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Pathétique,” “Moonlight,” “Waldstein,” “Appassionata,” and “Hammerklavier
- In this article, we’ll explore some of Beethoven’s most well-known sonatas: “Pathétique,” “Moonlight,” “Waldstein,” “Appassionata,” and “Hammerklavier.”
www.pianote.com › blog › best-beethoven-piano-sonatasThe Best Beethoven Piano Sonatas: What You Should Know | Pianote
Beethoven Piano Sonatas, compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven. Although he was far from the first great composer to write multi-movement compositions for solo piano, he was, nonetheless, the first to show how much power and variety of expression could be drawn forth from this single instrument.
- Betsy Schwarm
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Beethoven's early sonatas were highly influenced by those of Haydn and Mozart. Piano Sonatas No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 15 are four movements long, which was rather uncommon in his time. Opus 2: Three Piano Sonatas (1795) Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor. Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major.
- Pathétique
- The Moonlight
- Waldstein
- Appassionata
- Hammerklavier
- Piano Sonatas, Opp.109, 110, 111
To single out just a few. The most important of the early Sonatas is the Pathétique. For the first time Beethoven uses a slow introduction, and an introduction of such weight you know something truly significant is going on. The opening chord breaks once and for all with Haydn and Mozart. You are in Beethoven’s world now. Among Beethoven’s few clos...
The most famous movement of any of the 32 Piano Sonatas is the opening movement of The Moonlight – the Sonata he composed for the woman he wanted to marry, Giulietta Guicciardi [see Chapter 6, Beethoven’s Women]. For the first time he put the slow movement first (something neither Haydn or Mozart ever did). Just like the opening bars of the Fifth S...
We already know the origin of the Waldstein from Chapter 3, The Spaniard. The gloriously spacious theme of the final movement is prefaced by a mysterious, fragmented middle movement, which presages it perfectly. That was not Beethoven’s original intention. The middle movement was a long complete piece with an instantly catchy tune. He realised it w...
Wagner’s favourite was the Appassionata. He loved playing it, and marvelled at the theme of the first movement rising from the depths. Once again, as with the Pathétique, the middle movement is simplicity itself, almost a theme on a single note. The entire work has such nobility and passion it is small wonder the publisher gave it the name by which...
We come to the most monumental of all the Piano Sonatas, the Hammerklavier. This was the work that Beethoven composed at the height of the traumatic court case, when he was composing little else. What spurred him to do it? More than likely the thoroughly prosaic fact that at the beginning of the year he had received a remarkable gift. The famous Lo...
The Hammerklavier is often taken to signify the start of Beethoven’s Late Period. Certainly everything that now follows – Missa Solemnis, Ninth Symphony, Piano Sonatas, String Quartets– are on an entirely different plane to what has gone before. Profoundly deaf, deeply miserable, failing health – and the greatest works of all. The final set of Pian...
- Hammerklavier, Piano Sonata Number 29, Op 106. And finally, even though there might be some debate regarding the other sonatas, there is no debate about which one is the greatest and the most challenging.
- Appassionata, Piano Sonata Number 23, Op 57. The Appassionata Sonata is widely regarded as one of Beethoven’s signature works. Unlike the other major middle-period sonatas, this one is one of the darkest compositions he ever performed.
- Waldstein, Piano Sonata Number 21, Op 53. The Waldstein Sonata is one of the marquee compositions of Beethoven’s middle period. Composed in C Major, it is a luminous, happy, upbeat sonata with an average performance taking approximately 24 minutes.
- Les Adieux, Piano Sonata Number 26, Op 81a. Beethoven composed Les Adieux, which translates into The Farewell, between 1809 and 1810. The sonata was composed as Napoleon attacked Vienna, forcing Archduke Rudolph to leave the city.
Aug 6, 2018 · Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas are considered probably his greatest piano sonatas. But did you know that it's possible to objectively rank them from worst to best? You won't BELIEVE number 17! #32: Sonata No. 11 in Bb major, Op. 22
Sep 25, 2023 · The “Hammerklavier Sonata”, officially titled “Piano Sonata No. 29 in B♭ major, Op. 106”, is one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s most ambitious and monumental works. It is often considered the pinnacle of Beethoven’s piano sonatas.
The biggest find here, however, is Paul Komen. He's recorded three discs of Beethoven sonatas for Globe, a disc of the three Opus 31 sonatas, a disc of Opera 53, 54 & 57, and a disc of the last three sonatas, Opera 109-111.
