# Cello Sonatas



## SomewhereElse (Dec 25, 2014)

Compared to piano and violin sonatas, cello sonatas usually get less attentions. What are the cello sonatas you find worth listening to and why?


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

I'm not overly familiar with the repertoire, but Beethoven and Chopin both wrote very good ones.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Well, I'd start with old Ludwig. But I only like five of his!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Oh yeah. The Beethoven 5. The A Major is my favorite among them. The two Brahms Sonatas.

Let's not forget the J.S. Bach 6 Unaccompanied Cello Sonatas. Wonderful music!

Too bad Schönberg didn't write a cello sonata so we could have a civil discussion about it on the Schönberg thread.  

That fella + the cella = Que bella!!


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## SomewhereElse (Dec 25, 2014)

MoonlightSonata said:


> I'm not overly familiar with the repertoire, but Beethoven and Chopin both wrote very good ones.


The Chopin one is one of the first pieces of cello music I seriously listened to. I really enjoy it, although its structure is quite unconventional.


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

Debussy, Beethoven, and Brahms. My top three composers for cello sonatas. I love all of them, but I'll pick my favorite from each, the Debussy should be easy since he only wrote one. 

Beethoven: #4, Op. 102, No. 1
Debussy
Brahms: #1


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

To add to the great ones mentioned:

Rachmaninov's Cello Sonata is a beautiful work
Vivaldi op. 14 is of 9 sonatas for cello and bass continuo
Elliot Carter wrote an interesting one,
Roslavets wrote 2 that I'm aware of, his second is really good


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Vivaldi wrote several too that are worth listening.

Edit with recommended listening,


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## Andolink (Oct 29, 2012)

The Gabriel Pierné _Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in f sharp minor, Op.46_ is amazing!

Another pretty amazing one is George Enescu's _Cello Sonata No.2, Op.26 No.2_.


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2015)

I really enjoy the cello sonatas of *Faure* and *Mendelssohn*, even if both composers wrote their best chamber music in other settings.

*Martinu*'s cello sonatas are surely some of his best works. Or at least we think so around here 

Don't be fooled by the name! Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata is essentially performed as a cello sonata nowadays. (Also, there are some good recordings of *Bach*'s viola da gamba sonatas as cello/piano combos)

I'll also second all the *Beethoven* cello sonatas, the *Brahms* cello sonatas, the *Debussy* sonata, and the *Carter* sonata.

Some other nice ones from *Ginastera*, *Schnittke*, *Reimann*, *Grieg*, *Maxwell Davies*, *Barber*, *Bridge*, *Prokofiev*, *Silvestrov*...

And, of course, as with just about any form, there are plenty of works for the instrumental combination that either aren't sonatas or simply don't go by the name "sonata". I would recommend works such as *Zimmermann's* "Intercomunicazione", *Schumann's* "Fünf Stücke Im Volkston", or *Feldman's* "Patterns In A Chromatic Field".


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Two excellent and enjoyable 20th century cello sonatas are those of Prokofiev and Shostakovich, often found coupled. Although DSCH was the younger composer, his was written many years before Prokofiev's, which is (perhaps) the greater work. But never mind, I'd hate to be without either of them.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

Another Russian cello sonatas in the 20th century, Myaskovsky's Cello Sonata No. 1 in D major (Op. 12) and Cello Sonata No. 2 in A minor (Op. 81) are quite beautiful.


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

Two of my favorites that have not been mentioned are:

*Alkan's Cello Sonata in E*: a vivacious work with memorable melodies and a lively finale; and

*Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata*: usually performed on a cello today, Schubert at his lyrical best.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

SomewhereElse said:


> Compared to piano and violin sonatas, cello sonatas usually get less attentions. What are the cello sonatas you find worth listening to and why?


I think the greatest cello sonatas by far were actually written for viola da gamba and keyboard - by Johann Sebastian Bach. The three form a sort of unity IMO.

Another good one is by Anton Webern.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

hpowders said:


> Oh yeah. The Beethoven 5. The A Major is my favorite among them. The two Brahms Sonatas.
> 
> Let's not forget the J.S. Bach 6 Unaccompanied Cello Sonatas. Wonderful music!
> 
> ...


Ah yes, well the unacompanied music you're thinking of aren't really sonatas, any more than Nomos Alpha.

But they are good - as is the Xenakis.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm listening to the Bach gamba sonatas now. Wispelwey's recording. There's a recorder in there tootling along! Sounds great, but are these really "sonatas" as we understand the term?


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

KenOC said:


> I'm listening to the Bach gamba sonatas now. Wispelwey's recording. There's a recorder in there tootling along! Sounds great, but are these really "sonatas" as we understand the term?


No there isn't, not on the recording with Egarr. He uses piano, harpsichord and organ.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Correct. Egarr in the first sonata is playing an organ. But it sounds a lot like a recorder! My question remains.


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2015)

hpowders said:


> Oh yeah. The Beethoven 5. The A Major is my favorite among them. The two Brahms Sonatas.
> 
> Let's not forget the J.S. Bach 6 Unaccompanied Cello Sonatas. Wonderful music!
> 
> ...


But he did compose (sort of) a cello concerto. Well, arranged one from a harpsichord concerto by Georg Matthias Monn!
From Wiki: _A harpsichord concerto by Monn was "freely" arranged by Arnold Schoenberg as a cello concerto for Pablo Casals. The Monn/Schoenberg cello concerto in D major has been recorded by Yo-Yo Ma and many other cellists. Schoenberg also wrote "continuo realizations" for several works by Monn, including a cello concerto in G minor which was recorded by Jacqueline du Pré._
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Matthias_Monn


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

My personal favourites are the Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, Chopin and Brahms in E Minor. Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata is most often played by cello and is quite beautiful.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Aside from those mentioned, the one I listen to most often is probably Wuorinen's "Fast Fantasy." There's a good recording including Fred Sherry (with even better pairings, imo). 

There are also very fine cello sonatas by Grieg and Frank Bridge that I don't think have come up yet.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

^^^^ Ah yes - forgot about the Grieg. One of his best works I think.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

For me it is Beethoven and then every one else. I like the Debussy but I don't regard it as essential. Mendelssohn is enjoyable but doesn't stick in the mind. Chopin is more salonish than his best Piano music. The Brahms works bore me although he is one of my favorite Composers


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

The Polish/Soviet composer Mieczysław Weinberg wrote 2 sonatas for cello and piano and four solo cello sonatas, as well as _24 Preludes_ for solo cello - all valuable additions to the repertoire.

I have always been immensely disappointed with Shostakovich's Cello Sonata and consider it one of his weaker pieces; I far prefer the Prokofiev and Myaskovsky sonatas.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

Delicious Manager said:


> The Polish/Soviet composer Mieczysław Weinberg wrote 2 sonatas for cello and piano and four solo cello sonatas, as well as _24 Preludes_ for solo cello - all valuable additions to the repertoire.
> 
> I have always been immensely disappointed with Shostakovich's Cello Sonata and consider it one of his weaker pieces; I far prefer the Prokofiev and Myaskovsky sonatas.


Seriously.
I would rate Shostakovich's Cello Sonata very highly. Maybe not his best work but certainly very strong.
Maybe it is the Cellist in me and the fact that I've played it makes it special for me. I feel that Shosty was very good at writing for the cello. His concerti are great works too.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

MagneticGhost said:


> Seriously.
> I would rate Shostakovich's Cello Sonata very highly. Maybe not his best work but certainly very strong.
> Maybe it is the Cellist in me and the fact that I've played it makes it special for me. I feel that Shosty was very good at writing for the cello. His concerti are great works too.


Benjamin Britten certainly agreed with you. In fact, it was Shostakovich's writing for the cello that encouraged his own exploration of the instrument in a series of works dedicated to Rostropovich. I still enjoy Britten's Cello Sonata, which is paired with the 1st two cello suites on an album featuring Rostropovich (who never played the 3rd, apparently, out of grief over Britten's death).


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2015)

Blancrocher said:


> Aside from those mentioned, the one I listen to most often is probably Wuorinen's "Fast Fantasy." There's a good recording including Fred Sherry (with even better pairings, imo).
> 
> There are also very fine cello sonatas by Grieg and Frank Bridge that I don't think have come up yet.


I believe I mentioned Grieg and Bridge last night, but thanks for the heads up on Wuorinen! He's been one of my more recent "major explorations".


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

nathanb said:


> I believe I mentioned Grieg and Bridge last night, but thanks for the heads up on Wuorinen! He's been one of my more recent "major explorations".


Oh yeah--missed some of the names in your list (which is great, btw).


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

MagneticGhost said:


> Seriously.
> I would rate Shostakovich's Cello Sonata very highly. Maybe not his best work but certainly very strong.
> Maybe it is the Cellist in me and the fact that I've played it makes it special for me. I feel that Shosty was very good at writing for the cello. His concerti are great works too.


How interesting! I am a former cellist as well and used to play the Shostakovich (and Prokofiev). I consider Shostakovich's two cello concertos among the finest written for the instrument, yet remain lukewarm to the sonata. Blancrocher has mentioned Britten and I enjoy all of Britten's works for cello (the sonata, the three solo suites and the rather tough nut that is the Cello Symphony).


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Hindemith composed numerous works for 'cello and piano but the two 'proper' sonatas are especially worth looking into as they represent the opposite ends of the composer's timeframe. 

The first (op. 11:3 from 1919) is an early two-movement work from Hindemith's initial late-romantic period and isn't a million miles away from the soundworld of Reger. 

The second is from the late 40s when he was by then working pretty much exclusively within his own neoclassical-based parameters and ends in a nicely-formed passacaglia which I think Britten may possibly have approved of.

Other Hindemith 'cello works include a sonata for solo 'cello (op. 25:3 from 1923) and a 'Kleine Sonate' (1942), the solo sonata being a very compact work of five short movements and the Kleine Sonate being almost like the 1948 sonata's 'little brother sonata' or 'pilot sonata'. Both of these works weigh in at around 10 minutes each.


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2015)

Some nice works for cello and piano:

Alfano: Cello Sonata
Alkan Cello Sonata
Beethoven: Cello Sonata #5 :devil:
Berwald: Duo for Cello and Piano
Brahms Cello Sonatas
Bridge Cello Sonatas
Borodin Cello Sonata
Boulanger, Nadia: 3 Pieces for Cello and Piano
Cras Cello Sonata
Debussy Cello Sonata
Dohnanyi Cello Sonata
Farrenc Cello Sonatas
Faure Cello Sonatas
Franck Cello Sonata (arrangement of Piano Sonata)
Grieg Cello Sonata
Honegger Cello Sonata
Hummel Cello Sonata
Ireland Cello Sonata
Kabelac Cello Sonata
Kapustin Cello Sonata #2
Koechlin Chansons bretonnes sur d'anciennes chansons populaires
Lalo Cello Sonata
Lekeu Cello Sonata
Magnard Cello Sonata
Martinu Cello Sonata #2
Martucci Cello Sonata
Mendellsohn Cello Sonatas
Myaskovsky: Cello Sonata #2
Nin: various works
Pejacevic: Cello Sonata
Piazzolla: various works
Prokofiev Cello Sonata
Rachmaninov Cello Sonata
Rontgen: Cello Sonatas
Ropartz: Cello Sonata #2
Roslavets: Cello Sonatas
Rubinstein Cello Sonatas
Saint-Saens Cello Sonatas, etc
Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata
Shostakovich Cello Sonata
Strauss Richard Cello Sonata
Vierne Cello Sonata
Widor Cello Sonata
Zemlinsky: 3 Pieces for Cello and Piano

Plus another vote for all of the above! :tiphat:

In reference to another recent thread, can we all agree that the French/Russian/Italian/Spanish school dominates the Austrian/German school in this format?


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

Rachmaninoff wrote an excellent cello sonata. The piano part is (obviously!) fiendishly difficult. Plus, you get all the schmaltzy melodies of a Rach piano concerto, so what can you lose?

In my opinion, the two Brahms sonatas are perhaps the best ever written for piano and cello. My younger brother is working on the first one right now. It's harder than it looks.


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## SuperTonic (Jun 3, 2010)

George Crumb has an interesting Sonata for Solo Cello. It is a surprising conventional early work of his that sounds a lot more like Hindemith or Bartok than the more avant-garde works I typically associate him with.


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

To those of Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninov and Debussy, I must add the cello sonatas of Reger, Liszt, and Kodaly. This in fact is one of my favorites cello recordings:


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

duplicated post


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2015)

I didn't know Liszt had a cello sonata. I know a few cello/piano works but not sonatas. 

Adore the Kodaly though. I'm sure I'd like the Reger too... I've liked his clarinet sonatas and his viola sonata...


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

nathanb said:


> I didn't know Liszt had a cello sonata. I know a few cello/piano works but not sonatas.
> 
> Adore the Kodaly though. I'm sure I'd like the Reger too... I've liked his clarinet sonatas and his viola sonata...


You're right nathanb, there's nothing like a Cello sonata by Liszt, until I know. I was confused because my copy of this cello/piano works is coupled with Alkan's sonata, which is very fine too.


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2015)

Heliogabo said:


> You're right nathanb, there's nothing like a Cello sonata by Liszt, until I know. I was confused because my copy of this cello/piano works is coupled with Alkan's sonata, which is very fine too.


Well, that's just the OP request. Far as I'm concerned, cello/piano works are all in the spirit of the request  (well... maybe not tiny miniatures).


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## Andolink (Oct 29, 2012)

I'll second the Reger cello sonata recommendation. It's one of his best chamber works.

And I just remembered another real good one; the Cello Sonata from this newly released disc of chamber works by Aulis Sallinen:









The other pieces are excellent also.


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

I'm bumping this thread, I heard Schubert's _Arpeggione Sonata_ for the first time a few days ago. It immediately became one of my favorite "cello" sonatas (it was Ma on cello and Ax on piano). I'd like to get some suggestions on a recording with the actual arpeggione instead of cello, are there any worth hearing? I'm sure there has to be!


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

DiesIraeVIX said:


> I'm bumping this thread, I heard Schubert's _Arpeggione Sonata_ for the first time a few days ago. It immediately became one of my favorite "cello" sonatas (it was Ma on cello and Ax on piano). I'd like to get some suggestions on a recording with the actual arpeggione instead of cello, are there any worth hearing? I'm sure there has to be!


There's a very good period-instrument performance of the sonata with Immerseel and Bylsma.






It's not actually an arpeggione, but a violoncello piccolo--but anyways it sounds very different from a modern-instrument performance.

*p.s.* Fwiw, I really like that Ax/Ma recording as well.


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## cna (Nov 9, 2015)

(Warning: this is a very personal opinion based on no theory) 
I think cello sonatas get less attention because cello has low tone. In orchestra, cello is a good supporter of the whole orchestra. It makes the orchestra sound nicer. And in an orchestral music, the cello part hardly takes over the violin to play a main melody. When it comes to cello sonata accompanied by the piano, it is very critical the piano melody and sound do not overwhelm the cello melody and sound. The piano represents a whole orchestra. So it's not easy to make the cello to take the lead unless it's supremely well composed and played (both by the pianist and the cellist). 
My favorites are Beethoven cello sonata no.3, Schubert's Arpeggione and Chopin's cello sonata. (and of course Bach's unaccompanied cello suites - although I'm not sure they can be called sonata) But not all the recordings of those sonatas sound good in my opinion because of the reason stated above.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Bach? Check out the Gould/Rose cello sonatas, sheer pleasure. Beethoven, a lot of choices, almost all of them good.


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## Natalie (Jan 21, 2019)

Well, anything Vivaldi I really like. Bach is great too.


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## Natalie (Jan 21, 2019)

Bach's six suites for cello solo are my favorite to play, although I'm not quite sure if they qualify as sonatas it not.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

I am currently listening to the *Cello Sonata No.1 In E minor, Op. 38* by Johannes *Brahms*, played by Gregor Piatigorsky and Artur Rubinstein, on the Album *Piatigorsky Plays The Schumann Cello Concerto*, with rather bemused look on my face.

I "borrowed" the CD from the local library, and downloaded it into my personal iTunes library. The CD was evidently a rip from a vinyl LP, as there is a noticeable amount of surface noise - pops and hisses.

I've since returned it, but I found the artwork online that matched the CD I borrowed, and it appears to be on the "Pearl" label.

I just compared my recording to the samples of this recording on Presto Classical website (their version is a Sony release) - no pops or hisses, and the sound quality is far better.

I'm just sort of shocked. What is up with a professional CD release using an LP as its source, when obviously the actual recording is still available? Is this just a cheap-o label and release?


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

Brahms's 2nd cello sonata is way better than the 1st for me. The latter has a superb first movement, but Johannes seemed to run out of inspiration in the rest of the work. Otherwise Faure (who's my second favorite chamber composer after Brahms), Debussy, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff (_that's_ an underrated work if there ever was one), Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata, and Beethoven's first three are some personal favorites.


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## ZeR0 (Apr 7, 2020)

My favorites are:

Brahms 1 and 2
Debussy
Fauré 1, 2, and Elegy
Grieg
Schubert Arpeggione


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## cellomeitzen (Aug 6, 2018)

Bach did not write any Sonatas for cello, he has the famous solo suites but they are very different in form. Sonatas are in A-B-A form and Bach's cello suites don't have that structure. I second the Brahms recommendation though! Especially the Jacqueline du Pré recording!


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## cellomeitzen (Aug 6, 2018)

If you're interested in Solo Sonatas I highly recommend both the Kodaly Sonata and the Hindemith Sonata.


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

KenOC said:


> Two excellent and enjoyable 20th century cello sonatas are those of Prokofiev and Shostakovich, often found coupled. Although DSCH was the younger composer, his was written many years before Prokofiev's, which is (perhaps) the greater work. But never mind, I'd hate to be without either of them.


Couldn't agree more! My personal favorite is, however, the Shostakovitch


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## mollig (Nov 20, 2021)

Though cello and piano are my two favourite instruments, something about them in combination rarely appeals to me. I don't know, maybe too much of a good thing.
The one exception would be Rachmaninov's g minor Sonata Opus 19. One of the few pieces in any form where I love every single movement, the melodies are just gorgeous and the second movement has such wonderful dark energy.


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

mollig said:


> Though cello and piano are my two favourite instruments, something about them in combination rarely appeals to me. I don't know, maybe too much of a good thing.
> The one exception would be Rachmaninov's g minor Sonata Opus 19. One of the few pieces in any form where I love every single movement, the melodies are just gorgeous and the second movement has such wonderful dark energy.


I don't think very many instruments mesh very well with the modern piano. Here's an instance where I think HIP wins out. The Beethoven cello sonatas played on period instruments sound much, much better to me.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

But beyond Beethoven and maybe Mendelssohn (two very recommendable sonatas) all standard repertoire cello sonatas were in fact written for (mostly) modern piano (and I easily prefer this also in Beethoven). Admittedly, I have little experience with historical instruments in live performances. But unlike the frequently repeated cliché that a modern piano would be overwhelming vs. one or few stringed instruments, I find this almost never a problem on recordings whereas the puny historical fortepianos are overtaxed sometimes already in a trio or quartet (on recordings where one could cheat with adjusted balances), and I often don't like their sound when they can hold their own agains a single cello or violin.


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

^ But most of them weren't written for a modern piano tuned in equal temperament though. The "modern piano" as we know it dates from the 1920s.


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## Wigmar (7 mo ago)

Brahms' cello sonatas, especially no 1 op 38, with Rostropovich & Serkin, DG.


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## mollig (Nov 20, 2021)

59540 said:


> I don't think very many instruments mesh very well with the modern piano. Here's an instance where I think HIP wins out. The Beethoven cello sonatas played on period instruments sound much, much better to me.


Interesting. I must check them out on period instruments, as I generally love Beethoven but the few times I've heard the cello sonatas (Richter/Rostropovich) I've been distinctly underwhelmed.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Wigmar said:


> Brahms' cello sonatas, especially no 1 op 38, with Rostropovich & Serkin, DG.


I agree but ..
Steven Isserlis (cello), Stephen Hough (piano) and Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Emanuel Ax (piano) are mighty fine also


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

mollig said:


> Interesting. I must check them out on period instruments, as I generally love Beethoven but the few times I've heard the cello sonatas (Richter/Rostropovich) I've been distinctly underwhelmed.


I've always found the Richter/Rostropovich Beethoven sonatas recording underwhelming. It's virtually the only recording of these works that I actively dislike. If you want a better modern instrument alternative, try Schiff/Perenyi, Argerich/Maisky, or David Finckel/Wu Han (or any number of other recording preferable to R/R). Even the set with Serkin and the aged Casals, despite all of the latter's extramusical vocalizations, is more musically satisfying.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Samuel Barber's sonata is lovely and well worth a listen. The Kanneh-Masons couple it with the gorgeous Rachmaninov sonata and some enjoyable song transcriptions by both composers on their CD entitled (for some reason) "Muse", though regrettably the performances are nothing to write home about.


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## Terrapin (Apr 15, 2011)

1. Beethoven 3
2. Brahms 2
3. Brahms 1
4. Beethoven 1, 2, 4, 5; Mendelssohn 1; Prokofiev; Shostakovich


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Natalie said:


> Bach's six suites for cello solo are my favorite to play, although I'm not quite sure if they qualify as sonatas it not.


They are great , real masterpieces.


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