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Count me also as one who doesn't like listening to (or playing) the Spring sonata. IMO, it's a superficial piece with some awkward and frustrating piano writing. Of the Beethoven sonatas, my favorite is #10. Wonderful, wonderful piece. #9 is also great, but very stressful to play (strangely enough, I always found that the slow movement was the hardest).
Others:
Franck (one of my favorite pieces of music, period) Strauss Brahms 2 and 3 Bartok 2 (haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard) Schnittke 2 (also hard, but worth it) Bach E major (these sonatas don't get enough love) Both of the Mozart B-flat Sonatas Prokofiev 2 Poulenc
Registered: 01/31/10
Posts: 1974
Loc: San Jose, CA
Originally Posted By: Polyphonist
Chopin's Op 22 isn't too bad either...
Beethoven's is also a great work. I think I worked on it once, but never performed it. Technical troubles?
That was a long time ago.
That's another one of those sonatas that you know within the first 5 seconds whether you can play it or not. Unlike Op. 2/3, my answer was a reluctant 'no' on this one.
Mark_C
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Registered: 11/11/09
Posts: 17592
Loc: New York
Originally Posted By: jeffreyjones
That's another one of those sonatas that you know within the first 5 seconds whether you can play it or not. Unlike Op. 2/3, my answer was a reluctant 'no' on this one.
Wrong!
I can just about promise you that you could play it, and play it very very well. It might require a different fingering than what you've thought of (in a place or two), maybe even helping out a little with the L.H. which I know you consider anathema (good word) but we might be able to persuade you it isn't -- but anyway I doubt that would be needed.
the leveu violin sonata i'm not too crazy about, but his piano trio is awesome.
probably will play the franck at some point? just because it's frank.
is the saint-seans so underplayed? i heard it at carnegie's weill hall once played by a juilliard graduate. nice, easy piece to interpret, i thought, not too much "music" to ponder over. play the notes and for the most part it'll sound good.
ravel's awesome.
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Working on: 911, 110, 53. Listed in order of time of composition.
Pogorelich.
4000 Post Club Member
Registered: 12/28/08
Posts: 4130
Loc: in the past
Originally Posted By: Brendan
Count me also as one who doesn't like listening to (or playing) the Spring sonata. IMO, it's a superficial piece with some awkward and frustrating piano writing. Of the Beethoven sonatas, my favorite is #10. Wonderful, wonderful piece. #9 is also great, but very stressful to play (strangely enough, I always found that the slow movement was the hardest).
Others:
Franck (one of my favorite pieces of music, period) Strauss Brahms 2 and 3 Bartok 2 (haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard) Schnittke 2 (also hard, but worth it) Bach E major (these sonatas don't get enough love) Both of the Mozart B-flat Sonatas Prokofiev 2 Poulenc
Yo! Prokofiev 1 is missing from this list!!!!!!!!!!!!
_________________________ 'I want to invest my emotions only in music; it will never disappoint me or hurt me - it is a safe place to be.'
Pogorelich.
4000 Post Club Member
Registered: 12/28/08
Posts: 4130
Loc: in the past
The Saint-Saens d minor is incredibly difficult and awkward for what it is... Kind of a cool piece, though! The musical essence is a bit lacking, I think, although there are still some beautiful moments.
_________________________ 'I want to invest my emotions only in music; it will never disappoint me or hurt me - it is a safe place to be.'
Just stumbled across this video on YouTube of Kagan and Richter doing Medtner's lovely first sonata, and thought it interesting enough to make it worth adding to this thread. The sound isn't great - the dynamics seem compressed - but it's listenable.