Category Archives: Favorite Beethoven Piano Sonatas

Day 246: Piano Sonatas Op. 14 No. 2, Op. 27 Nos. 1 & 2 “Moonlight,” Op. 28 “Pastoral”

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BeethovenCD51I was hooked – hooked! – from the first notes of today’s CD.

It just has that indefinable, magical quality I like in my piano sonatas.

Plus, it has the incomparable Alfred Brendel tickling the ivories.

Did I just type that?

Do Classical pianists tickle anything, let alone ivories?

And, for that matter, are piano keys made of ivory?

Whatever.

Today’s piano sonatas are superb. This immediately became one of my favorite Beethoven Piano Sonata CDs.

Here’s what I am listening to today:

Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Op. 14 No. 2

According to its entry on Wikipedia:

The Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14, No. 2, composed in 1798–1799, is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven, dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun. A typical performance lasts 15 minutes. While it is not as well known as some of the more original sonatas of Beethoven’s youth, such as the ‘Pathétique’ or ‘Moonlight’ sonatas, Tovey[1] described it as an ‘exquisite little work.’

Beethoven was 28-29 when he composed this piece.

Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 13 in E Flat Op. 27 No. 1

According to its entry on Wiki:

Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat major “Quasi una fantasia”, Op. 27, No. 1, is a sonata composed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1800–1801.

Beethoven was about 30 years old when he wrote the sonata. He had already made a name for himself in Vienna as pianist and composer and was beginning to explore alternatives to the classical-era compositional procedures that he had largely adhered to during the 18th century. The most famous works of his “middle period”, often emphasizing heroism, were yet to come.

Beethoven’s sketches for the first, second, and final movements survive, but the original autograph copy is lost. The sonata was published separately from its more famous companion, Opus. 27 No. 2 (the so-called “Moonlight” Sonata), but at the same time, by Cappi in Vienna; the first advertisements for the work appeared 3 March 1802. Both Op. 27 sonatas were originally titled Sonata quasi una fantasia.

The dedicatee of the work was (as was typical of the time) an aristocrat, Princess Josephine von Liechtenstein. Little is known of Beethoven’s relationship with her.

Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor Op. 27 No. 2 “Moonlight”

As I wrote at the outset, the opening notes of Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Op. 13 No. 2 drew me in to today’s CD. Movement I (“Andante – Allegro – Andante”) of Piano Sonata no 13 in E Flat Op. 27 No. 1 sweetened the deal.

But the main reason why Continue reading →

Day 241: Piano Sonatas Op. 106 “Hammerklavier” & Op. 111

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BeethovenCD46Very nice!

It’s hard to believe how fresh and crystal-clear this sounds. The piano sontas, performed by the incomparable Alfred Brendel, were recorded in 1962-64, when Brendel was in his early thirties. Yet, they sound like they were recorded yesterday.

Another masterful job by Brilliant Classics, the best label in the world for affordable, high-quality Classical music.

These piano sontas have the qualities that, say, Artur Rubinstein‘s The Chopin Collection does. Most of those recordings were made in the 1950s and 60s. Yet, they sound beautiful. Rich, resonate, and warm.

Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 29 in B Flat Op. 106 “Hammerklavier”

According to its entry on Wikipedia,

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 (known as the Große Sonate für das Hammerklavier, or more simply as the Hammerklavier) is a piano sonata widely considered to be one of the most important works of the composer’s third period and among the greatest piano sonatas. It is widely considered to be Beethoven’s technically most challenging piano composition and one of the most challenging solo works in the classical piano repertoire.

Dedicated to his patron, the Archduke Rudolf, the sonata was written primarily from the summer of 1817 to the late autumn of 1818, towards the end of a fallow period in Beethoven’s compositional career. It represents the spectacular emergence of many of the themes that were to recur in Beethoven’s late period: the reinvention of traditional forms, such as sonata form; a brusque humour; and a return to pre-classical compositional traditions, including an exploration of modal harmony and reinventions of the fugue within classical forms.

The Hammerklavier also set a precedent for the length of solo compositions (performances typically take about 45 minutes). While orchestral works such as symphonies and concerti had often contained movements of 15 or even 20 minutes for many years, few single movements in solo literature had a span such as the Hammerklavier’s Adagio sostenuto.

The sonata’s name comes from Beethoven’s later practice of using German rather than Italian words for musical terminology. (Hammerklavier literally means “hammer-keyboard”, and is still today the German name for the fortepiano, the predecessor of the modern pianoforte.)

Indeed. “One of the most challenging solo works in the Classical piano repertoire” required Alfred Brendel to pull it off.

And he did.

Beautifully.

As the Wiki article notes, Hammerklavier was Continue reading →