Top 10 Favorite Cello Sonatas

[aesthetic]

Martinů deserves a mention, I think.

I know the first two, which are both strong - No. 2 has a particularly profound Largo.

[North Star]

Martinů deserves a mention, I think.

I know the first two, which are both strong - No. 2 has a particularly profound Largo.

Yes, all fine works.

[kyjo]

List #2:

Kodály (solo)
Barber
Prokofiev
Escher (Sonata concertante)
Honegger
Chopin
Saint-Saëns 1
Schnittke 1
Biarent
Zanella

[kyjo]

Today's list:

Beethoven op. 102/1
Brahms no. 2
Casella no. 1
Foerster no. 1
Foulds
Kabalevsky
Martinu no. 2
Poulenc
Prokofiev
Saint-Saëns no. 1

[Symphonic Addict]

Fuga 1
Grieg
Heise
Hindemith Op. 11 No. 3
Honegger
Mendelssohn 2
Ornstein 2
Prokofiev
Schnittke 1
A. Tcherepnin 1

[Symphonic Addict]

Today's list:

Beethoven op. 102/1
Brahms no. 2
Casella no. 1
Foerster no. 1
Foulds
Kabalevsky
Martinu no. 2
Poulenc
Prokofiev
Saint-Saëns no. 1

+1 especially for the Foulds, Casella and Martinu.

I remember the Kabalevsky being too upsetting but it's a fine work.

[vandermolen]

Moeran
Bridge
Foulds
Miaskovsky No.2
Bantock
Rubbra
Ireland

[kyjo]

Fuga 1
Grieg
Heise
Hindemith Op. 11 No. 3
Honegger
Mendelssohn 2
Ornstein 2
Prokofiev
Schnittke 1
A. Tcherepnin 1

A fine list. I don't yet know the Heise, Hindemith, or Tcherepnin sonatas. I have positive memories of the Fuga.

[kyjo]

I remember the Kabalevsky being too upsetting but it's a fine work.

"Upsetting"? Well, it is a rather anxious, dramatic work but not as pessimistic or disturbing as some works by Schnittke, Weinberg, or Pettersson, for example.

[vandermolen]

"Upsetting"? Well, it is a rather anxious, dramatic work but not as pessimistic or disturbing as some works by Schnittke, Weinberg, or Pettersson, for example.

I should have included Kabalevsky as well - a recent discovery.
I like this CD for both works:

[kyjo]

Today's list:

Beethoven op. 102/1
Brahms no. 2
Casella no. 1
Foerster no. 1
Foulds
Kabalevsky
Martinu no. 2
Poulenc
Prokofiev
Saint-Saëns no. 1

Time for an update! This time, I'll try to put them in some order of preference. The asterisks denote pieces which I've performed:

Foulds* (I just performed it recently, what a blazing masterwork!!)
Kabalevsky*
Poulenc*
Beethoven Op. 102/2 (No. 5)*
Shostakovich*
Casella No. 1
Alkan (Sonate de concert)
Brahms No. 2*
Prokofiev
Myaskovsky No. 2


...and Nos. 11-20 would be:

Grieg
Saint-Saëns No. 1
Magnard
Rachmaninoff*
Barber
Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Foerster No. 1
Röntgen No. 5
Mendelssohn No. 2
Fazil Say ("Four Cities")

[Mandryka]

Strange, but I think the only cello sonata I care about at the moment is the Koechlin.

[Roasted Swan]

Just listened to this new disc;



I can't say that previously the 3 Bax "sonatas" (inverted commas because one is a sonatina and another a legend-sonata) have struck me that strongly but I really enjoyed all three here.  Not making any "masterpiece" claims but certainly typical of the composer and well worth hearing.

[AnotherSpin]

Strange, but I think the only cello sonata I care about at the moment is the Koechlin.

That's one more sonata than I have on my list.

[Symphonic Addict]

Ginastera
Sallinen
Ornstein 1
Hindemith op. 11-3
Martinu 2
Beethoven op. 5-2
Saint-Saëns 2
Schnittke 1
Herzogenberg 1
Grieg

Honorable mentions

Kabelac
Enescu 1
Tcherepnin 1
Casella 2
Röntgen 2

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Today's picks --- no particular order:

Debussy: Cello Sonata
Shostakovich: Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40
Brahms: Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major, Op. 99
Carter: Cello Sonata
Britten: Cello Sonata, Op. 65
Enescu: Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 26/2
Fauré: Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 117
Barber: Cello Sonata, Op. 6
Rachmaninov: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19
Chopin: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65

[foxandpeng]

Sonatas remain an unexplored mystery for me, as pianos seem to occupy a large element in so many. My ignorance, no doubt.

[foxandpeng]

"Upsetting"? Well, it is a rather anxious, dramatic work but not as pessimistic or disturbing as some works by Schnittke, Weinberg, or Pettersson, for example.

Giving it a go now, out of curiosity for the upsetting factor...

Edit: Pianos. Hmm. I wish their prominence didn't put me off so much...

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Sonatas remain an unexplored mystery for me, as pianos seem to occupy a large element in so many. My ignorance, no doubt.

Do you not like the piano?

[foxandpeng]

Do you not like the piano?

Too plinky plonky.