short masterpieces

[Henk]

List masterpieces that are not symphonies, piano concertos, sonatas or string quartets.

I know one: Schubert -fantasy in f minor D940.

[Tsaraslondon]

Elgar's Sospiri packs an incredible emotional punch at about 5 minutes.

[orbital]

List masterpieces that are not symphonies, piano concertos, sonatas or string quartets.

I know one: Schubert -fantasy in f minor D960.

D960 is indeed a masterpiece, but it is his final piano sonata. Do you mean that or the D940 fantasy?

If D960 qualifies as a little piece, I'd nominate Alkan's Concerto for solo piano.

[Henk]

D960 is indeed a masterpiece, but it is his final piano sonata. Do you mean that or the D940 fantasy?

If D960 qualifies as a little piece, I'd nominate Alkan's Concerto for solo piano.

Sorry, I mean D940.

[jochanaan]

Many of them are songs: J.S. Bach's "Bist du bei mir;" Mozart's choral motet "Ave Verum Corpus;" and any number of Schubert's songs, most notably "Der Doppelgänger."

Others are small piano pieces, often parts of sets that weren't designed to be played together, such as Beethoven's two sets of Bagatelles and Chopin's 24 Preludes.

And fortunately for us woodwind players, there are a few small masterpieces for flute and oboe: Debussy's "Syrinx" (flute), Varèse's "Density 21.5" (flute), and Britten's "Six Metamorphoses" (oboe).  There are probably some for clarinet and bassoon too; perhaps our resident clarinetists and bassoonists can give examples.

[The new erato]

Many of them are songs: J.S. Bach's "Bist du bei mir;" Mozart's choral motet "Ave Verum Corpus;" and any number of Schubert's songs, most notably "Der Doppelgänger."

Others are small piano pieces, often parts of sets that weren't designed to be played together, such as Beethoven's two sets of Bagatelles and Chopin's 24 Preludes.

Except for the flute stuff (I'm a little like Mozart there) I do agree. Add the late Brahms pieces, rhapsodies etc; Schuberts Impromptus and - as you say - a very large number of songs. Ellens Gesang, Der Zwerg,  An dem Wasser zu singen, Die Taubenpost  et al ad nauseum.....

[Renfield]

I have a very special place in my heart for the second waltz in Shostakovich's Jazz Suite No. 2 - yes, that one.

Also Brahms' 1st Hungarian Dance, and Sibelius' Valse Triste, among "little" works I particularly enjoy that I can think of, right now.


Still, this is partly off-topic, as I refuse to even attempt to add labels like "masterpiece" to them. I simply find them special.

[prémont]

Except for the flute stuff (I'm a little like Mozart there) I do agree. Add the late Brahms pieces, rhapsodies etc; Schuberts Impromptus and - as you say - a very large number of songs. Ellens Gesang, Der Zwerg,  An dem Wasser zu singen, Die Taubenpost  et al ad nauseum.....

There are so many "little" masterpieces from the medieval and renaissance period, that it is impossible to list them all.
E.g. almost every Chanson by DuFay. Binchois, Busnois, Hayne, Morton .....  I could proceed ad infinitum.

[scarpia]

Mozart's "Eine kleine Gigue für das klavier," (K574) written into Karl Engel's diary as a parting gift.  One and a half minutes of pure heaven.

[BachQ]

The Ring

[Kullervo]

Scriabin's chilling and prescient Op. 74 prèludes.

[greg]

The Ring

Yeah, it's less than an inch long, so it qualifies.......


Scriabin- Towards the Flame
Webern- Symphony, 5 Movements for Strings
Prokofiev- 3rd Sonata

[M forever]

List masterpieces that are not symphonies, piano concertos, sonatas or string quartets.

Götterdämmerung

[Lethevich]

Scriabin- Towards the Flame

Hehe I was going to say the same It's certainly (in its final form) less substantial than a full sonata, so qualifies as a miniature.

[Bonehelm]

Any Chopin solo piano work? Duh...

[hornteacher]

Steve Reich - Clapping Music

Bach - Two Part Invention #8

Any of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances

[Brian]

Götterdämmerung

Dude, D minor totally got to that joke first. 

How about Grieg? Many of his Lyric Pieces, as well as the Funeral March for Rikard Nordraak, Norwegian Dances, Symphonic Dances and orchestral songs definitely count.

[M forever]

Oops.

[Joe_Campbell]

Any of Debussy's piano works.

[Christo]

Sulkhan Tsintsadze (*1925), Six Quartet Miniatures - a gem.