Your Top 5 Favorite 20th Century Solo Piano Works

[vandermolen]

Favourites tend to vary according to what I´m currently listening to, but some of the consistent ones are here:

- Scriabin - the Sonata cycle
- Feinberg - the Sonata cycle
- Debussy - the Preludes cycle
- Ligeti - the Etudes cycle
- Rachmaninov - the Etudes cycle

I very much enjoy the Debussy Preludes, especially the 'Sunken Cathedral' one unless that is from a different work.

[Mahlerian]

I very much enjoy the Debussy Preludes, especially the 'Sunken Cathedral' one unless that is from a different work.

Yes, that one is from Book 1, along with the other very popular piece in the set, "Girl with the Flaxen Hair."

[Turner]

I very much enjoy the Debussy Preludes, especially the 'Sunken Cathedral' one unless that is from a different work.

Indeed it is from the series, and there´s a lot of exuberance in those two cycles ... very difficult to choose between the pieces, I think.

[Cato]

Let's see: Your Favorite Top Solo Piano Works from 5 20th Century Composers: 

Scriabin: Sonatas IX and X
Rachmaninov: Sonatas I and II
Protopopov: Sonatas I, II, III
Alexander Tcherepnin: Sonatas I and II
Busoni: Elegien, Fantasia Contrappuntistica

[Karl Henning]

Yes, it's impossible.

But, five which come to mind first thing:

Albéniz, Iberia
Busoni, Fantasia contrappuntistica
Feldman, Triadic Memories
Sorabji, Opus clavicembalisticum
Stevenson, Passacaglia on DSCH

[Cato]

Yes, it's impossible.

But...



Sorabji, Opus clavicembalisticum

Yes,The Great Sorabji!!! 

[Karl Henning]

And, dagnabbit, I left off the Shostakovich Op.87   

Bull's pizzles!

[North Star]

Albéniz: Ibéria
Debussy: Preludes Book I
Janáček : On the overgrown Path
Mompou: Musica callada
Murail: Territoires de l'oubli
Ravel: Miroirs de la nuit

No, can't do fewer than that.

[Karl Henning]

Albéniz: Ibéria
Debussy: Preludes Book I
Janáček : On the overgrown Path
Mompou: Musica callada
Murail: Territoires de l'oubli
Ravel: Miroirs de la nuit

No, can't do fewer than that.

Nope; impossible to shed any of those.

[North Star]

Nope; impossible to shed any of those.

And this reminds me, I need to listen to Finnissy's 5-hour cycle The History of Photography in Sound, of which Bruce nominated a part (Etched Bright with Sunlight).

[André]

Cage: sonatas and interludes for prepared piano
Ginastera: sonata no 1
Ives: Concord sonata
Prokofiev: sonata no 7
Stravinsky: Three Movements from Petrouchka

Of course, Ravel...

[kyjo]

Ravel: Miroirs de la nuit

You sly dog! 

[Sergeant Rock]

Satie Gymnopédies
Satie Gnossiennes
Prokofiev Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 14
Berg Sonata Op.1
Ives Sonata No. 1 (I actually prefer it to the Concord)

Edit: My list doesn't work. The Satie works were composed in the late 19th century 


Sarge

[vandermolen]

Satie Gymnopédies
Satie Gnossiennes
Prokofiev Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 14
Berg Sonata Op.1
Ives Sonata No. 1 (I actually prefer it to the Concord)

Edit: My list doesn't work. The Satie works were composed in the late 19th century 


Sarge

I love those Satie works both in their piano or orchestral manifestations.

[Ken B]

Satie Gymnopédies
Satie Gnossiennes

Edit: My list doesn't work. The Satie works were composed in the late 19th century 


Sarge

Testosterone causes memory loss.

[Sergeant Rock]

Testosterone causes memory loss.

That explains so much of my life  ...at least the parts I still remember.

Sarge

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Ives Sonata No. 1 (I actually prefer it to the Concord)

I'll take that as a reminder to listen to it again (I have Masselos RCA recording). I enjoy early Ives about as much as "mature" Ives, but I think critics tend to downgrade it because it's more conservative or whatever.

Good to see another vote for the Berg Sonata also.

[bhodges]

And this reminds me, I need to listen to Finnissy's 5-hour cycle The History of Photography in Sound, of which Bruce nominated a part (Etched Bright with Sunlight).

I have never heard the whole cycle, and would like to. Meanwhile, a strong runner-up would be Finnissy's Gershwin Arrangements. I am particularly fond of the recording by my (not-related) friend, Nicolas Hodges.

--Bruce

[Trout]

My top 5:

Debussy: Préludes
Godowsky: Java Suite
Ives: Piano Sonata #2 "Concord"
Ligeti: Études pour piano (minus Book 3, I suppose )
Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l'enfant-Jésus

But I also need to mention:

Adams: Phrygian Gates
Albéniz: Iberia
Cage: Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano
Debussy: the rest of his 20th century piano output
Decaux: Clairs de lune
Finnissy: English Country Tunes
Koechlin: Paysages et Marines
Ligeti: Musica Ricercata
Nancarrow: Studies for Player Piano
Poulenc: Nocturnes
Young: The Well-Tuned Piano

[bhodges]

Argh...Nancarrow! Of course!

--Bruce