# 20th century piano music- Scriabin? Prokofiev?



## Greenturtle

I need to learn a new piece soon, and my teacher told me to look at some 20th century long works, like sonatas. So far I've considered Scriabin's "Black Mass" Sonata and Prokofiev's 7th Sonata. What do you think of these, if you've heard or played these? What are some other good pieces similar to those? Also, I've just finished learning the Brahms Rhapsodies and a few Bach Preludes and Fugues, so do you think I am ready for either of them?


----------



## Vaneyes

Boulez Piano Sonatas, Hindemith Piano Sonatas, Berg Piano Sonata, Ives Piano Sonata, Barber Piano Sonata. Others-- Dutilleux, Poulenc, Rachmaninov, Janacek, Bartok, Enescu, Berio, Ginastera, Krenek, Ligeti, Myaskovsky, Schnittke, Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Takemitsu.


----------



## clavichorder

Medtner wrote 14 piano sonatas.


----------



## Prodromides

Hello, Greenturtle:

I wish you luck on your learning a new piece, whatever it may turn out to be.

Even though I am not a performer, I think you might be able to impress your teacher with piano music by lesser-known composers.

If you are more comfortable with tonal and neo-classical than with atonal music, then let me humbly suggest Alexandre Tansman's piano sonatas:

















Tansman's music is modeled after Stravinsky, so this should give you an idea of what these sound like.

If you feel more adventurous, you may wish to explore the otherworldly mediation music of Giacinto Scelsi.
The Mode label has volumes of Scelsi music on CD, with some albums also available on DVD (if interested):

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical...d1=10747&name_role1=1&label_id=132&bcorder=61

Scelsi is an acquired taste, but one whose hypnotic/transcendental pitch modulations deserve to be sampled ... IMHO


----------



## Guest

I like Carl Vine's Sonata No 1 and No.2 (No.3 hasn't quite sunk in yet.). He's not quite atonal--perhaps freely tonal/chromatic would better describe his music. Oh yes...it's extremely difficult to play, too!

Here's the 2nd (of two) movements from Sonata No.1:


----------

