Description

Ireland's contributions to piano music are as significant to the British musical tradition as Fauré's are to the French. The works of both composers, while distinctly personal, also embody the essence of their respective nations, thereby enhancing the European musical heritage.

The Piano Sonata was composed between October 1918 and January 1920, coinciding with the creation of his three London Pieces: Chelsea Reach, Ragamuffin, and Soho Forenoons. It was published by Augener Ltd in 1920. Although Ireland revised the piece in 1951, the revised edition did not achieve widespread distribution. The version printed in 2011 restores the 1951 revisions.

The first four volumes of this collected edition are organized chronologically according to their composition dates. The Piano Sonata (1920) is presented separately as Volume 5. A sixth volume, released in 2012 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of John Ireland's passing, includes several original solo pieces and arrangements for piano that were previously uncollected.