07 May 09
>The question is one only a pianist can answer. I'm not a pianist, but I would be interested in hearing a pianist respond.
>One of the things that makes Beethoven hard to play is his rapid, almost instant, jumping back and forth between two very different ideas that don't seem to relate to each other. He will give you a beautiful melody, then not complete it, and then go into a chaotic passage, or vice versa. Later of course he demonstrates that these ideas do relate to each other, and the challenge is convey all this right from the beginning.
>Often it's difficult to say that such and such a melody is actually a theme. Often it's only a motive and in the end there is no theme at all, the first movement of the Third Symphony being a good example, and there are many examples in his piano sonatas.
08 May 09
Originally posted by scherzoGet really, really into the bit where it switches to F# minor and the melody happens in the bass. That's a harmony joyride, and bear that fact in mind when you play that part. That said, it's been about five years since I played this and almost as long since I played the piano seriously, so any comments I have are likely to be rust-based.
I'm having a bit of trouble with the third movement, stylistically. Any playing tips?
08 May 09
Originally posted by ChronicLeakyCan I have a measure number please? (there's a lot of places where it switches to F#m)
Get really, really into the bit where it switches to F# minor and the melody happens in the bass. That's a harmony joyride, and bear that fact in mind when you play that part. That said, it's been about five years since I played this and almost as long since I played the piano seriously, so any comments I have are likely to be rust-based.
08 May 09
1 edit
Originally posted by scherzoI don't have the music to hand, look at places with the following properties:
Can I have a measure number please? (there's a lot of places where it switches to F#m)
1. The melody which you previously played in C#m with your right hand is played in F#m with your left
2. Your right hand is playing the (suitably transposed) Alberti bass part
Any of those (I think there's just one, up to any indicated repetitions of it).
09 May 09
Originally posted by ChronicLeakyAaah. Got it. Thanks.
I don't have the music to hand, look at places with the following properties:
1. The melody which you previously played in C#m with your right hand is played in F#m with your left
2. Your right hand is playing the (suitably transposed) Alberti bass part
Any of those (I think there's just one, up to any indicated repetitions of it).
13 May 09
Originally posted by scherzoHi scherzo, I'm not sure if this is what you meant, but I'll give it a go.
I'm having a bit of trouble with the third movement, stylistically. Any playing tips?
It's also been quite a couple of years I that I played it, but after having just played it through, I think, although probably obvious, it would help the performance if you give attention to the structure of the piece as it seems to be a quite normal 'sonata'-structure with a (repeated) exposition with 2 themes, development section, recapitulation with a kind of extended coda that looks a bit like a concerto-cadenza.
I'm not too sure what the 2nd theme would be, actually. Haven't looked at it thoroughly and I'm no theory expert, but I'm inclined to think the 2nd theme starts in bar 43, whereas the g# minor part from bar 21 onwards seems more of a 'fake theme'.
You might also look at it another way, because obviously in the development section it's mainly material from this theme that's being used, although in bar 92-93 the rhythm is pretty much from the bar 43 theme.
I think I would musically accentuate the key moments of the sonata structure, beside the obvious for instance bar 87 where the dominant g# in the base is reached, eventually leading to the recapitulation in bar 102. Or bar 158, which would in a concerto probably be the place where the orchestra, after the recapitulation, plays the introduction to the cadenza (bar 167) which ends in bar 190.
In the lyrical passages, because of the very fast tempo, it may be important to have a very clear and bright sound, and maybe just light pedals as to avoid very woolly sound which might indeed work for a Schumann or Brahms sonata.
Very open for discussion of course, but these are just my first impressions as I'm no expert on this piece. Hope you can get something out of it! Enjoy playing it, anyway. Love the second movement.