IYO, who has written the greatest piano sonatas?

[julie391]

i havent heard it, but apparently there is a gilels recording of one of them, and horowitz recorded some fairy-tales, but to my knowledge no sonatas..

[Regulus Medtner]

Medtner's sonatas are absolute masterpieces as well.

thats what i was gonna say!

mednter's sonatas - in my opinion, taken as a whole - are the richest set of romantic sonatas in the whole literature.

I completely agree with that.

Gilels recorded the op.22 sonata in G minor. Horowitz knew them all by heart but never performed them in public. He wanted to record the 1st concerto as well but sadly that never happened...

[julie391]

ill have to track down that gilels recording

and i urge everyone else to listen to hamelin's set

[apion]

Ehhh.. Im not a HUGE fan of Beethoven. But i admit that his sonatas cannot be beat... Here are my favorites

1. Waldstein
2. Pathetique
3. Hammerklavier
4. Appasionata
5. Moonlight

Those are probably his best ones too heh.

I agree with the substance, but not with the order:

1. Hammerklavier 
2. Waldstein 
3. Pathetique 
4. Appasionata 
5. Moonlight 

[fred smalls]

I am going to have to 5th the Scriabin Sonatas. This is also including his sonata-form works that are neglected. Read my signature

[steinwayguy]

I agree with the substance, but not with the order:

1. Hammerklavier
2. Waldstein
3. Pathetique
4. Appasionata
5. Moonlight

I don't agree with the substance or the order. Really, how is the Moonlight Sonata a good piece? I feel it has no saving graces. The greatest Beethoven sonatas-

Op. 2 No. 1, Op. 7, Op. 22, Op. 27 No. 1, Op. 28, Op. 53, Op. 57, Op. 90, Op. 101, Op. 106, Op. 109, Op. 110, Op. 111.

The top six being the last six.

[Waldszenen]

Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and Schubert.

[klavierkonzerte]

in liszt's openion draeseke's (one of his students) sonata quasi fantasia is the greatest sonata since beethoven.

in my personal openion, after beethoven no one ever written a -Great- sonata, i think liszts sonata is way over apreciated, i don't mean bad  and i don't mean all sonatas after beethoven are bad they'r just not that good.

but i do like the sonatas of dareseke and reubke (both students of liszt) those sonatas are so diffrent specially the reubke.

[fred smalls]

OMG, I love Reubke's Sonata! I posted a thread about him and his sonata, but not many people were interested
NOW I HAVE BACKUP!!! GO READ THAT THREAD!

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,7343.0.html

[musicsdarkangel]

Rachmaninoff
Liszt
Chopin
Beethoven (yep, Hammer K would be my favorite)
Schubert
Prokofiev
Grieg
Scriabin

...the big eight for me...

[beethoartok]

well.... Mendelssohn's Fantasy in F# minor op.28 has the nickname of "the Scottish Sonata"... . it is an amazing piece too.

[Floristan]

1) Beethoven, beyond a doubt, for sheer innovation and his ability to convey such a huge range of emotion, from heaven to hell and back, always back, never compromising for the easy answer, always surprising us with the unexpected and often shocking.

2) Schubert, especially late, just because its that unique, sweet, vulnerable, happy, morose, angry, serene voice where sweetness always wins out, and I say thank you for your beautiful soul.

3) Scriabin, for transcendence in so many ways -- compositionally, technically, emotionally.  Transcendent, radiant, vibrant, decadent, sensual...fusing the erotic and the mystic like a tantric guru.

4) Haydn for sheer joy, playfulness, fun, and constant surprises.

5) Mozart for beauty of line, subtlety of feeling, refinement of sentiment. clarity of expression.