Innovation

Let's open with the 
2nd Movement

Beethoven's middle period is starting with this sonata in Ab opus 26. When you have mastered the art you are allowed to start breaking the rules. 

In this Sonata Beethoven dispenses with a Sonata Allegro opening all together and opens with the slow traditional 2nd variation movement. Very obvious variations. 

And he will develop a taste for it, like with the famous Moonlight Sonata, although here Beethoven does write four movements, as if he wanted to make a statement. He was not just forgetting the first movement, but is experimenting with the Sonata as a model. Hence there are four movements in opus 26. 

Some familiar compositions of other composers always pop up in comments on this Sonata. But the 'chicken or the egg' question does not surface when compared with Schubert's impromptu in Ab opus 142. Schubert wrote 'his' so much later and they were only published after his death, so close to that of Beethoven. 

And now we are talking death anyway, the third movement is a funeral march and of course Chopin's famous funeral march is inspired by it. 

It would be very interesting to know whose funeral Beethoven had in mind especially considering the outburst of joy in movement no. 4. 

Unlike Schubert's impromptu which is beautiful even when played too slow, this opening should really be easy going. It is written in 3/8 for a reason. Feel one pulse per bar. To play it in slow three would really spoil the mood of this beautiful set of variations. And the variations are beautiful all five of them. 

If you do that you will discover that the variations flow very naturally into movement 2, which is a lively Scherzo.

With the opening of the Sonata and this Scherzo you feel the Moonlight Sonata coming. It's only one opus number after this one!

And then you have this dramatic funeral March. Which is sooo sad, that indeed it does become suspicious. 

"sulla morte d'un eroe' This IS cabaret isn't it? Did Beethoven parody the french revolution here? And what to think of this bar on the left? So difficult to perform with dignity. 

To really see that just notice what Beethoven is doing the moment the last hand-full of earth is thrown on the coffin!

And now let's party! It is a real Rondo also. For the first time Beethoven has written an entire Sonata without a movement in Sonata form!

Students. This sonata is an excellent programme choice, but handle with care! Here is a performance by John Lill, which I think catches the mood very well.

John Lill, movement I
John Lill, movement III John Lill, movement IV

Contrast the first movement with this:

Artur Papazian

The closing Sonata of Beethoven's early period

Sonata Opus 22

This is Beethoven's closing Sonata in his early period. The distance to his previous sonatas Opus 14 is remarkable considering how many piano sonatas he wrote in his early Opus's. Obviously Beethoven in this period starts writing for other settings and is maturing as a composer.  

This Sonata is one of the lesser known Sonatas and is not at all easy to understand. I really didn't like the Sonata very much until I heard a performance of it by New Zealand pianist Michael Houston, which was very masculine and classical Beethoven in his way of playing. 

I consider it Beethoven's last attachment to Joseph Haydn and from now on Beethoven will embark onto his own particular style. 

This sonata appears approx. 2 years after his opus 14, but it is most likely that he wrote most of it more closely to his opus 14, which is around 1798. It only was published later.

Which means Beethoven's early period closes around 1799 and it is interesting in this respect to see what happened in Beethoven's life around 1800 to understand this step into maturity. 

Beethoven Deaf
by Artigas

His first symphony was performed at Vienna in 1800. This explains to some extend the gap between opus 14 and opus 22. It also indicates that Beethoven now thought himself ready to start writing for an Orchestra. 

Around 1800 he discovered the beginnings of his becoming deaf. 

The gap unfortunately also involves his letters. There are many before 1797 and many from the year 1800, but a noteable silence in exactly these years...

Does Amenda think that I can ever forget him, because I do not write? in fact, reserved! The best man I ever knew has a thousand times recurred to my thoughts! Two persons alone once possessed my whole love, one of whom still lives, and you are now the third. How can my remembrance of you ever fade? You will shortly receive a long letter about my present circumstances and all that can interest you. Farewell, beloved, good, and noble friend! Ever continue your love and friendship towards me, just as I shall ever be your faithful.


Biogrophies still write about the 'young Beethoven', but around 1800 Beethoven approaches his 30th year and the discovery of his deafness will have prompted a period of reflexion and withdrawal from writing letters. 

His works though were in great demand and he maintains his connections with the music lovers amongst the  nobility whom he approaches with confidence, yes more - as Joseph Haydn joked - 'the great Mogul'. 

This is still very classical and probably the last time Beethoven will do something like this. But even the opening is tricky, but that is because it is not really piano texture. Some contrasting elements of the second theme: 

This filled me with horror the first time I read through it. Even the rhythm of the theme associated with some quite vulgar folk tunes I knew. But again Michael Houston's performance of this Sonata revealed it was really me that was the problem not this Sonata. We leave him this honour, because my favorite sonata this one never will be. 

Let us just assume that Beethoven had more important things to do around this time, and indeed he had. 

The second movement did not bring a change of mood, apart from the idea that perhaps this Sonata was not intended to be for piano at all. It was just a sketch for a violin sonata of some sort. That would just make this second movement beautiful. And his brother Carl - as with the Opus 49 sonatas - published them without his consent. That certainly would have done for me. 

The thematic unity of the third movement - a minuet - with the first two is very striking. 

And then suddenly, even though the second movement might have charmed me, the minor trio re-enforces my doubts again. Did Karl Czerny put in an unexpected chance visit for one of his students? :

Do we expect a change of mood in the last movement? No! By now, I am absolutely convinced that this sonata is only a sketch for a violin sonata. Up to the typical popular key for the violin. Bb!  

There being only one man - not even the famous Beethoven interpretors - who can bring me off that conviction. Michael Houston .

Opus 14 #1 and #2

Sonata Opus 14 

Beethoven continues to honour Joseph Haydn in these two Sonatas. To such an extend that the first of the two sonatas was reworked to a String Quartet, a form which was invented by Joseph Haydn. To hear this sonata played by a quartet of String instruments you can go to this link:

http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/43432.html

Andreas Schiff in his lecture on Beethoven Sonatas discusses these two sonatas together with Opus 49 and Opus 22. This would rank these sonatas as the easier piano sonatas by Beethoven. But - as an expert - Adreas Schiff knows there is no easy music and for that reason assumes they are actually quite hard to play and interpret. 

The sonata was very popular in his days, because it was suitable for intermediate advanced pianists and Beethoven still at this stage writes for this audience. 

The texture though is extremely suitable for a quartet and Beethoven might even have had this in mind from the start.

The second movement is a lively but very tragic minuet in E-minor, the trio being bright and cheerful. Beethoven is experimenting with lots of things and meanings here turning the minuet and trio upside down.

And enjoy the rondo, whilst Beethoven still writes them! Mostly with Beethoven Rondos he will deviate to sonata form.

After the second presentation of the theme he will go to minor and this bit is extremely fun to play and listen to:



After this he will present the theme in minor also and play around a bit with the rhythm of the theme, which might have brought him to the idea for Sonata number 2 of this Opus. Experiment with rhythm!

Definitely the most interesting of the two this sonata is a constant trick and play with rhythm. Charles Rosen says of this sonata that the performer should not even try to emphasise the shift in rhythm. But equally misguided would be for the pianist to put his/her weight on the first 'G' in the left hand, which 9 out of 10 will do. And after all Beethoven did write an accent on the first note of the bar, even if it is not a Beethoven sf.

Again, everything in this sonata shouts Joseph Haydn. the 2/4, the rhythmic tid bits and demi-semi quavers. 

Many reminders to the first of these two sonatas also Beethoven continues to build on what he has done before, although this 2nd sonata is not at all suitable for a quartet. 

And then my favourite! Cabaret! Beethoven really has done it all. This is pure stage humour!

This movement features in my mind in a stage show, where Beethoven entirely disillusioned with the Europe of his days decides to put his deeds where his mouth is and to emigrate to New Zealand. He only did not quite anticipate the response - like the British in his days thought of his music as being barbaric - of the locals he would solicit, who would think it their duty to eradicate all Germanism in Beethoven's conduct and music and to remind him of the fact that the definite standard was already set by Purcell. Poor man!

And again enjoy it: a Rondo! But only because after the 2nd movement in traditional variation form you would expect a minuet, but Beethoven now decides to combine Scherzo and Rondo into one movement. When will you go back to four movements again Mr. Beethoven?

Can rhythm be more Joseph Haydn as presented here?
Again listen to Daniel Barenboim...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPsDwKAWN4U

Lunch concerts continued

I found this on the web somewhere. Great! Keep them coming! So agree with every word.... But.... temperamental foibles? Moi?


http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/news/pack-your-sammies-and-enjoy-lunchtime-recitals/1360412/

Yuka Bath is ensuring monthly lunchtime
music recitals continue

Regardless  of his temperamental foibles, piano teacher Art Zegelaar's practical imagination certainly enlivened Whangarei's musical culture. 
In particular, instead of presenting polished performances, his monthly recitals rather more revealingly illustrated work in progress. Alas, no more, now that the man with the get up and go has got up and gone.

Zegelaar, at first expecting to be away only temporarily, had persuaded one of his advanced students, Yuka Bath, to keep the lunchtime recitals ticking over. However, when it transpired that Zegelaar would not be back, Yuka decided to take them on and to imprint them with her own personality.

Zegelaar was convinced Yuka, if her abilities had been developed properly, could have become a notable pianist. Unfortunately, she had too tough a time of it. Being pushed over-hard in her formative years, she suffered numerous injuries and, as she says, "I think I had burnt out. I never touched the piano key for nearly 15 years... until I fell in love with a 

piano I met in Kaitaia. I will never give up playing the piano again."

Yuka, helping to clear up the loose ends of Zegelaar's teaching commitments, got to know Matt Watson, "when I provided the final piano lesson for his daughter Zoe. I talked about my idea and he was so happy to help me."

The enthusiastic Matt Watson is himself no mean pianist; he and Yuka make a formidable team. Having got her teeth into the recitals - which take place on the third Wednesday of each month, at noon in the Old Library - Yuka is now planning a series of Young Musicians' Concerts at lunchtime on weekends.

Yuka is hoping to open up a niche, to create opportunities for players of different instruments and from diverse backgrounds to both entertain the public and broaden their musical horizons. The first one is on Sunday at 1 pm.

Don't just wish her every success - it's far better you pack some sandwiches, go along, and make it happen. For emails of forthcoming recitals and concerts, or to enquire about taking part, email Yuka at jjgenki@xtra.co.nz.

Art Zegelaar Piano Concerto

Piano Concerto

Hmmm. Sorry to interrupt my Beethoven series. I thought it is time to introduce my 'Piano Concerto'! 

I had so much fun writing it!

It came about when I woke up one morning and actually had written the main theme whilst asleep and dreaming.  Well...that's about 12 bars and I knew I had to write it down immediately otherwise I would forget it. You can hear it at 0:54. It goes through all 12 keys.

I made the whole composition into a memory of my time in New Zealand and made a collage with my students in the scenery.

There are 3 movements.  

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The first movement lasts about 6 minutes as it is now, but it actually is not entirely finished. Still room to elaborate. 

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The middle movement is actually is a cakewalk. Is good as is, I guess...
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Then the 3rd movement. Thought of as a Rondo at first but developed quite differently. Very exciting to listen to - I hope - and play also!


Enjoy!

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Remark: This piano concerto has never been performed or recorded. If someone is interested you are welcome to use above e-mail address...

Pathetique

Sonata no. 8 Opus 13 
aka Pathetique

According to Beethoven's letters he did not think this was his best work. Written in Beethoven's revolutionary spirit of the time he would later somewhat distance himself from that spirit. That  distance though may have been caused more by his disappointment in Napoleon than his compositions of the time as such:


Do you mean to go post-haste to the devil, gentlemen, by proposing that I should write such a sonata? During the revolutionary fever, a thing of the kind might have been appropriate, but now, when everything is falling again into the beaten track, and Bonaparte has concluded a Concordat with the Pope--such a sonata as this? If it were a missa pro Sancta Maria à tre voci, or a vesper, &c., then I would at once take up my pen and write a Credo in unum, in gigantic semibreves. But, good heavens! such a sonata, in this fresh dawning Christian epoch. No, no!--it won't do, and I will have none of it.


The name Pathetique was not given by Beethoven himself. As usual the names to his Sonatas were given by the public. An affectionate tribute by his public that is. 


This is a work, which every aspiring piano student would like at least to give a try. A slightly more difficult aspiration as 'Fuer Elise', which still tops this Sonata.


When I walked into a piano shop the other day there was a note attached to the grand piano there saying: 


"If you try to play Fuer Elise on this piano and don't play it until the end, you will be shot!"


There are several approaches to piano teaching. 


One is the idea that all your piano students are little concert pianists to be raised to perfection and accepting many will get stuck in the process. The other is that everything people achieve has to be dreamt about first and imperfect realisation of that dream should not be discouraged by destroying the thought itself.


Did Serge Prokoviev not laugh about his own composition efforts as an 8 year old? But he still had to do it...


Then you will see something as the following, which still is a big achievement for someone who has been learning piano for 1.5 years!





The first movement opens with the famous slow grave. The intention is serious, by no means pathetic! 

Opening Pathetique

Typical for Beethoven is the f - p sequence in the opening chord. There is an interesting way of doing this: 


Play the chord strongly with your sustained pedal pressed. While you release the keys halfway clear your pedal and press the keys again (without the hammer hitting the string) and the sound will change from loud to soft! And then of course continue softly! By all means do count the semiquavers instead of just guessing the length of the notes!

And now the real deal! The opening C stands on its own. You will save yourselves a lot of hassle if you start the E and Bb with fingers 5 and 2 with wrist staccato throwing up your hand taking over finger 4 on F. Then continue with 3-1 and 4-2 followed by 5-1,5-2 and 5-1. And same fingering afterwards. While you practise this there is no need to exhaust your left hand by playing the tremolos, but if you do keep the little finger and thumb close to the keys and involve the wrist. 


Interesting to note is also the dynamic marking. We are still soft here and the temptation is always to give everything away right from the start leaving nothing to build afterwards. 


It is also good to realise this is classical music, so do go for the contrast. The second theme with all the grace notes is one of the most beautiful parts of piano literature and in full contrast with the first theme. 


As many of Beethoven's early/middle period sonatas there are only 3 movements. The second movement is very well-known also. 


I don't like the term 'famous' and always make fun when a student tells me he wants to play something 'famous'. 


'YOU make something famous, there is beautiful music enough to chose from!'.


We live in a time where the powers that be assume they can make anything famous, if only they set the right environment and 'tell' people to accept it. It doesn't quite always work like that, but in the meantime the classical pianist unfortunately is in a disadvantage. 


But not so in China!


Then the third movement. A real rondo for a change and a very catching one at that. We have already in a previous instalment  pointed out that Beethoven keeps developing his material and see whether you notice the connection of the following example from this rondo and the example from the first movement above!

You see?


For further listening you may want to try this version played by Glenn Gould. Not because it is such a good example, rather an example of which pitfalls to avoid! 


Glenn Gould playing Pathetique first movement

Discovery of the Leit Motiv

Sonata no. 7 Opus 10 no. 3

This Sonata is written in 1797, the year Beethoven published his revised version of his 2nd Piano Concerto - already performed once before his 1st in 1895 - and has 2 sharps for D major.


The key for exuberant joy!


Like the other two sonatas in Opus 10 Beethoven still is giving a tribute to Joseph Haydn and in some ways setting an antithesis to the 3 Sonatas in Opus 2. 


They were dedicated to Haydn. 
They were laying the foundation for the ideal! 
Far above what Joseph Haydn did. 

Hayden Browne

Opus 10 is dedicated to a piano student, countess van Browne, but are in itself a tribute to the music of Joseph Haydn. 


In the 3 Opus 10 sonatas Beethoven tries to communicate with a larger audience. Beethoven tries to appeal. Successfully for sure! Like the Opus 2 sonatas they are quite different in character from each other. 


Opus 10 no.1 Dramatic
Opus 10 no.2 Comical
Opus 10 no.3 Enigmatic


But he will compromise and for instance not write all 4 movements of a sonata. But this last Opus 10 sonata does have 4 movements and is its longest.


Always experimenting this sonata has a unison opening. That is all the voices play the same theme. The response is polyphonic. Full of classical contrasts staccato/legato. The unison section raising to the dominant the legato section falling back to the tonic key. 

Presto, but be consoled, it is in 2/4!


The reworking of the opening is brilliant! 


The first four notes with an upbeat descending from Tonic to Dominant is one of the leit-motivs of this sonata. It may very well be that this is the sonata, where Beethoven became aware of the use of leit-motivs and will more and more build his sonatas around such techniques.


Interesting is also the sudden start of the 2nd theme in b-minor in bar 12, whereas the start of the right hand melody here might very well still be perceived in D-major. Too soon for the 2nd theme to start, but then also the 2nd theme is really an idea or leit-motiv, this time ascending and therefore just the reverse of the first four notes. 


In traditional sonata form after the presentation of the 2 themes we have a coda and that's it! But here, we can see that indeed Beethoven is doing something different. After bar 42, when the presentation of the second theme is finished the play with the leit-motiv really starts going! For that reason bar 42 ends in the tonic again. This is SOO not plain sonata-form! 

leit-motiv

The rest of the 'exhibition' then is playing with this leit-motiv as if it were the development section! 




That's revolutionary Beethoven!

The second theme is slow and sad! Very sad. And that's amazing too, because the whole mood of this sonata is so joyful. There are several of these 'Largo e mesto' movements in 6/8 in his later sonatas. 


The minuet and trio is unusual too. The first section - reminding of the opening of this sonata - is traditional enough, but the second section is fugal. The trio - supposed to go to minor - is in major too and is a joyful folks tune! Beethoven rarely repeats himself, but is not entirely above the pressure of music publishers. He will use the same tune in sonata opus 14 no. 2!

Remains the last movement. True: a real rondo! But again Beethoven makes it a vehicle for his leit-motiv and quotes from the first three movements extensively. 


Hence in sonata no. 7 opus 10 no 3 Beethoven discovers the leit-motiv as means of composition, which will supersede that of sonata-form. Not Schumann or Liszt have discovered that!


Beethoven did.


Lecture of Andreas Schiff on Opus 10 no. 3