Your Top 10 Favorite Violin Sonatas

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A difficult poll for me as there's so many of them that I love, but here goes nothing (in no particular order):

Ives (all four of the them)
Ravel
Debussy
Prokofiev 1
Janacek
Elgar
F. Martin 1

[Autumn Leaves]

A beautiful sub-genre for sure - my choices:

Bach: BWV 1014-1019 (6 Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord)

then...

Franck
Debussy
Faure (#1 & 2)

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

In no particular order:

Brahms 1
Brahms 3
Franck
Martinu
Beethoven "Kreutzer"
Grieg 3
Janacek
Prokofiev 1
Prokofiev 2
Debussy

[vandermolen]

Vaughan Williams - a late, craggy, little-known work
Debussy
Ravel
Shostakovich
Bridge
Bloch 1 and 2
Moeran

[Mirror Image]

Surprised by the lack of responses here. I guess we're the only ones that love the combination of violin and piano and are in constant awe of a what a composer can do with this medium.

[North Star]

In no order

Janáček
Brahms 1
Beethoven 9th
Schumann 2nd
Prokofiev 1st
Faure 1st
Enescu 3rd
Ravel
Bartók 1st
Elgar

[James]

J.S. Bach & Bartók 

[TheGSMoeller]

Biber: No.3 in F
Corelli: in D minor, "La Folia"
Mozart: Sonata in F, K 377
Ives: No. 3
Faure: No. 2 in E minor, Op. 108
Elgar: Op. 82
Prokofiev: No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80
Janacek: Sonata for Violin and Piano
Schoenberg: Phantasy for Violin and Piano Op. 47
Poulenc: FP 109

[Ten thumbs]

Used to love Bartók but my wife dislikes solo violin music, so I rarely listen to it. When I do, it will be one of the following:
Medtner No.1
Bonis

These are both favourites.
I do have the Beach Sonata, which I ought to get round to exploring (when I'm on my own!).

[Spineur]

Since most of my favorite sonatas for violin and piano have been mentioned, I'll add the sonatas for Violin qnd Cello:
- Maurice Ravel
- Zoltan Kodaly
- Frank Bridge

[Sergeant Rock]

Mozart E minor K.304
Elgar
Janacek
Franck
Ives 4 "Children's Day at Camp Meeting"
Shostakovich
Beethoven 7 C minor op.30/2
Respighi
Saint-Saens 1 D minor
R. Strauss

[vandermolen]

Mozart E minor K.304
Elgar
Janacek
Franck
Ives 4 "Children's Day at Camp Meeting"
Shostakovich
Beethoven 7 C minor op.30/2
Respighi
Saint-Saens 1 D minor
R. Strauss

I should have included the one by Respighi too.

[Mirror Image]

Mozart E minor K.304
Elgar
Janacek
Franck
Ives 4 "Children's Day at Camp Meeting"
Shostakovich
Beethoven 7 C minor op.30/2
Respighi
Saint-Saens 1 D minor
R. Strauss

A major table-pounding for the Ives, Janacek, and Elgar.

[Mirror Image]

I should have included the one by Respighi too.

Don't like Ives' sonatas, Jeffrey?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Bartok 1 & 2
Prokofiev 1 & 2
Saint-Saens 1
Beethoven "Kreutzer"
Ravel
Debussy
Janacek
Schoenberg Op.47 Fantasy

Probably some Brahms, too.

[vandermolen]

Don't like Ives' sonatas, Jeffrey?

Don't know them John. Oh, I think I have the Concord Sonata - must listen to it again. Thanks.

[Florestan]

Five off the beaten track:

Lekeu
Schumann 1
Enescu 3
Medtner 1, 2

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Don't know them John. Oh, I think I have the Concord Sonata - must listen to it again. Thanks.

Well, I meant the violin sonatas, but....you don't know them? Oh boy, that's got to change ASAP!

[Madiel]

Surprised by the lack of responses here.

Geez, you waited a whole 16 hours before expecting everyone to find your thread.

Anyway, I have a plan to listen to all the violin sonatas I own, it's on the to do list. But I won't get to that task for another month or two, so I can't give you a top 10. I fully expect, though, that Faure's 1st will make the list, very likely his 2nd as well. The Franck is excellent. And then Holmboe's 3rd is particularly good.

EDIT: Brahms should make the list, but I forget right now exactly which one it was that knocked my socks off.

[Mirror Image]

Biber: No.3 in F
Corelli: in D minor, "La Folia"
Mozart: Sonata in F, K 377
Ives: No. 3
Faure: No. 2 in E minor, Op. 108
Elgar: Op. 82
Prokofiev: No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80
Janacek: Sonata for Violin and Piano
Schoenberg: Phantasy for Violin and Piano Op. 47
Poulenc: FP 109

Cool list, Greg. I really should listen to that Schoenberg. The Poulenc is a good one indeed. It's not talked about much (for whatever reason), but it's certainly a fine work. Ives' VS3 is, of course, a favorite.