Samuel Barber - Piano Sonata [With score]

-Composer: Samuel Osborne Barber II (March 9, 1910 - January 23, 1981)
-Performer: John Browning
Sonata for piano in E-flat minor, Op. 26, written in 1949
00:07 - I. Allegro energico
06:56 - II. Allegro vivace e leggero
08:56 - III. Adagio mesto
14:21 - IV. Fuga. Allegro con spirito
Samuel Barber's Piano Sonata (1947-1949) was hailed upon its premiere as a masterpiece of American musical literature and the newest landmark work for the piano. The instant importance of the work was highlighted by its having been first performed by the internationally known pianist Vladimir Horowitz; Barber's sonata was the first large-scale American piano work to be premiered by such a prestigious figure. Horowitz himself pronounced the sonata "the first truly great native work in the form."
The piece was commissioned in the fall of 1947 by Irving Berlin and Richard Rodgers to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the League of Composers. Barber set to work almost immediately and finished the first movement quickly, despite multiple projects that occupied his energies. Soon these other engagements drew Barber away from the sonata, and work stalled. The second movement was not completed until eight months later, with the third finished soon after. Barber originally had a three-movement sonata in mind, but Horowitz convinced him that the piece needed a "very flashy last movement." This last movement caused Barber much frustration. After months with no progress, Horowitz telephoned Barber and, hoping to inspire him, called him a "constipated composer." Barber became angry and wrote the entire fourth movement the next day. This was in June 1949, nearly two years after the work was commissioned.
This piece was composed in the middle of Barber's long career, during which much of his music fused his lyrical, elongated melodic style with new compositional devices. The sonata has levels of chromaticism and dissonance not approached in earlier works. There is even some use of 12-tone techniques in the first three movements, significant because of prior criticism that Barber's music represented a throwback to the Romantic period.
Barber chose to set all movements in conventional forms; the first is cast in sonata form. This movement is fast-moving and energetic. A noticeable aspect is the contrast heard between sections with fragmented, dotted rhythms and sections characterized by sweeping, lyrical melodies and smooth accompaniment. The second movement is a nimble and delicate scherzo, set in rondo form. The third movement, languorous and expressive, is the most demonstrative of Barber's encounter with the innovations of the early twentieth century. Chromaticism and melodies using all 12 tones are abundant. A four-voice fugue, formally similar to those of Bach (much loved by Barber) serves as the finale. Though conventional in structure, this movement also contains complicated syncopated rhythms and jazz harmonies.
[allmusic.com]

[@SCRIABINIST]

This is one of the finest works of the 20th century. I see it as a Romantic Sonata completely covered with modernistic techniques and sparkles

[@zuzanazuscinova5209]

Perfect analyst

[@hanslangrieger5648]

Not romantic at all, but still in tradition of Skrjabin

[@connypiano5038]

An incredibly profound piece and a stunning, totally transparent and MAGIC performance of John Browning!

[@klop4228]

I like a man who's not afraid to use double-accidentals where they're appropriate

[@TempodiPiano]

well it is just the rules of harmony

[@klop4228]

@@TempodiPiano and yet too many people ignore the rules of harmony and notate them wrong

[@Pakkens_Backyard]

@@klop4228 that's just uneducated internet sheet music

[@klop4228]

@@Pakkens_Backyard You'd think, but I've seen it in publications by many famous composers and big publishers.

[@LorenzoCacciotti]

Let's listen Roslavets piano sonata 1... There are some appropriate triple-accidentals

[@aristotle719]

Two other well-known pianists have tackled this sonata. Both are worth listening to- Terrence Judd and Horowitz himself. Browning's interpretation is incredible to listen to, first time listen or veteran. I love his angle of the slow movement. He doesn't care about what's around him but lets the sound and space of it dictate the tale.

[@Don-md6wn]

Marc-Andre Hamelin has also recorded it, on a Hyperion disc paired with the Concord Sonata of Ives.

[@ijohnny.]

Most talk about Barber, but the performer is outstanding.

[@SCRIABINIST]

John Browning is a mastering Champion of Barber

[@jensrichter5603]

An extremely difficult piece extremely well performed. I smiled when towards the end of the second movement Barber quotes very subtle Beethoven's "The tempest" sonata.

[@НинаБондаренко-л7щ]

0:07 Allegro energico (E flat minor) 6:56 Allegro vivace e leggero (G major) 8:56 Adagio mesto (C major) 14:21 Allegro con spirito (E flat minor)

[@remomazzetti8757]

The third movement is in B minor.

[@SCRIABINIST]

@@remomazzetti8757 Yeah, it's just not notated

[@해찬아우리집주소는]

0:07 6:56 8:56 14:21

[@sihyunlee6400]

thanks

[@attomicchicken]

A lot of these sound like things you would find in botw. Especially when encountering a guardian. Probably sampled it off a demo disc like they have previous entries.

[@timothywilliams1359]

It's strange... I used to love this piece, and many others like it. But as I have grown older, I find myself going "backward" towards more lyrical, neo-romantic music. As the world becomes more insane (at least outwardly) I seem to be discovering more harmony and consonance in it. And I do not believe it is merely a longing for such beauty, but an actual awareness of it all around me.

[@zanexiao4488]

Yaaas I have been waiting for this piece uploaded with score for so long

[@isaacvandermerwe744]

this is a strong contender for most classical music nerd comment I have ever seen

[@Teoleander10]

Excellent performance. The pianist is very very good. The sonata is an extraordinary master piece.

[@josef4692]

This is so fine. Like everything from Barber. I never understand why he isn't more prominent in the canon.

[@docbailey3265]

If Gaspard de la Nuit centered around an evil little gremlin, I feel like this centers around a lost tribe of wood fairies and sea sprites skipping gayly about the flat-shaped clover and flowers in the field, until they collapse from exhaustion and say aw fuck it.

[@Prometeur]

3:53 The Rite of Spring

[@truBador2]

I'd forgotten about this piece. It's really good.

[@matthewnell]

3:10 has to be my favorite section of the first movement, taking the 2nd more lyrical theme and allowing it to unfold in a lush, diatonic landscape. It’s also neat that we see brief glimpses of this much earlier, as in 1:08 and 1:49. We are also treated to this diatonic harmonization in the recapitulation, with a brief instance at 5:02 and a more elaborated phrase at 5:43 which comes from the corresponding section of the development (3:10). Notable about this latter instance is that it also combines the second lyrical theme with the characteristic half-step fragment of the first theme. The exposition also lacks this extended diatonic presentation of the lyrical theme, so Barber is extending the recapitulation perhaps to respond to the happenings of the development and to combine the two main themes. This sonata sounded quite disparate and scattered to me on first listening, but I think it’s pretty and well-conceived after sitting with it for a while.

[@abb5643]

I struggled to understand this sonata, but your comment really brought the first movement into focus for me!

[@sabrinaschantz]

3:24 damnnn that was clean

[@gljm]

This is one of the great 20th Century piano sonatas, even if the opening of the fugue's subject sounds like "I Loves You Porgy".

[@topquark22]

That looks incredibly difficult to play! The good thing is, if you get some notes wrong, nobody would ever notice.

[@SCRIABINIST]

Incredible is kind of an understatement, it's EXTREMELY difficult to play. Among the Top 10 most difficult Piano Sonatas if you exclude all the Sorabji, Sciarrino, Boulez and these contemporary freaks XD

[@dacoconutnut9503]

What a fantastic scherzo!!!!!!!! Reminds me of Villa-Lobos' "Caixinha de Música Quebrada"

[@thenameisgsarci]

(looks at description box) the heck, horowitz? XD

[@NFStopsnuf]

The fugues theme is like an evolved ragtime, especially at 16:04

[@_rstcm]

How many accidentals do u want that sometimes make u question the existence of key signatures? Barber: *HELL YEAH!* 🤘😝🤘

[@calebhu6383]

17:30

[@hengyuesu8535]

Amazing pieces!

[@thomasarneson4511]

Exquisitely beautifull.

[@elmiramuradova561]

Oh, first time it is so difficult for me to hear (understand) this composition,but I'll try.

[@miguelalexandercastrobauti3111]

A new world is opening to you! You are going to love it. I recommend to you start with the third and fourth movements.

[@kenchan4691]

amazing piece

[@tarikeld11]

9:13 why does it sound like octaves in the right hand?

[@tarikeld11]

Lol I have no idea what I was talking about

[@seemsfamiliar]

Incredible

[@_gaeul._.]

00:07 - 1st 14:22 - 4th

[@s3ri0uz99]

18:42 my man just completely leaves out the left hand haha and honestly, who in their right minds wouldn't 😂

[@예성-z6t]

0:07 14:21

[@danielshumway7046]

My brother played this while at Julliard. The nuances are well addressed in this recording, but I have to say my brother's performance exceeded this, particularly in regards to fast passages that are not just there to be pounded out, but given due consideration.

[@SCRIABINIST]

Your brother must be one hell of a performer then

[@timothywilliams1359]

Are you related to the Satn Shumway who wrote the textbook on keyboard harmony?

[@lorenamares1427]

A Beethoven kind of genius.

[@olivierdrouin2701]

A hammerklavier 's Beethoven ' s kind of génius ,and eventually greater , especially for thé scherzo ?

[@Whatismusic123]

no, not at all, this while it has it's themes, has a ton of filler garbage thrown into everything that has meaning, unlike beethoven that clearly focuses on what he wants to make in his music.

[@zgart]

@@Whatismusic123 filler garbage? What? Lmfao did you even listen to the piece…

[@matthijsvanwijhe864]

WTF HOROWITZ??? WHAT ABOUT IVES????

[@davidecarlassara8525]

ok nice but have you tried Tiesto's Adagio for Strings???

[@НастяБледная-с8щ]

3:09 5:43

[@tjden777]

한글 자막 정말 좋아요. 이제 한글이 로마자보다 위에 있기를 기다리면 되겠군요.

[@olivierdrouin2701]

Pas assez rapide , le scherzo !!!

[@WinrichNaujoks]

I'm sure it's very modern, but I'm afraid I just don't like it.

[@macmadnes5262]

1949 isn’t exactly what one would call ‘modern’

[@paulandrewsmith_henriksen]

Modern? Nah. More like 20th century modern (modernism). It definitely sounds like something written in 1949. I’ve heard even more dissonant music than this! But I can understand this might not be for everyone. Still, this performance was pretty awesome! And cool piece!

[@PushkaryovVsevolod]

Пустое бренчание

[@docbailey3265]

Agreed.

[@jemtheweeknd97]

Бренчишь ты, сам попробуй создать произведение

[@zl1David]

Too chaotic to satiate my needs. Not quite a simpleton yet seeking a modicum of simplicity defines me

[@Don-md6wn]

Don't write it off forever, come back and give it another shot every few years. I've been listening to classical music for over 20 years and it's only recently that I could listen to and enjoy something like this. I have recordings on my shelves that I didn't like or was lukewarm toward 10-20 years ago when I first heard them. I've been pulling them out for another listen and with many of them it's as if I'm hearing them with different ears.

[@danielshumway7046]

PP very soft, and yet not here, especially in terms of contrast between identical passages. Also, not understanding that to execute a stringendo, one must start slightly slower then INCREASE tempo. Pay ATTENTION to the composer's markings PLEASE!! Even I could instruct this pianist. YES, I know it's Browning. That's why I'm disappointed.

[@bennyksmusicalworld]

Daniel Shumway He did?

[@masonwittman6975]

PP very soft lol

[@НастяБледная-с8щ]

10:57