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
A beautiful sub-genre for sure - my choices:
Bach: BWV 1014-1019 (6 Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord)
then...
Franck
Debussy
Faure (#1 & 2)
:)
In no particular order:
Brahms 1
Brahms 3
Franck
Martinu
Beethoven "Kreutzer"
Grieg 3
Janacek
Prokofiev 1
Prokofiev 2
Debussy
Vaughan Williams - a late, craggy, little-known work
Debussy
Ravel
Shostakovich
Bridge
Bloch 1 and 2
Moeran
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.
In no order
Janáček
Brahms 1
Beethoven 9th
Schumann 2nd
Prokofiev 1st
Faure 1st
Enescu 3rd
Ravel
Bartók 1st
Elgar
J.S. Bach & Bartók
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
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!).
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
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
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on August 28, 2016, 12:53:23 PM
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.
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on August 28, 2016, 12:53:23 PM
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. :)
Quote from: vandermolen on August 28, 2016, 02:52:18 PM
I should have included the one by Respighi too.
Don't like Ives' sonatas, Jeffrey?
Bartok 1 & 2
Prokofiev 1 & 2
Saint-Saens 1
Beethoven "Kreutzer"
Ravel
Debussy
Janacek
Schoenberg Op.47 Fantasy
Probably some Brahms, too.
Quote from: Mirror Image on August 28, 2016, 03:32:05 PM
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.
Five off the beaten track:
Lekeu
Schumann 1
Enescu 3
Medtner 1, 2
Quote from: vandermolen on August 28, 2016, 11:18:38 PM
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!
Quote from: Mirror Image on August 28, 2016, 11:17:00 AM
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.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on August 28, 2016, 12:08:25 PM
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. 8) 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.
Quote from: Mirror Image on August 29, 2016, 07:16:26 AM
Cool list, Greg. 8) 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.
Thanks,
John.
The final
Adagio cantabile of Ives' 3rd Sonata is gorgeous. That easily seals the deal for me.
I concur with most of the aforementioned.
The Schubert Violin Sonata in A major, D 574, or "Duo" is pure delight.
The two G major sonatas, No. 10 Op. 96 by Beethoven is a favorite along with the lovely Brahms Op. 78, No. 1. I played the piano parts for all three and wish I can do them again and again!
Brahms: sonatas 1-3
Beethoven: Sonatas 5 & 9
Schubert: D574
Debussy
Mozart: K547
Franck
Faure: Sonata 1
Beethoven 5, 7, 9
Prokofiev 1
Magnard
Franck
and some Mozart to complete to ten
Beethoven's Kreutzer
Franck
Brahms' 3rd
Shostakovich
Saint-Saëns' 1st
Roussel's 1st
Grieg (any of them)
Schubert's Fantasy for violin and piano (it isn't a sonata, I know, but is gorgeous)
Enescu's 3rd
Busoni's 2nd
Let me give this a shot. Some of my choices may be a bit unusual:
Ives (any of them)
Busoni 2
Elgar
Respighi
Delius 1
Brahms 2
Medtner 2
Lekeu
Janacek 1
Prokofiev 2
I can't sleep it's 5:35 so tired can't sleep!
Quote from: 71 dB on December 13, 2016, 06:36:04 PM
I can't sleep it's 5:35 so tired can't sleep!
You need a violin sonata.
Listen to the Delius 1 and call me tomorrow morning.
Alphabetically:
Bartok 1
Brahms 1
Brahms 3
Debussy
Franck
Prokofiev 1
Prokofiev 2
Schumann A minor
Shostakovich
Weinberg 5
Quote from: Mirror Image on August 29, 2016, 05:59:00 AM
Well, I meant the violin sonatas, but....you don't know them? ??? Oh boy, that's got to change ASAP!
I have never heard the Ives either. Never heard any of his chamber music at all.
The Mendelssohn deserves a mention on this thread. I doubt I can get up to 10, it doesn't stand out for me as a genre the way quartets do, but both by Prokkers would make the list, Respighi, a few by Mozart. There's a lovely one by Schubert.
The greatest violin+piano piece by Schubert is the C major "Fantasy" D934 (this would make my top ten but strictly speaking it is not a sonata). There are 4 considerably earlier sonatas, not quite on that level but pretty good and rather overlooked, the best one is probably D 574, and a somewhat odd "Rondo Brillante" which is late D 895 but not very convincing to me. Of better known fiddlers, both Kremer and Laredo did all of them, the latter on Dorian (or a cheap Brilliant twofer), the former scattered over 3? DG discs.
I'll give it a go:
Alkan (Grand duo concertant, effectively a sonata)
Beethoven no. 7 (C minor)
Fauré no. 1
Franck
Grieg no. 3 (although I love all 3 just about equally)
Medtner no. 3 Epica
Monasypov (ultra-obscure, I happened across it on YouTube - gorgeous!)
Lekeu
Strauss
Vaughan Williams
Runner-ups:
Janáček
Prokofiev no. 1 (or no. 2)
Schumann no. 2
I have yet to listen to the Shostakovich violin sonata in full, but what I have heard of it sounds very promising.
Quote from: kyjo on January 09, 2019, 11:33:31 AM
I'll give it a go:
Alkan (Grand duo concertant, effectively a sonata)
Beethoven no. 7 (C minor)
Fauré no. 1
Franck
Grieg no. 3 (although I love all 3 just about equally)
Medtner no. 3 Epica
Monasypov (ultra-obscure, I happened across it on YouTube - gorgeous!)
Lekeu
Strauss
Vaughan Williams
Runner-ups:
Janáček
Prokofiev no. 1 (or no. 2)
Schumann no. 2
I have yet to listen to the Shostakovich violin sonata in full, but what I have heard of it sounds very promising.
Nice list, Kyle. 8) I'd say the Shostakovich
Violin Sonata is worth hearing, but it is a rather gloomy piece and I can usually tolerate this kind of atmosphere, but I'm not sure
why I don't enjoy it as much as his
Cello Sonata for example. But you definitely should hear the whole piece. Would love to know your thoughts on it.
Quote from: Mirror Image on August 27, 2016, 07:10:16 PM
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
I'm still rather content with this particular list of mine, although I would probably substitute the Frank Martin with Schumann's
Violin Sonata No. 2. That's become a favorite of mine since I made this post.
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 12, 2019, 06:06:53 AM
Nice list, Kyle. 8) I'd say the Shostakovich Violin Sonata is worth hearing, but it is a rather gloomy piece and I can usually tolerate this kind of atmosphere, but I'm not sure why I don't enjoy it as much as his Cello Sonata for example. But you definitely should hear the whole piece. Would love to know your thoughts on it.
Yeah, from what I've heard, the Shostakovich Violin Sonata does seem quite gloomy - I'll report back once I've listened to it. His much earlier Cello Sonata (which I've played recently) is a real favorite of mine - it has moments of gloom, for sure (particularly in the slow movement), but it also possesses a radiant lyricism and a sense of wit that is really appealing to me. I find it to be one of his most multifaceted works, actually.
Bach - C major sonata BWV 1005
Mozart - E minor sonata K304
Mozart - G major sonata K379
Beethoven - G major sonata Op.96
Schumann - D minor sonata Op.121
Brahms - G major sonata Op.78
Medtner - G major sonata Op.44
Nielsen - sonata Op.35
Ravel - G major sonata
Enescu - A minor sonata Op.25
Bartók - C# minor sonata Sz.75
Quote from: kyjo on January 12, 2019, 07:51:54 PM
Yeah, from what I've heard, the Shostakovich Violin Sonata does seem quite gloomy - I'll report back once I've listened to it. His much earlier Cello Sonata (which I've played recently) is a real favorite of mine - it has moments of gloom, for sure (particularly in the slow movement), but it also possesses a radiant lyricism and a sense of wit that is really appealing to me. I find it to be one of his most multifaceted works, actually.
Indeed. Love his
Cello Sonata. One performance of this piece that I've really taken quite a shine to lately has been Gerhardt/Osborne on Hyperion. Have you heard it?
Btw, John, Debussy died in 1918, not 1917.
I would venture to say that
Quotequite gloomy
as a description of
Shostakovich's Violin Sonata is "quite an understatement". ::)
I like the recording from 1968 with Shostakovich himself on piano and David Oistrakh on violin.
If anyone can tell me where I can find that recording on cd I would be very interested!
One of my favorites. The best part is the second movement.
But so far I just listen to Oistrakh/Shostakovich on youtube:
https://youtu.be/SlehysdSvKE?list=PLXaMYeLi3yw3vy8-ZYlevaiZzk2DKPESw
(The recording that got me into Shostakovich's opus 134 was
Daniel Hope's Nimbus recording from I think the early 90's - one of Daniel Hope's first recordings - before he became famous). (
Simon Mulligan plays piano on it)
[asin]B000042NZS[/asin]
There are a few releases but this one (https://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-Plays-Dmitry/dp/B00004UDF9/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1547391750&sr=8-2&keywords=shostakovich+plays+shostakovich) may be the most accessible
Quote from: amw on January 13, 2019, 06:03:58 AM
There are a few releases but this one (https://www.amazon.com/Shostakovich-Plays-Dmitry/dp/B00004UDF9/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1547391750&sr=8-2&keywords=shostakovich+plays+shostakovich) may be the most accessible
Thank you amw!
Unfortunately it is out of print and it will be too expensive for me to buy it now. But I will keep an eye on it and see if something happens...
Quote from: Alberich on January 13, 2019, 04:09:31 AM
Btw, John, Debussy died in 1918, not 1917.
Kudos, Alberich. I tried to remember the years from memory without resorting to Google and looks like the memory banks suffered a system failure in the process. ;)
Hi Mirror Image
You have a great Debussy quote as your signature:
Quote"Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art." - Claude Debussy
Do you happen to remember where it's from?
I would like to read it in its original context.
Quote from: Ras on January 13, 2019, 07:23:02 AM
Hi Mirror Image
You have a great Debussy quote as your signature:
Do you happen to remember where it's from?
I would like to read it in its original context.
Hello Ras, via Wikiquote -
Works of art make rules but rules do not make works of art.- As quoted in Companion to Contemporary Musical Thought (1992) by John Paynter, p. 590
- Unsourced variant: Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art.
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 13, 2019, 07:59:48 AM
Hello Ras, via Wikiquote -
Works of art make rules but rules do not make works of art.
- As quoted in Companion to Contemporary Musical Thought (1992) by John Paynter, p. 590
- Unsourced variant: Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art.
Thanks! I will find that John Paynter book. :)
Quote from: Ras on January 13, 2019, 08:07:40 AM
Thanks! I will find that John Paynter book. :)
You're welcome, but this might be a more useful book for you (that is if want a deeper understanding of Debussy):
[asin] 0521654785[/asin]
Here's another good one I've been reading lately:
[asin] 1574670689[/asin]
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 13, 2019, 08:14:38 AM
You're welcome, but this might be a more useful book for you (that is if want a deeper understanding of Debussy):
[asin] 0521654785[/asin]
Here's another good one I've been reading lately:
[asin] 1574670689[/asin]
__________________________
Thank you for your recommendations.
There is a new book out about Debussy by
Stephen Walsh (all I know about him is that he wrote a book on Stravinsky).
Have you read it?:
[asin]1524731927[/asin]
Quote from: Mirror Image on January 12, 2019, 08:47:23 PM
Indeed. Love his Cello Sonata. One performance of this piece that I've really taken quite a shine to lately has been Gerhardt/Osborne on Hyperion. Have you heard it?
Nope, I haven't; I'll have to check it out!
Time for an update! 8)
Beethoven no. 9 Kreutzer
Brahms no. 3
Grieg no. 3
Ireland no. 2
Medtner no. 3 Epica
Novák
Peterson-Berger no. 2
Poulenc
Prokofiev no. 1
Walton
Having listened to Beethoven's Op. 23 last night...
Beethoven 4
Brahms 2
Busoni 2
Enescu 3
Franck
Ives 2 or 3
Nielsen 2
Prokofiev 1
Strauss
Walton
Quote from: Mirror Image on August 27, 2016, 07:10:16 PM
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
I suppose a little update is necessary at this juncture (in no particular order):
Debussy
Bartók:
Violin Sonata No. 2, Sz. 76Ravel:
Violin Sonata in G majorJanáček
Respighi:
Violin Sonata in B minorStrauss
Ives:
Violin Sonata No. 2Stravinsky:
Duo concertant (a violin sonata in all but a name, IMHO)
Enescu:
Sonata No. 3 in A minor "dans le caractère populaire roumain"Villa-Lobos:
Violin Sonata No. 3, W171
My favorite is Shostakovich. The rest would be filled by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Faure, and Brahms. I would have to think about the #s to then select from each composer.
I still haven't really got to grips enough with a lot of violin sonatas that I own (and I own more now than I did when this poll first came up...).
To be honest I never though I'd like violin sonatas as much as I do now. It's been a gradual process of discovering that a really great violinist makes the instrument sound beautiful.
Perhaps I'll sit down and plot a course through my collection. Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Faure, Franck, Shostakovich, Holmboe, Ravel, Lekeu...
Quote from: kyjo on October 01, 2021, 04:28:49 PM
Time for an update! 8)
Beethoven no. 9 Kreutzer
Brahms no. 3
Grieg no. 3
Ireland no. 2
Medtner no. 3 Epica
Novák
Peterson-Berger no. 2
Poulenc
Prokofiev no. 1
Walton
I'm gonna substitute Ireland, Novák, and Peterson-Berger for Elgar, Janáček, and Schumann no. 2 (without diminishing the worth of the three lesser-known ones). Some other violin sonatas I love include:
Bacewicz no. 4, Amy Beach, Delius op. posth. in B major, Théodore Dubois, Reynaldo Hahn, Fauré (both), Franck, Ives nos. 2 and 3, Lekeu, Lloyd, Mozart no. 21 in E minor, Strauss, Vaughan Williams
Though Saint-Saëns is one of my favorite composers, I don't consider his rather popular Violin Sonata no. 1 to be one of his stronger works. I recall enjoying no. 2 more, if memory serves.