There seems to be so many of these gems out there, I'd be interested to know your favourites.

Personally I enjoy Rachmaninov's attempt at combining the beauty of both the cello and piano. I also like the Debussy and Prokofiev cello sonatas.

Debussy and Brahms No. 2

At the moment, Beethoven's No.3. I haven't heard a lot of them.

The two Miaskovsky's. Beautiful
Enescu's
Chopin's
Saint-Saëns'
Faure
Kodaly's
Magnard's

I'm listening to Brahms' No.1* as I type and loving it.


*Rostropovich and Serkin are playing

Cesar Franck's Sonata for Violin and Piano has been transcribed for cello and although I prefer the violin version, the music is still quite pretty.

Franck's son.has been transcribed also for viola and for flute. It sounds
great in every instrument, because is a magnificent piece.

Indeed, Franck's is amazing. I personally prefer the little of Debussy's that I've heard and the Brahms and Beethoven sonatas.

I think that composer's think of instrumentation should be respected. Transposing violin piece for instrument of so different sound and expression abilities as flute is nonsense. And only reason is that flute hasn't big repertoir. But I accept only original versions. Franck's sonata is for me violin sonata and not even cello.

So, I suppose you hate Prokofiev's "violin sonata No.2", because
is only a transcription from his flute sonata.

My absolute favs would be Rachmaninov's sonata (The Andante of course!) and also Richard Strauss' sonata (particularly the 1st movement)

I don't hate it. I didn't listen to it, I know only flute version. And there si one important thing - if work was transcribed by composer himself or someone else later. I think this was made by Prokofiev, so I am able to accept it. But I ask: what was the reason for transcription? Was it, that this sonata was "too good" "only" for flute? No doubt, I prefer original version.

It was not a Sergei's idea, but DFO one. They worked together
on it. The result is one of the most beautiful v.s.of 20th.cent.
And INMH, much,much better that the original flute.
I wonder what would you think of the french flutist Jules Herman
transcription to solo flute of the Paganini's 24?

Much, much better in what? You said that it is "only transcription". And provocative question: why it is so beuatiful? Maybe beacuse Prokofiev composed it with flute on his mind and not violin?

I don't know it, I can't know million transcription of this capriccio for million instruments and million combinations of instruments.

I am just conservative and I don't like transcriptions. I play the clarinet and I play only works originally composed for clarinet. I dont like any interference to composer's idea. Often it leads to nonsense like Mozart Piano concertos with jazz cadenzas and other.

But of course there are some exceptions. But when I listen to transcription, I like I'm listening to some "second-hand" work. This is the main reason.

And also, if we admit transcriptions as equal to original works, the thread called "Favorite Cello Sonata" wouldn't be well-founded, because probably every sonata in the world can be also transcribed for cello.

The trick is to forget the original, and consider the transcription
as a separate and individual work. That way,one can really enjoy
for example the dozens of magnificent Liszt's transcriptions to
the piano of many works, including LvB 9 symphonies and Berlioz's
Fantastic and Harold in Italy, or the incredible arrangement of
Nathan Milstein of Liszt's first Mephisto Walz to solo violin.