Arnold Bax - Piano Sonata No. 1 (1921)

Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax KCVO (8 November 1883 - 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works, but he is best known for his orchestral music. In addition to a series of symphonic poems, he wrote seven symphonies and was for a time widely regarded as the leading British symphonist.
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Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp minor, GP 127 (1910-21)
Michael Endres, piano
From Parlett's site: "It apparently underwent several transformations of form and title before the definitive revision of 1917-1921, namely as:
1. Romantic Tone-Poem, performed April 1911; possibly also
2. Sonata in D minor, first movement, June 1911;
3. Symphonic Fantasy, October 1919;
4. Sonata, June 1920; and
5. Sonata No. 1 in F# minor, April 1921."
Arnold Bax wrote his Piano Sonata No. 1 in 1910 during a stay in Ukraine and Russia (St. Petersburg). He was in pursuit of Natalia Skarginska, a young Ukrainian whom he had met in London - one of several women with whom he fell in love over the years.
Bax had previously attempted a piano sonata, his best attempt being his Sonata opus 1 for piano. However, Bax got stuck in the first bars of the second part. The sonata from 1910 also did not really go well. Bax sometimes changed titles (Romantic tone poem, Sonata and Symphonic phantasy are alternative titles) and Bax continued to tinker with it until 1921, with the final part in particular being completely overhauled in 1920. Harriet Cohen later said that he composed the final movement ten years later than the other movements.
Myra Hess played the first version in the Bechstein Hall/Wigmore Hall on April 25, 1911. She also gave the first performance of the intermediate version on October 9, 1919 under the title Symphonic Phantasy. She was followed relatively quickly by Harriet Cohen with the sonata on June 15, 1920 and then finally the sonata in its final form on April 12, 1921 under the title First sonata. Bax indicated that the church bells of Saint Petersburg can be heard in the end of the work.
The impetuous work in the style of Franz Liszt is written in the key of F sharp minor and consists of a movement: Not too fast and very decisive in rhythm, Non troppo lento, Allegro passionato, Tempo primo (allegro deciso), Stretto, Tempo primo (allegro deciso), Piu lento, Tempo primo (allegro deciso), Languido e lontano, Poco piu largamente, allegro moderato and the Castle Braod and triumphant.
Parts of the work are in the unusual 9/4 time signature.

[@conorancharski1922]

“Not too fast and very decisive in rhythm.” I love it

[@vicb4901]

A beautiful showcase of tonal freedom on the keyboard...

[@georgeowen2553]

He actually wrote 8.5 symphonies! There is a Symphony in F which remained in short score until an orchestration by Martin Yates, and the tone poem Spring Fire has been described by Mark Elder (one of its biggest proponents) and Graham Parlett (the late Bax scholar whose work I am continuing) as a proto-symphony.

[@notaire2]

Wunderschöne und detaillierte Interpretation dieser neoklassischen und einzigartig komponierten Klaviersonate im veränderlichen Tempo mit klar artikuliertem doch elegantem Anschlag und mit möglichst effektiver Dynamik. Faszinierend vom Anfang bis zum Ende!

[@DenisPuscaOfficial]

Thank you for the upload!😊
This is just lovely music!❤

[@galanis38]

A really excellent piano sonata I had never heard before -- deserving of more performance than it gets. Thanks for the upload!

[@davidrehak3539]

Sir Arnold Bax:1.fisz-moll Zongoraszonáta
1. Non troppo vivace e molto deciso nel ritmo 00:00
2. Poco largamente - Un poco piú lento 05:01
3. Stretto - Piú lento - Tempo primo: Molto pesante 09:09
4. Languido e lontano - Allegro moderato 12:49
5. Ampio e trionfante 15:21
Michael Endres-zongora

[@daveluttinen2547]

Bravo!

[@meisterwue]

Thanks for this piece....or better : thanks once again

[@hyperaticism]

Up to now, I find his piano sonatas the most hard-to-crack cycle in his oeuvres. Maybe because the piano medium lays bare his intensely chromatic harmonies......

[@hyperaticism]

In fact I think that rapid-fire motive repetition leading to the recapitulation is over-the-top and hilarious😂

[@yuehchopin]

gut

[@TheodoreNelsonBedford]

Whoa I'm here early

[@makeesakhan7263]

But for him to say the stuff about "opportunity of a lifetime" would have made me do things on my own terms.