who else? I personally love the symphonic feel of a sonata, with great contrasting movements that mysteriously make up a whole. But I would caution against putting too much enthusiasm on a composer just because he wrote great sonatas.I say this as I launch into Beethoven's 109. What a terrific piece of music!
I would say Prokofiev, and Ravel. Ravel, you ask? He didn't write any sonatas! Well, you are somewhat right there. However, he did compose a piece that is basically in a perfect form of a sonata, that piece being none other than the notorious Gaspard de la Nuit! Think about it. Ondine, fast, but not too much. Le Gibet, slow and lyrical. Scarbo, fast, scherzo-like, crazy!
Anyway, point is that there were only a few composers who really did the sonata thing -- basically Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert... Scarlatti... and who else?
Quote from: DarkWind on November 16, 2004, 07:12:03 AMI would say Prokofiev, and Ravel. Ravel, you ask? He didn't write any sonatas! Well, you are somewhat right there. However, he did compose a piece that is basically in a perfect form of a sonata, that piece being none other than the notorious Gaspard de la Nuit! Think about it. Ondine, fast, but not too much. Le Gibet, slow and lyrical. Scarbo, fast, scherzo-like, crazy!if gaspard de la nuit is considered a sonata ...then so are most symphonies, piano concertos, quartets, etc. for they are usually written in sonata form
I personally think that no composer could ever come close to what Beethoven has achieved with his sonatas. Really, it is impossible.
QuoteAnyway, point is that there were only a few composers who really did the sonata thing -- basically Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert... Scarlatti... and who else? Well, they're more than the one you mentioned:Mendelsohnn, Liszt, Chopin, Clementi, Soler, Kabalevsky, Saint-Saens, Hummel, Grieg, Cimarosa, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Griffes, Scrijabin, Weber, Field, Cramer, Dussek, MacDowell, Kuhlau, Ives, Stravinskij, Copland, Chaminade, HindemithDaniel
Quote from: Daniel_piano on November 21, 2004, 06:38:50 AMQuoteAnyway, point is that there were only a few composers who really did the sonata thing -- basically Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert... Scarlatti... and who else? Well, they're more than the one you mentioned:Mendelsohnn, Liszt, Chopin, Clementi, Soler, Kabalevsky, Saint-Saens, Hummel, Grieg, Cimarosa, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Griffes, Scrijabin, Weber, Field, Cramer, Dussek, MacDowell, Kuhlau, Ives, Stravinskij, Copland, Chaminade, HindemithDanielhe means composers who really wrote in sonata form
the greatest piano sonatas ever written were definitely beethoven's and schubert's. i can't compare, but they're in the first place imo...
I have Arrau's recording. The quality is a bit old, but otherwise, I love the CD.Ludwig Van Rachabji