Romantic Sonatas

[nbide721]

I'm currently choosing repertoire for a one-hour recital (1 year of preparation), and I am hesitant of my choices for Romantic Sonatas.  Currently, I have the Beethoven Pastoral (no. 15, op. 28) and the first movement of Prokofiev 2nd Concerto (which I've already begun to prepare).  Which Romantic Sonata would go best with this program?  I'm thinking either Brahms 1 or 3, or Chopin's 3rd would go well, but I'd like to hear your opinions as well.

I've boiled it down to:
Any Brahms Sonata
Schumann G minor
Chopin 2nd or 3rd Sonata

[cabbynum]

I'm currently choosing repertoire for a one-hour recital (1 year of preparation), and I am hesitant of my choices for Romantic Sonatas.  Currently, I have the Beethoven Pastoral (no. 15, op. 28) and the first movement of Prokofiev 2nd Concerto (which I've already begun to prepare).  Which Romantic Sonata would go best with this program?  I'm thinking either Brahms 1 or 3, or Chopin's 3rd would go well, but I'd like to hear your opinions as well.

I've boiled it down to:
Any Brahms Sonata
Schumann G minor
Chopin 2nd or 3rd Sonata

Chopin 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[j_menz]

Currently, I have ....the first movement of Prokofiev 2nd Concerto (which I've already begun to prepare). 

A transcription? Or, are you dragging along an accompanist for just one movement?

[thalbergmad]

For romantic sonatas, consider Paderewski, Balakirev or Glazunov 2.

Brahms is boring, Schumann is shite and Chopin is played to death.

Thal

[mjames]

Early Scriabin Sonatas

[visitor]

For romantic sonatas, consider Paderewski, Balakirev or Glazunov 2.

Brahms is boring, Schumann is shite and Chopin is played to death.

Thal

+1 

Or Balakirev pupil...

[ahinton]

For romantic sonatas, consider Paderewski, Balakirev or Glazunov 2.

All good choices.

Brahms is boring

To you, perhaps...

Schumann is shite

No, but his piano sonatas are not really his best work, uneven as they are.

Chopin is played to death

Which doesn't make him any the less worthy a cause! Liszt's sonata is also played to death and beyond but it remains a wonderful work - one that humbled the not easily humblable Wagner who considered it to be a worth successor to the sonatas of his hero Beethoven. What about Alkan's Grande Sonate? Or Szymanowski's second sonata? Or Godowsky's sonata? Or either of Rachmaninov's two or Medtner's fourteen? (the Night Wind sonata Op. 25 No. 2, Sonata-Ballade Op. 27 and the two op. 53 most especially)....

Best,

Alistair

[nbide721]

A transcription? Or, are you dragging along an accompanist for just one movement?

My teacher has agreed to accompany me for the Prokofiev.

[nbide721]

For romantic sonatas, consider Paderewski, Balakirev or Glazunov 2.

I really like the Balakirev 2 and Glazunov 2.
What do you guys think of Scriabin 2?

[cabbynum]

For romantic sonatas, consider Paderewski, Balakirev or Glazunov 2.

Brahms is boring, Schumann is shite and Chopin is played to death.

Thal

Not Chopin 1....

I am so confused as to how you find Brahms boring.... Funny, the g minor Schumann is the only piece I like by him

[thalbergmad]

Or Szymanowski's second sonata?

Yuck

[furtwaengler]

Yuck

No, not yuck. Yay!

[thalbergmad]

How about the Dreyschock. That has never been recorded and is insane.

Up there with Alkan for tendon twisting.

Thal

[goldentone]

+1  

Or Balakirev pupil...

Liapunov

+5

[mysterium]

What do you guys think of Scriabin 2?

It is one of my absolute favourites, and altough I have only played the first movement, I think it is very rewarding to play. Sounds easier than it is though, but it should be no problem seeing to that you are considering some very difficult works.. Another plus is that it is always very appriciated, it is short and intense with the beauty of the first movement and the fury and virituosity of the second. Also it is not overplayed.

[gyzzzmo]

What about Alkan's Grande Sonate?

Even 'Yucker'

[nbide721]

I am so confused as to how you find Brahms boring.

I can empathize with that notion.  Brahms is one of my favorite composers now, but I used to hate his music.  His music takes a long time to digest and really appreciate.  He's neither flashy nor dramatic (which is why he's so hard to get into), but taken as a whole, his music is very mature.  He's one of those composers where you can't really play just one movement of his sonatas or symphonies and be completely satisfied.  Also, his sonatas were written and published while he was still young, so the musical values there are much less than his later works (most notably his orchestral and vocal works).

[j_menz]

one that humbled the not easily humblable Wagner

 

On Wagner, his two early sonatas are written in clear homage to Beethoven and are rather underwhelming. 

His Sonata  in Ab WWV 85 (Score) für das Album von Frau M(athilde).W(esendonck)., is quite another matter however. It's fairly short and relatively quietly contemplative, but otherwise very Wagnerian.

[nbide721]

His Sonata  in Ab WWV 85 (Score) für das Album von Frau M(athilde).W(esendonck)., is quite another matter however. It's fairly short and relatively quietly contemplative, but otherwise very Wagnerian.

I still hear a lot of Beethoven in his Ab Sonata (not that there's anything wrong with that  ), espeically late Beethoven.  Wagner should have written more piano rep.

[nanabush]

The Grieg Sonata is really cool.  I played the first movement of it along with another set of exam rep I had prepared for RCM (the sonata movement was just for fun though).  Ended up learning the rest of it for the next level exam.  That is a really, really good piece, with a very effective finish (if you are in a resonant hall, the texture will fill up nicely).  Grieg in general is underplayed... except for his Concerto, and like 2 of the lyric pieces.

So ya, check out the sonata, it's about 25 minutes long, about as difficult as the Tempest Sonata by Beethoven, maybe easier/harder in a few spots.  The second movement, ahhhh so good.

[ahinton]

Even 'Yucker'

For you, perhaps - but the question was posed by the OP so the answers should be in response to that person.

Best,

Alistair

[pianist1976]

I'm in love with Weber's sonatas, specially the last three. So beautiful, so underplayed... Chopin and Liszt used to love them.

Another jewel scarcely played these days is the, in older times celebrated, Hummel sonata in F Sharp minor which served as inspiration for Chopin and Schumann's sonatas.

[gyzzzmo]

For you, perhaps - but the question was posed by the OP so the answers should be in response to that person.

Best,

Alistair

Partially you are correct ofcourse, but my response could be considered by the OP since the repetoire was ment for a recital. And a much more important argument for my response is that ...... it is a forum

Gyzzzmo

[ahinton]

Partially you are correct ofcourse, but my response could be considered by the OP since the repetoire was ment for a recital. And a much more important argument for my response is that ...... it is a forum

Sure, but the piece is well worthy of consideration as one of the prime examples of mid-19th century work that falls within the thread title category, however, "yucky" you might personally consider it to be; is the above intended to suggest that you do not consider Alkan's Grande Sonate to qualiy as recital material? - if not, why not?

Best,

Alistair

[gyzzzmo]

Sure, but the piece is well worthy of consideration as one of the prime examples of mid-19th century work that falls within the thread title category, however, "yucky" you might personally consider it to be; is the above intended to suggest that you do not consider Alkan's Grande Sonate to qualiy as recital material? - if not, why not?

Best,

Alistair

People may play whatever they like on their recital. I just hope for him that there arent many people like me and my 'musical buddies' in the public. Because even though we may admire the technical proficiency the OP (hopefully) shows, we very much dislike many of Alkan's pieces (like the Grande Sonate, not all of them) because of their hollowness and Alkan's tendency to compensate that with excess notes.

But ofcourse, that is my opinion (and that of my buddies), anyway hence the 'yucky'.

Gyzzzmo

[ahinton]

People may play whatever they like on their recital. I just hope for him that there arent many people like me and my 'musical buddies' in the public. Because even though we may admire the technical proficiency the OP (hopefully) shows, we very much dislike many of Alkan's pieces (like the Grande Sonate, not all of them) because of their hollowness and Alkan's tendency to compensate that with excess notes.

But ofcourse, that is my opinion (and that of my buddies), anyway hence the 'yucky'.

Your opinion, yes - and thanks for admitting that; in making my suggestions, however, I sought to avoid including specific value judgements of any of them, preferring to confine myself merely to making suggestions that the OP might care to consider.

Not everyone regards Alkan's Grande Sonate as "hollow", as you likewise admit - and as to Alkan compensating for what is in any case no more than a matter of certain personal opinion "with excess notes", "excess" of what? Does its first movement really have any more notes per square centimetre than any of Chopin's Scherzi? And where's the "excess" of notes anywhere in the latter two of its four movements?

Best,

Alistair

[goldentone]

Also, his sonatas were written and published while he was still young, so the musical values there are much less than his later works (most notably his orchestral and vocal works).

Brahms is rich, indeed.  But I believe you overstate his early works having "much less" musical value than his later works.  Brahms matured almost overnight.  Compare his second sonata--the first he wrote--with his first sonata.  It's quite a leap.  And only by the time of the Ballades of Op. 10 he had fully matured.  They are some of the best works of the repertoire.

[chatoto]

What about Medtner's  sonate tragique

[visitor]

'dis is my next 'romantic sonata' , but not neccessarily my next sonata, i've putted around w the score a bit, really enjoyable to both play and listen to (which don't always go hand in hand)

fyi
https://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No.1,_Op.13_(Kosenko,_Viktor)

 

[visitor]

[arianareid]

When Chopin's 2nd sonata is played well, it's really impressive and beautiful. Great piece

[lazyfingers]

When Chopin's 2nd sonata is played well, it's really impressive and beautiful. Great piece

I like the movements other than the funeral march. The first movement is really exciting in my view but I can't stand the funeral march. Just about the only thing Chopin wrote that won't be played at my funeral.