What are your favorite classical (period) piano sonatas?

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

My favorite is Mozart's sonata No. 8 in A minor, K310 (as played by Dinu Lipatti!). I think I may enjoy it so much because it is so dark, brooding, and atypical of most classical piano music (except for a couple of Mozart's concertos). It sounds more like Beethoven than Mozart, to my ears at least. Other than this, however I just haven't been much inspired by the classical piano sonata, although I am largely unfamiliar with Haydn's.

I have the complete Mozart sonatas in a box played by Andras Schiff (not really sure he's the best choice in this repertoire!). I bought them years ago when my piano teacher suggested I might want to play one of them. I started on one of them (wasn't that supermodel-easy one that every frickin' eight year old kid plays), but just couldn't get into it, and my teacher agreed that I just didn't seem have much of a feel for this music. (We decided that I would play one of Bach's French Suites, and that is going much better--four movements down, three to go!) Now, as an aspiring amateur pianist I feel I should buy some CDs (or LPs  ) of Haydn sonatas, but wonder whether I will be able to enjoy those any more than Mozart's.

So, I need some reason to dig into my Schiff Mozart set and to buy some Haydn. Suggestions are appreciated as always.

Thanks.

[(poco) Sforzando]

My favorite is Mozart's sonata No. 8 in A minor, K310 (as played by Dinu Lipatti!). I think I may enjoy it so much because it is so dark, brooding, and atypical of most classical piano music (except for a couple of Mozart's concertos). It sounds more like Beethoven than Mozart, to my ears at least. Other than this, however I just haven't been much inspired by the classical piano sonata, although I am largely unfamiliar with Haydn's.

I have the complete Mozart sonatas in a box played by Andras Schiff (not really sure he's the best choice in this repertoire!). I bought them years ago when my piano teacher suggested I might want to play one of them. I started on one of them (wasn't that supermodel-easy one that every frickin' eight year old kid plays), but just couldn't get into it, and my teacher agreed that I just didn't seem have much of a feel for this music. (We decided that I would play one of Bach's French Suites, and that is going much better--four movements down, three to go!) Now, as an aspiring amateur pianist I feel I should buy some CDs (or LPs  ) of Haydn sonatas, but wonder whether I will be able to enjoy those any more than Mozart's.

So, I need some reason to dig into my Schiff Mozart set and to buy some Haydn. Suggestions are appreciated as always.

Thanks.

With a few exceptions, I have never found Mozart's piano sonatas as interesting as his concertos. A great, massive, tragic, quasi-Beethovenian sonata is the C minor K 457, especially if paired with the equally remarkable C minor fantasy K 475. Some other exceptional Mozart works for solo keyboard are the A minor rondo, K 511 (an andante in 6/8), the Adagio in B minor K 540, and the Variations in G on a theme by Gluck (K 444??), which were used by Tchiakovsky in his Mozartiana suite.

There are a lot of Haydn sonatas of varying quality. Certainly one of the outstanding ones is the big Eflat major, traditionally numbered 52. The Variations in F minor are also outstanding. Again on the whole, though, I don't feel Haydn's sonatas quite match the level of the quartets and symphonies.

I am assuming, perhaps wrongly, that you are looking for material to play rather than just listen.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I am assuming, perhaps wrongly, that you are looking for material to play rather than just listen.

Both actually. As far as playing is concerned, a short, single movement piece would be ideal, as I still have plenty of work to do on the Bach, and am also quite busy putting the finishing touches on Debussy's Danseuses des Delphes.

My interest in D. Scarlatti has recently been piqued as well, and I actually find his sonatas more appealing than most of Mozart's output for solo piano. I wonder if my technique or development as a musician will suffer if I don't play any Mozart or Haydn for a good many years to come.

[Josquin des Prez]

Scarlatti didn't wrote any sonatas. Yes, they are named as such and yes, they are in pseudo-sonata form but there is essentially little of what we generally term as "classical" in them. Scarlatti is simply on a realm of his own, he wasn't pointing towards any future development and his music is firmly rooted in the high Baroque.

As for my favored sonatas i would have to say the ones Beethoven wrote!

[Holden]

OK - I'll bite.

Mozart: C minor K457, D major K448 (two pianos)

Beethoven: Opp 13, 28, 53, 57, 81a, 101, 106, 109, 110, 111

Schubert: D 664, D 894, D960

[matti]

As far as playing is concerned, a short, single movement piece would be ideal,

Try Adagio in B minor, K. 540.

[val]

To me, Haydn and Mozart's piano Sonatas are very beautiful but not on the level of their best works.

Anyway, the anthology of Haydn's Sonatas played by Brendel and the complete version of Mozart Sonatas by Leon McCawley are remarkable.

But, Beethoven's 32 Sonatas are an unique monument. One of the greatest achievements in the History of Music. Among the great versions, my choice goes to Gulda, Schnabel, Backhaus, Arrau and Brendel (VOX).

[(poco) Sforzando]

Try Adagio in B minor, K. 540.

Excellent choice, but do try the A minor rondo too. An amazing work of music.

[lisa needs braces]

Schubert: D 664

Oh my god how I love this sonata! It's the first piece in the set up of Schubert sonatas I bought some months back and I've yet to move on to the other sonatas.

[Ten thumbs]

Don't believe what's been said about Mozart's sonatas. The following are top class:
K457 C minor
can be coupled with the C minor fantasy K475
K533 F major
K576 D major

Here are some more well worth pursuing:
Haydn
UE31 Ab major
UE33 C minor
UE60 C major ( the English Sonata)

Clementi
Op 13.6 C minor
Op 40.2 B minor
Op 50.1 A major (a big one!)
Also the sonata 'Dido abandonata' although I'm still searching for this myself.

[quintett op.57]

My favourite is Beethoven's 32.

Anyway, the anthology of Haydn's Sonatas played by Brendel and the complete version of Mozart Sonatas by Leon McCawley are remarkable.

But I also love Haydn HOB.XVI:49 & 50. I've still not purchased Brendel's interpretation, but Gould's is really great. I prefer him to Richter in Haydn.

I'm fond of Schubert's last 3 as well.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Don't believe what's been said about Mozart's sonatas. The following are top class:
K457 C minor
can be coupled with the C minor fantasy K475
K533 F major
K576 D major

So don't believe this that I said above:
"With a few exceptions, I have never found Mozart's piano sonatas as interesting as his concertos. A great, massive, tragic, quasi-Beethovenian sonata is the C minor K 457, especially if paired with the equally remarkable C minor fantasy K 475."

On the other hand, I would certainly endorse the mention of Clementi, especially that B minor sonata. I remember feeling on playing some of those sonatas that they seemed a bit diffuse, but I never analyzed them very closely to discover why, and the ten or so that I know from a G. Schirmer edition are quite interesting.

[ChamberNut]

If fantasies count, I would say my absolute favorite is Schubert's D.940 Fantasia in f for Piano duet

[Don]

If fantasies count, I would say my absolute favorite is Schubert's D.940 Fantasia in f for Piano duet

I'm with you on this one.

[(poco) Sforzando]

I'm with you on this one.

Definitely.

[c#minor]

Beethoven = KING OF SONATA

Haydn's Sonata No. 60 is also something that is really making me want to investigate Haydn in the realm of the Sonata. Any recommendations???

[Ten thumbs]

So don't believe this that I said above:
"With a few exceptions, I have never found Mozart's piano sonatas as interesting as his concertos. A great, massive, tragic, quasi-Beethovenian sonata is the C minor K 457, especially if paired with the equally remarkable C minor fantasy K 475."

Okay, fair enough, but I would say they are as interesting, with a few exceptions!

Here are some more suggestions
Beethoven and Schubert have been covered but I will put in a word for Schubert's G major Sonata Op 78 (This was published as a Phantasie etc for commercial reasons but is in fact a sonata).

Weber, especially
Sonata 1 Op24 - I was brought up with this one - fantastic scherzo
Sonata 2 Op39

Soler
Numbering difficult but in Frederick Marvin's edition:
No 1 in C minor is a good introduction.
Also Nos 8 (D min) 11 (C min) 13 (Bb maj) 34 (D maj) etc

Hummel
Polonaise - La Bella Capricciosa Op 55
Would Chopin have written his great polonaises without this precedent?

[karlhenning]

A favorite Beethoven moment?

http://www.youtube.com/v/GazlqD4mLvw

[Josquin des Prez]

Wow, that was brilliant.

[B_cereus]

I don't think it is fair to compare unfavorably Mozart's piano sonata output to Beethoven's. As when he died the piano was still developing as an instrument and had not yet reached the capabilities of the kind that Beethoven was able to explore. Mozart's earliest sonatas were more like for the harpsichord. You can see how by the time of the von Trattner sonata & fantasia k457/475), he was able to begin exploring the full range of dynamics in those works which might be why they sound pre-Beethovenian. If Mozart had lived well into the 19th century, I feel sure he would have composed piano sonatas to rival Beethoven.

Personally I think Mozart's piano sonatas are under-appreciated as a whole. There is something fine about nearly every piece, although I agree that the A minor and the C minor works are undoubted masterpieces and they influenced Beethoven, eg you can hear in k457 the inspiration for Beethoven's patheitque sonata in the same key.

Also Mozart's piano sonatas enhance my appreciation of his piano concertos. eg. the adagio of the early sonata k280 leading to the famous adagio of the k488 concerto 12 years later.