I'm interested in exploring the Beethoven sonatas. Though most of them are still out of reach for me, I'm wondering if there are movements within the sonatas that might be accessible to an intermediate player. (even if a little challenging)
So far I know of:
Sonata 8, Op. 13 in C minor (Pathetique): 2nd Mvt Sonata 14(?), Op. 27, No.2 in C sharp minor (Moonlight): 1st Mvt.
The "easy" sonatas are playable by intermediates. That's opus 49 number one and two. They are only two movements each (there's no slow movement). Beethoven supposedly used these to teach his students.
From what I understand, he did not want these published. His brother took them and sold them and got the money.
I'm working on opus 49 #1 first movement now. It requires some nimble fingers to do the turns. And, of course, it has lots of the dreaded Alberti bass...
I'm enjoying working on it though. I would recommend it to anyone.
Pathetique's 3rd movement is doable with the help of a teacher, so *seems* Beethoven's piano sonata no. 5 (movements 1 & 3)--have only tried sight-reading the 1st few pages and it *seems* doable given effort & a teacher! But do not expect to play at the speed professional pianists play at in recordings..
Piano sonata no. 10 in G major might be another one to look at; I've not tried it myself, but I heard it's much much easier than Pathetique.
And there are two books that that serious students can use to answer questions like this:
"The Pianists Guide to Standard Teaching and Performance Literature" by Jane Magrath
"Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire" by Maurice Hinson.
The Magrath book is probably of more use to students. She lists these Beethoven Sonatas being used for teaching:
Opus 2/1 Opus 10/1 Opus 10/2 Opus 13 Opus 14/1 Opus 14/2 Opus 27/2 Opus 49/1 Opus 49/2 Opus 79
She ranks them all at her highest level of difficulty, which is the same as Bach 3 part inventions and the easier Chopin Nocturnes, harder than the easiest Mendelssohn Songs without Words.
The Hinson book lists every sonata, and he gives an order of progressive difficulty: 49/2, 49/1, 79, 14/1, 2/1, 14/2, 10/2, 10/1, 10/3, 13, 26, 27/1, 28, 22, 2/2, 2/3, 78, 90, 7, 31/3, 54, 31/2, 27/2, 31/1, 109, 110, 81a, 53, 57, 101, 111, 106.
More info than you need, but there it is. I highly recommend both books if you like to pick your own repertoire...
Dynamobt the 2nd movement of the moonlight sonata is beautiful—the Schiff lecture stated that Liszt described it as a little flower between two, huge abysses. I’ve added it to the list below.
Sam S-I hadn’t heard of the Op. 49 Sonatas so thanks for mentioning these! The 49/1 is just lovely and doesn’t sound so easy so I’m curious to see the score. And thanks for this list of the order of difficultly of the sonatas. As I go through the list I’ll update here with any movements that might be playable! Some of the ones ranked on the easy end of the scale sound mighty difficult!
Bobpickle—these are great resources, thanks! I’m especially interested in the discussion about the moonlight sonata as I’d love to learn the 3rd movement but the tempo may be a stopper. I’ve added it to the list below but maybe that is not realistic. (oh and that last link looks wonderful for information regarding pretty much everything piano!:) ) Shrillvoice-thanks for these suggestions! I will check out the 3rd mvt of the pathetique and Sonata 5 mvt 1 and 3. For the Sonata in G major, is that one Op. 49, No. 2, or Op. 14, No.2?
I’ve been exploring the first group of the Sonatas and found that Sonata 3, Op.2, No.3, 2nd Mvt is quite accessible. It looks hard at first but on listening to performances online it’s played quite slowly so I’m thinking to maybe learn this one at some point.
What about Sonata 3, Op.2, No.3, 1st Mvt? I really like it, and played through the first page, but don’t know how the piece would sound at a slower tempo which is how I’d need to play it. Plus not sure about the middle section, but I really like the piece! I won't add that one to the list just yet as it's probably not realistic.
Here is an updated list based on all the suggestions so far:
Sonata Op.49, No.1 Sonata Op.49, No.2 Sonata 8, Op. 13 in C minor (Pathetique): 2nd Mvt Sonata 8, Op. 13 in C minor (Pathetique): 3rd Mvt Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 1st mvt Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 2nd mvt Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 3rd mvt ?(may be a challenge) Sonata 3, Op.2, No.3, 2nd Mvt
If you're looking for something accessible I second timmyab's suggestion of the Andante from Op. 79. I'm working on that myself at the moment. Lovely.
I suspect, though, that accessible isn't your style or your first choice.
The Moonlight 3rd movement you can forget 'maybe'; it is a challenge. I learnt it in the 1980's and have never taken over 146. It's currently floundering in the 120-132 bpm range. It loses some of its satisfaction when you can't match the music in your head.
Op. 2 No. 1 would be my choice. It isn't daunting but still makes a good introduction to his writing style and already shows progress from Haydn's teaching (which he acknowledged in the dedication). It's very characteristic and offers a complete sonata for a late intermediate player. All four movements exude his first period style and open a lot of doors into Beethoven's output.
wow about the Op. 79 Andante...it's gorgeous! I'll definitely be adding this one to my repertoire. thanks timmyab and Richard for making me aware of this piece. Can't believe I haven't heard it before. Why isn't everyone playing this piece?! It's so pretty you'd think it would be as popular as the moonlight 1 or the pathetique 2, and yet this piece seems to go relatively unmentioned in comparison. Then again, maybe i just haven't been paying attention!
haha richard about accessible not being my style! I'm really trying to change up my practice habits to include more pieces that I have a chance at. It's true I can't seem to stay away from so many of the impossible ones, but I want to include more into my practice that I have a chance at being able to play.
So, off to check out Op.2 no.1 and also the Op.26 mentioned by timmyab....
What about Sonata 3, Op.2, No.3, 1st Mvt? I really like it, and played through the first page, but don’t know how the piece would sound at a slower tempo which is how I’d need to play it. Plus not sure about the middle section, but I really like the piece! I won't add that one to the list just yet as it's probably not realistic.
Beethoven's third sonata (Op.2/3) is a masterpiece. But it is very difficult to play. I find the technical difficulty of the first movement of this sonata to be comparable to the first movement of Pathetique. It sholdn't be played too slowly. The head motive with the parallel thirds should be played very energetically in my opinion. The hardest movement of Op.2/3, is the finale. The two middle movements, however, are definitely within range for an advanced amateur.
I have also started looking into Beethoven lately. As soon as I'm finished with the Chillcot Requiem next Sunday, I'll start with Op.22. I like particularly the final movement of this sonata. Not extremely difficult to play, but a very effectful piece.
Thanks for this Ganddalf. I think I will start practicing those thirds in the hope that one day I can play this piece. It’s hard not only to do them with any tempo, but also to get the fingers to hit the notes of each third together given different finger lengths! I looked at the Op.22 movement you mentioned and it sounds very difficult to me.
Yesterday I tried bits of Op. 2, No.1. The first movement I love and seems doable. I didn’t spend much time yet on the 2nd and 3rd movements, but the 4th movement…yikes! I know now from practicing Ocean that for me to play anywhere close to that kind of tempo, I would have to know the notes so well that I don’t have to think about every one. I tried the left hand slowly (just the 1st page) and it made me realize how little control I have of my left hand. That is something I’d like to improve. So, I don’t know if it’s realistic for me to think about learning the 4th movement, but even playing it slowly and then increasing tempo while keeping my fingers steady would be good technical practice. I might do that while learning the 1st movement.
Sonata 8, Op. 13 in C Minor (Pathetique): 2nd Mvt Sonata 8, Op. 13 in C Minor (Pathetique): 3rd Mvt (challenging)
Sonata 12 , Op.26 Marcia Funebre
Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 1st mvt Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 2nd mvt Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 3rd mvt ?(may be a challenge)
Op.14 contains two sonatas that should be included on the list. My favorite is Op.14/2 in G-major. The first two movements of this sonata are doable for intermediate players while the third one is a bit more awkward with poly-rhythmic sections and other difficulties. The first movement looks more difficult than it actually is, and the second movement is a beautiful, not difficult variation movement.
As someone who just finished Liszt's Liebestraume #3, I also wanted to work on a Beethoven piece next. There has been a lot of great information in this thread but as a follow up question, would working on the first movement of Op. 2 No. 3 or the 4th movement of Op. 28 be appropriate? I have not played much Beethoven besides the two movements mentioned in the OP as well as 49/1. Thanks!
would working on the first movement of Op. 2 No. 3 or the 4th movement of Op. 28 be appropriate?
The forth movement of op 28 has a sting in the tail.The piu allegro has a reputation for being difficult at the correct tempo.Look at that section first.If you think you can work it up to about 100ish BPM then the rest should be relatively easy.It's such a lovely piece.
Just in case you missed it, Ganddalf said this about Op.2, No.3 1st mvt above:
"Beethoven's third sonata (Op.2/3) is a masterpiece. But it is very difficult to play. I find the technical difficulty of the first movement of this sonata to be comparable to the first movement of Pathetique. It sholdn't be played too slowly. The head motive with the parallel thirds should be played very energetically in my opinion. The hardest movement of Op.2/3, is the finale. The two middle movements, however, are definitely within range for an advanced amateur."
Sonata 8, Op. 13 in C Minor (Pathetique): 2nd Mvt Sonata 8, Op. 13 in C Minor (Pathetique): 3rd Mvt (challenging)
Sonata 9, Op. 14 No.1
Sonata 10, Op.14 No.2 1st mvt Sonata 10, Op.14, No.2 2nd mvt Sonata 10 Op.14 No.2 3rd mvt (more awkward with poly-rhythmic sections and other difficulties)
Sonata 12 , Op.26 Marcia Funebre
Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 1st mvt Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 2nd mvt Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 3rd mvt ??(may be a challenge)
Sonata 8, Op. 13 in C Minor (Pathetique): 2nd Mvt Sonata 8, Op. 13 in C Minor (Pathetique): 3rd Mvt (challenging)
Sonata 9, Op. 14 No.1
Sonata 10, Op.14 No.2 1st mvt Sonata 10, Op.14, No.2 2nd mvt Sonata 10 Op.14 No.2 3rd mvt (more awkward with poly-rhythmic sections and other difficulties)
Sonata 12 , Op.26 Marcia Funebre
Sonata 13, Op. 27, No. 1 (Fantasia)-2nd mvt
Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 1st mvt Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 2nd mvt Sonata 14, Op. 27, No.2 in C # minor (Moonlight): 3rd mvt ??(may be a challenge)
Sonata 24, Op.78, 1st mvt. What do you think about this last one?
Personally I wouldn't include it.It's not as hard as the second movement but I'd say it's definitely still more advanced than intermediate. Also if you're building a definitive list then the last movement of the Moonlight is advanced without question.
Thanks timmyab. Maybe I need to add a separate heading of "Advanced-Intermediate"? Then I could group some of the more challenging ones in that group. Maybe that is getting too fancy, but it just seems that there is a big difference between pieces like the Moonlight 3rd mvt and stuff like Appassionata. Or maybe there isn't as much as I think. Is the moonlight 3rd mvt comparable to the other ones I've listed with it below?
Well it gets subjective I suppose but I would put it in exactly the same league as the Appassionata.The difference is that op57 has two tough movements and op27 no2 has one.
Op. 2 No. 1, 4th movement, is not Advanced-Intermediate. It is marked Prestissimo but the fastest notes are triplets, which makes it little more than allegro for semiquavers. Play the first few bars. They're simple arpeggio patterns requiring hand flexibility more than actual velocity.
Fast passages make a piece harder but extra practise, slowly and accurately, is all that's needed to make the difference.
The general consensus is that Op. 2/1, Op. 14 1 & 2, Op. 49 1 & 2 and Op. 79 are intermediate or lower.
The bulk of the sonatas up to Op. 22 are achievable for a late intermediate. Some of the individual movements are Advanced (e.g. 10/3 Presto, 13 Allegro di molto and the outer movements of Eb, Op. 7).
Most of the Sonatas up to Op. 78 are Advanced, with the named ones (Waldstein, Appassionata more so than the others) and movements like 27/2 Presto (a rare tempo for Beethoven) and the 31/3 Presto con fuoco peaking over their surroundings.
Those from Les Adieu, Op. 81a to Op. 111 are Very Advanced and the last five in particular push piano technique beyond the comfortable reach of most amateurs and many professionals.
None of the advanced sonatas are a short term study. For me it's all down to how hard and how long I'm prepared to practise them in order to have them in my fingers and that means loving them not picking them based on their accessibility. I would spend time listening until I found one that suits my style, my technical ability and that is sufficiently appealing then go for it and allow myself time to enjoy it before I start looking for my next one.
Technical difficulty is quite subjective. Personally I don't find the early sonatas particularly easy. Op 2 no 2, for instance is extremely challenging, much more difficult than e.g. Op 90. The last movement of Op 90 should perhaps be included in the list of movements accessible to intermediate players. Even Op 31 no 2 (the Tempest) is probably easier than Op 2 no 2.
timmyab –speaking of appassionata, what about adding the second movement to this list?
Ganddalf- Thanks for pointing out Op.90—a beautiful piece!
Thanks for this Richard…I added in the rest of the movements for Op.79 (the 1st and 3rd). You raise a good point about accessibility not necessarily being the most important thing when choosing a piece to invest significant time on. Exploring these sonatas has been fun and I’ve found several single movements that I might be able to learn in less time (as in a few months-like Op. 79 Andante and perhaps Op.2 No.1 1st mvt). For investing significant time….the 3rd mvt of the moonlight sonata has been a favorite…it would be great fun to be able to play it. I think the other two movements are within my reach, but the 3rd would require significant time.
One day I’d really like to be able to play the 1st mvt of the appassionata too (obviously not on this list....so possibly impossible). But that will have to wait.
Revised List:
Intermediate:
Sonata 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1 1st mvt-Allegro 2nd mvt-Adagio 3rd mvt-Menuetto 4th mvt-Prestissimo (challenging tempowise!)
Sonata 3 in C major, Op.2, No.3 2nd mvt-Adagio 3rd mvt-Scherzo:Allegro
Sonata 6 in F major, Op.10, No.2 2nd mvt-Allegretto
Sonata 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique) 2nd mvt-Adagio cantabile
Sonata 9 in E major, Op. 14 No.1 1st mvt-Allegro 2nd mvt-Allegretto 3rd mvt-Rondo-Allegro comodo
Sonata 10 in G major, Op.14 No.2 1st mvt-Allegro 2nd mvt-Andante Sonata 12 in A-flat major, Op.26 3rd mvt-Maestoso andante, marcia funebre sulla morte d’un eroe
Sonata 13 in E-flat major, Op. 27, No. 1 (Quasi una Fantasia) 2nd mvt-Allegro molto e vivace
Sonata 14 in C # minor, Op. 27, No.2 (Moonlight) 1st mvt-Adagio sostenuto 2nd mvt-Allegretto
Sonata 19, Op.49, No.1 in G minor 1st mvt-Andante 2nd mvt-Rondo:Allegro
Sonata 20, Op.49, No.2 in G major 1st mvt-Allegro ma non troppo 2nd mvt-Tempo di Menuetto
Sonata 23, Op. 57 in F minor (Appassionata) 2nd mvt-Andante con moto
Sonata 25 in G major, Op. 79 1st mvt-Presto alla te desca 2nd mvt - Andante 3rd mvt-Vivace
Sonata 27, Op. 90 in E minor 2nd mvt -Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen
Late-Intermediate
Sonata 10 in G major, Op.14 No.2 3rd mvt-Scherzo: Allegro assai (poly-rhythmic sections and other difficulties)
Sonata 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique) 3rd mvt-Rondo: Allegro
Sonata 14 in C # minor, Op. 27, No.2 (Moonlight) 3rd mvt –Presto agitato (may be a challenge)
Sonata 24 in F-sharp major, Op.78 1st mvt- Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non troppo
timmyab –speaking of appassionata, what about adding the second movement to this list?
I don't really feel qualified to make a judgement on it to be honest.At a guess I'd say it's probably borderline. I notice you've still got the presto agitato from op27 no2 on the list.I would cross it off, it's really well into advanced territory I think.
timmyab –ah yes, i'm losing track of pieces with all the opus numbers flying around. I'll take that one off the list.
Sam S-Great find! Thanks for posting these links. Looking through the listings from those books there are some that are still not on the list here so I will add them:
Op.10 No.1 1st mvt-Allegro molto con brio; 2nd mvt-Adagio molto
Op. 10 No. 3 3rd mvt-Menuetto-Allegro
Op. 22 3rd mvt-Menuetto
Op. 31, No.3 (don't know which movements so took a guess and left off the 4th-presto con fuoco)
Updated List:
Intermediate:
Sonata 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1 1st mvt-Allegro 2nd mvt-Adagio 3rd mvt-Menuetto 4th mvt-Prestissimo (challenging tempowise!)
Sonata 3 in C major, Op.2, No.3 2nd mvt-Adagio 3rd mvt-Scherzo:Allegro
Sonata 5 in C minor, Op.10 No. 1 1st mvt-Allegro molto conbrio 2nd mvt-Adagio molto
Sonata 6 in F major, Op.10, No.2 2nd mvt-Allegretto
Sonata 7 in D major, Op. 10 No. 3 3rd mvt-Menuetto-Allegro
Sonata 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique) 2nd mvt-Adagio cantabile
Sonata 9 in E major, Op. 14 No.1 1st mvt-Allegro 2nd mvt-Allegretto 3rd mvt-Rondo-Allegro comodo
Sonata 10 in G major, Op.14 No.2 1st mvt-Allegro 2nd mvt-Andante
Sonata 11 in B-flat major, Op. 22 3rd mvt-Menuetto
Sonata 12 in A-flat major, Op.26 3rd mvt-Maestoso andante, marcia funebre sulla morte d’un eroe
Sonata 13 in E-flat major, Op. 27, No. 1 (Quasi una Fantasia) 2nd mvt-Allegro molto e vivace
Sonata 14 in C # minor, Op. 27, No.2 (Moonlight) 1st mvt-Adagio sostenuto 2nd mvt-Allegretto
Sonata 19, Op.49, No.1 in G minor 1st mvt-Andante 2nd mvt-Rondo:Allegro
Sonata 20, Op.49, No.2 in G major 1st mvt-Allegro ma non troppo 2nd mvt-Tempo di Menuetto
Sonata 23, Op. 57 in F minor (Appassionata) 2nd mvt-Andante con moto
Sonata 25 in G major, Op. 79 1st mvt-Presto alla te desca 2nd mvt - Andante 3rd mvt-Vivace
Sonata 27, Op. 90 in E minor 2nd mvt -Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen
Sorry to pour more cold water over this again but op 31 no 3 is a pretty tough sonata.The Scherzo in particular is extremely technical.The menuetto would qualify though I think.
There's a couple more to consider. The Introduzione from the Waldstein is pretty simple.Although it's not really designed to be played on it's own, it is a separate movement. Also the Absence from op 81a is probably intermediate I would think.
Sometimes the way that people talk about the Beethoven sonatas can be misleading.When they say that a particular sonata is easy or difficult, it's mostly relatively speaking.Nearly all of them are somewhere between difficult and ridiculous.
Sometimes the way that people talk about the Beethoven sonatas can be misleading.When they say that a particular sonata is easy or difficult, it's mostly relatively speaking.Nearly all of them are somewhere between difficult and ridiculous.
It's taken me weeks to get 49/1 1st mvt close to playable, and that is one of the "easy" sonatas. The turns in the right hand and the Alberti bass are my nemesis. And the sonata, to me, now sounds more like Mozart than Beethoven...
Op.49/2 was the first sonata my teacher had me practice. But I ended up playing Bach's 2 part inventions which actually seem harder with their counterpoint.
timmyab –thanks for these other suggestions. i'll update the list! no worries about cold water, it's appreciated.
Ken-thanks for sharing your experiences with op. 49/2. I haven't tried any of the Bach Inventions. Do you think they are good preparation for learning some of the beethoven sonatas?
Updated List:
Intermediate:
Sonata 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1 1st mvt-Allegro 2nd mvt-Adagio 3rd mvt-Menuetto 4th mvt-Prestissimo (challenging tempowise!)
Sonata 3 in C major, Op.2, No.3 2nd mvt-Adagio 3rd mvt-Scherzo:Allegro
Sonata 5 in C minor, Op.10 No. 1 1st mvt-Allegro molto conbrio 2nd mvt-Adagio molto
Sonata 6 in F major, Op.10, No.2 2nd mvt-Allegretto
Sonata 7 in D major, Op. 10 No. 3 3rd mvt-Menuetto-Allegro
Sonata 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique) 2nd mvt-Adagio cantabile
Sonata 9 in E major, Op. 14 No.1 1st mvt-Allegro 2nd mvt-Allegretto 3rd mvt-Rondo-Allegro comodo
Sonata 10 in G major, Op.14 No.2 1st mvt-Allegro 2nd mvt-Andante
Sonata 11 in B-flat major, Op. 22 3rd mvt-Menuetto
Sonata 12 in A-flat major, Op.26 3rd mvt-Maestoso andante, marcia funebre sulla morte d’un eroe
Sonata 13 in E-flat major, Op. 27, No. 1 (Quasi una Fantasia) 2nd mvt-Allegro molto e vivace
Sonata 14 in C # minor, Op. 27, No.2 (Moonlight) 1st mvt-Adagio sostenuto 2nd mvt-Allegretto
Sonata 19 in G minor, Op.49, No.1 1st mvt-Andante 2nd mvt-Rondo:Allegro
Sonata 20 in G major Op.49, No.2 1st mvt-Allegro ma non troppo 2nd mvt-Tempo di Menuetto
Sonata 21 in C major, Op. 53 (Waldstein) 2nd mvt-Introduzione:Adagio motto-attacca
Sonata 23 in F minor, Op.57 (Appassionata) 2nd mvt-Andante con moto
Sonata 25 in G major, Op. 79 1st mvt-Presto alla te desca 2nd mvt - Andante 3rd mvt-Vivace
What about a "Beethoven sonata" project? Maybe a bit less formal than the themed recitals.
Pesonally I'm planning to learn the whole Op.22. If I just start working on this without any deadline or planning to play it on a recital or make a recordng, I'll probably give up half-way. I have found these e-citals quite helpful in structuring my piano practice, and this is the reason why I make this suggestion.
I don't expect many ABFers to take on a whole Beethoven sonata. But some will perhaps try one or two movements.
Is anyone interested in this? Deadline maybe 6 months from now????
What about a "Beethoven sonata" project? Maybe a bit less formal than the themed recitals.
Pesonally I'm planning to learn the whole Op.22. If I just start working on this without any deadline or planning to play it on a recital or make a recordng, I'll probably give up half-way. I have found these e-citals quite helpful in structuring my piano practice, and this is the reason why I make this suggestion.
I don't expect many ABFers to take on a whole Beethoven sonata. But some will perhaps try one or two movements.
Is anyone interested in this? Deadline maybe 6 months from now????
This might work if we allow duplicates - and be prepared to hear multiple performances of the Moonlight.
I'm working on 49/1 1st movement. Should be ready in 6 months
Six months was just a suggestion. And why not allow duplicates? Selcting pieces that are not so frequently played should be encouraged, however. There are many pearls among the "intermediate" movements listed. I'm also thinking that it should be up to each participant to choose if he/she wants to make a video or just a sound recording.
Sounds like fun! hmmm..what piece would I learn? I've already started practicing the 3rd mvt of moonlight but I'm sure I can't learn it in 6 mo time (if at all). Might have to choose another piece to try to learn for something like this...
Sometimes the way that people talk about the Beethoven sonatas can be misleading.When they say that a particular sonata is easy or difficult, it's mostly relatively speaking.Nearly all of them are somewhere between difficult and ridiculous.
It's taken me weeks to get 49/1 1st mvt close to playable, and that is one of the "easy" sonatas. The turns in the right hand and the Alberti bass are my nemesis. And the sonata, to me, now sounds more like Mozart than Beethoven...
Sam
Hi Sam,
I remembered you mentioning Alberti bass on this thread (that was before I knew what it was!) I found this tutorial online today and though it deals with a different Beethoven sonata,thought it might be helpful to you or to anyone else working on Alberti bass:
The 2nd movement of the Pathetique sonata (#8 Op.13) is absolutely do-able in short order (I know 'cuz I can play it). Don't know about the other movements.
Interesting thread. I think there are some big challenges in some the pieces being thrown about here - someone who can only just serve up the notes of the 1st movement of the Moonlight sonata is going to get a shock even just try Op 2 or the Pathetique slow movement. But, it is wonderful music, and worth exploring.
I would like to advance a vote for some of the earlier movements of the Op 26 sonata in A flat - specifically the theme and the easier variations. It's lovely music and very 'pianistic' I think.
Just wait until you get to the second movement, it's enough to make you want to weep.I think it was that movement that convinced me that I'm an idiot.
Don't worry Timmy....Beethoven drove a (by all accounts very good) pianist called Daniel Steibert to leave Vienna as Beethoven wiped the floor with him in an epic piano improvisation concert. What mortal could compare themselves to Beethoven?
Keep going...I made a right mess of Fur Elise tonight yet I know I can do better on it.
