List of works by Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji

This list is manually maintained, therefore some of the available pieces may not yet be linked from this page. For an automatically generated alphabetical list of all available pieces, please see
Category:Sorabji, Kaikhosru Shapurji.

A list of works in the composer category that are not included here can be found on this page.
Please consult the manual of style for creating composer work lists.

The tables and lists below gives the following information for works by Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (where applicable):

  • KSS — numbering as given by the Sorabji Archive
  • Op. — opus numbers; these were assigned by Sorabji in the manuscripts of his works finished in 1917 or earlier
  • Title — as used on IMSLP, with comparison with the Sorabji Archive list and Opus sorabjianum, 2013, 4/2021
  • Forces — the instrumentation used (see IMSLP:Abbreviations for Instruments)
  • Date — the year(s) of composition or arrangement, where known
  • First publ. — the year(s) of first publication, where known
  • Librettist — the librettist(s) of the work
  • Genre — works are grouped in the following broad categories: Stage, Vocal, Orchestral, Chamber and Keyboard
  • Notes — including comments about publication and different versions of works
KSS Op. Title Forces Date First publ. Librettist Genre Notes
001 02/1 The Poplars v pf 1915 Jovan Dučić Vocal First edition completed 2006 but temporarily withheld.
Translated by Paul Selver
002 01/1 Chrysilla v pf 1915 2007 Henri de Régnier Vocal
003 01/2 Roses du soir v pf 1915 2002 Pierre Louÿs Vocal
004 02/2 L’heure exquise v pf 1916 1992 Paul Verlaine Vocal
005 02/3 Vocalise (pour soprano fioriturata) v pf 1916 2006 Vocal
006 03 Piano Concerto No.1 pf orch 1915–16 Orchestral
007 04/3 Apparition v pf 1916 2001 Stéphane Mallarmé Vocal
008 04/2 Hymne à Aphrodite v pf 1916 2006 Laurent Tailhade Vocal
009 07 Piano Sonata pf 1917 2015 Keyboard
010 09 L'étang v pf 1917 2006 Maurice Rollinat Vocal
011 I Was Not Sorrowful v pf 1917–19 ca. 2006 Ernest Dowson Vocal "Poem"/"Spleen"
011.1a Le mauvais jardinier v pf 1918–19 ca. 2006 Iwan Gilkin Vocal Fragment of seven bars; completed by Chappell Kingsland in 2023.
012 08 Quasi habanera pf 1917 1992 Keyboard
013 Désir éperdu pf 1917 2005 Keyboard "Fragment"
014 10 Piano Concerto No.2 pf orch 1916–17 Orchestral Only manuscript two-piano reduction extant.
015 Chaleur — Poème orch 1916–17 2013 Orchestral
016 Piano Concerto No.3 pf orch 1918 Orchestral
017 In the Hothouse pf 1918 1921 Keyboard
018 Piano Concerto No.4 pf orch 1918 Orchestral Most of third movement identical to KSS 14.
019 Fantaisie espagnole pf 1919 1922 Keyboard
020 Piano Sonata No.1 pf 1919 1921 Keyboard
021 Poèmes (3) v pf 1918–19 1921 Charles Baudelaire
Paul Verlaine
Vocal
022 Music to The Rider by Night vv orch 1919 2008 Robert Nichols Stage Manuscript incomplete
023 Toccata pf 1920 1921 Keyboard
024 Arabesque v pf 1920 2006 Šamsu’d-Dîn Ibrâhîm Mîrzâ Vocal
025 Prelude, Interlude, and Fugue pf 1920–22 1924 Keyboard
026 Piano Quintet No.1 2vn va vc pf 1919–20 1923 Chamber
027 Piano Concerto No.5 pf orch 1920 1923 Orchestral
028 Piano Sonata No.2 pf 1920 1923 Keyboard
029 Piano Sonata No.3 pf 1922 1924 Keyboard
030 Symphony No.1 ch pf org orch 1922 Orchestral
031 Pastiches (3) pf 1922 1992 Keyboard No.1 was first published in 1964 as part of Thirteen Transcriptions for Piano Solo of Chopin’s Waltz in D Flat, Op. 64, No. 1
032 Piano Concerto No.6 pf orch 1922 Orchestral
033 Rapsodie espagnole pf 1923 2005 Keyboard Concert transcription of Rapsodie espagnole, M.54, by Maurice Ravel; first version of KSS 67
034 Opusculum orch 1923 2014 Orchestral Earlier (private) edition prepared as part of a thesis in 2000
035 Le jardin parfumé pf 1923 1927 Keyboard
036 Sonnets (5) bar orch 1923 2005 Michelangelo Buonarroti Vocal Parts first published 1980
037 Fêtes galantes (3) v pf 1919 1924 Paul Verlaine Vocal
038 Piano Concerto No.7 pf orch 1924 2020 Orchestral "Sīmurgh-'Anqā"
039 Organ Symphony No.1 org 1924 1925 Keyboard
040 Valse-Fantaisie pf 1925 1927 Keyboard
041 Variazioni e fuga triplice sopra Dies irae pf 1923–26 Keyboard
041.1a Prelude and Fugue on FxAxx DAxEx pf 1926 2004 Keyboard
042 Poèmes du "Gulistān" (3) v pf 1926 1991 Abû A.M.-D. Ibn M.-D. Sa'dī Vocal Second manuscript dated 1930
043 Fragment pf 1926 1993 Keyboard Revised 1928 and 1937
044 L’irrémédiable v pf 1927 1993 Charles Baudelaire Vocal
045 Piano Concerto No.8 pf orch 1928 Orchestral
046 Toccata No.1 pf 1928 2001 Keyboard
047 Nocturne pf 1928 1994 Keyboard "Djāmi"
048 Piano Sonata No.4 pf 1928–29 2004 Keyboard
048.1a Introduction, Passacaglia, Cadenza, and Fugue pf 1929–32 2005 Keyboard Unfinished; completed by Alexander Abercrombie in 2004.
049 Toccatinetta sopra C.G.F. pf 1929 1992 Keyboard
050 Opus clavicembalisticum pf 1929–30 1931 Keyboard
051 Symphony (6vv ch?) pf (org orch?) 1930–31 2019 Keyboard Originally entitled Symphony II for Piano, Large Orchestra, Organ, Final Chorus, and Six Solo Voices, but only piano part extant.
052 Movement v pf 1927–31 2001 Vocal
053 Organ Symphony No.2 org 1929–32 1991 Keyboard
054 Piano Quintet No.2 2vn va vc pf 1932–33 2007 Chamber
055 Fantasia ispanica pf 1933 2002 Keyboard
056 Pasticcio capriccioso pf 1933 1994 Keyboard Pastiche of Waltzes, Op.64, by Frédéric Chopin (no.1)
057 Toccata No.2 pf 1933–34 2004 Keyboard
058 Piano Sonata No.5 pf 1935 2009 Keyboard "Opus archimagicum"
059 Symphonic Variations pf 1935–37 2022 Keyboard
060 Piano Symphony No.1 pf 1938–39 2015 Keyboard "Tāntrik"
061 Chromatic Fantasia pf 1940 1993 Keyboard Transcription "in the Light of Harpsichord Technique for the Modern Piano" of Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 903 and Fugue in D minor, BWV 948, by Johann Sebastian Bach
062 Quaere reliqua pf 1940 1993 Keyboard
063 Nocturne pf 1940 1993 Keyboard "Gulistān"
064 St Bertrand de Comminges pf 1941 1992 Keyboard
065 Poèmes (3) v pf 1941 1988 Paul Verlaine
Charles Baudelaire
Vocal First edition prepared 1979, approved by composer; editorial title
066 Études transcendantes (100) pf 1940–44 2007 Keyboard Selections first published 1994
067 Rapsodie espagnole pf 1945 2005 Keyboard Concert transcription of Rapsodie espagnole, M.54, by Maurice Ravel; second version of KSS 33
068 Prelude in E-flat major pf 1945 1992 Keyboard Transcription of French Suite No.4 in E-flat major, BWV 815a, by Johann Sebastian Bach (1st movement)
069 Concerto per suonare da me solo pf 1946 2004 Keyboard
070 Schlußszene aus Salome von Richard Strauss pf 1947 2007 Keyboard Concert Transcription
071 Sequentia cyclica super Dies irae pf 1948–49 2008 Keyboard
072 Symphony No.2 bar ch orch 1942–51 Orchestral "Jāmi"; large score finished 1947
073 Organ Symphony No.3 org 1949–53 2014 Keyboard
074 Un nido di scatole pf 1954 2002 Keyboard
075 Piano Symphony No.2 pf 1954 Keyboard
076 Toccata No.3 pf 1955 2021 Keyboard
077 Passeggiata veneziana pf 1956 2002 Keyboard Promenade on the Barcarolle by Offenbach
078 Symphonic Variations pf orch 1953–56 2014 Orchestral Large score finished 1955
079 Rosario d'arabeschi pf 1956 2002 Keyboard
080 Opus clavisymphonicum pf orch 1957–59 Orchestral Large score finished 1957
081 Piano Symphony No.3 pf 1959–60 2016 Keyboard
082 Suggested Bell-Chorale for St Luke’s Carillon bell 1961 1989 Keyboard
083 Fantasiettina pf 1961 1981 Keyboard
084 Messa grande sinfonica 8vv 2ch orch 1955–61 2017 Mass Ordinary Orchestral Also called "Messa alta sinfonica"
085 Piano Symphony No.4 pf 1962–64 2014 Keyboard
086 Frammenti aforistici (20) pf 1964 2012 Keyboard
087 Toccata No.4 pf 1964–67 Keyboard
088 Frammento cantato bar pf 1967 2007 Harold Morland Vocal
089 Concertino non grosso 4vn va vc pf 1968 2004 Chamber
090 Frammenti aforistici (104) pf 1962–64 ca. 2007 Keyboard "Sutras"; possibly finished 1972
091 Benedizione bar org 1973 2013 Saint Francis of Assisi Vocal
092 Piano Symphony No.5 pf 1973 2010 Keyboard "Symphonia brevis"
093 Variazione maliziosa e perversa pf 1974 1991 Keyboard Variations on Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46, by Edvard Grieg (2nd movement)
094 Opusculum clavisymphonicum pf orch 1973–75 Orchestral
095 Piano Symphony No.6 pf 1975–76 2012 Keyboard "Symphonia claviensis"
096 Frammenti aforistici (4) pf 1977 2008 Keyboard
097 Symphonic Nocturne pf 1977–78 2016 Keyboard
098 Il gallo d'oro pf 1977–78 2004 Keyboard Variazioni frivole on a theme by Rimsky-Korsakov
099 Il tessuto d'arabeschi fl 2vn va vc 1979 2004 Chamber Parts first prepared 1981
100 Villa Tasca – Mezzogiorno siciliano pf 1979–80 2008 Keyboard
101 Opus secretum atque necromanticum pf 1980–81 2007 Keyboard
102 Passeggiata variata pf 1981 2013 Keyboard
103 Fantasiettina atematica fl ob cl 1981 1989 Chamber
104 Due sutras pf 1981–84 1992 Keyboard
105 Passeggiata arlecchinesca pf 1981 1993 Keyboard

Sources