Sonata
Liszt wrote his monumental Sonata in B Minor in 1852-53. It was dedicated to Robert Schumann, and first published in 1854. In an era when the main public interest was in virtuosic display of fireworks, this far-looking work was neither understood nor appreciated (it is said that Brahms fell asleep while listening to a performance). Eventually Liszt stopped performing the Sonata in public.
The Sonata is unlike much of Liszt's piano music in that it does never seeks virtuosity for its own sake. While it poses a great technical challenge and lacks nothing in brilliance, its virtuosity is subordinate to the unusual musical breadth and depth of the work. In our time, the Sonata is rightly considered Liszt's supreme masterwork for the piano, and it has become a cornerstone of the repertoire of many of the greatest pianists.
The Sonata is unlike much of Liszt's piano music in that it does never seeks virtuosity for its own sake. While it poses a great technical challenge and lacks nothing in brilliance, its virtuosity is subordinate to the unusual musical breadth and depth of the work. In our time, the Sonata is rightly considered Liszt's supreme masterwork for the piano, and it has become a cornerstone of the repertoire of many of the greatest pianists.
| Sonata in B minor, S.178 | 26:53 | Gan, W.M. |
| Sonata in B minor, S.178 | 32:05 | Kinsella, B. |
| Sonata in B minor, S.178 | 35:11 | Hawley, M. |
| Sonata in B minor, S.178 | 27:07 | Yamada-Scriba, T. |
| Sonata in B minor, S.178 (last few seconds missing due to a recording malfunction) |
28:47 | Djordjevic, A. |
