Pianist , DIGITAL EXCLUSIVES Play the whole oO! ‘MOONLIGHT’ SONATA! trie With a step-by step-lesson on the famous first movement INCLUDES 7 SCORES FOR ALL LEVELS: 2 beginner, 3 intermediate, 2 advancedEditor's note cannot xa remember the fst ive py Beethoven, but I know cea ery our Hes sayed wth me ever snc, Ws hard wo pinpoin what tne hunt oo uch Js look othe 32 ona rine each on of them a werk ofa and ech one of them contain los ecnialchllenges wo work our way hough Te tne ew ofthe sonatas ny ime incl the ‘Moonlight, which 1 performed for my musi school auton way back when Bele me, i wat “lain siting in font of sertfaed Jury having to dive righ ino that ‘uistely el ist movement ‘eres side, who cant ep bt resist having ago atthe Moonlight? And herein ou Ply Been specialise we prea th ee movement ‘Along wh the sor ofthe ht move ad nee Newman’ ep yep [ena ont Monof you willbe able toate a god aa ies no ha ard (Compre othe Frou hid movement, shat )-Befre you bagi, why ot lento our house plant Chenin 1 pron ie im suresh wl psu ou ode righ ‘wells he Moonlight. ve cose some of my favourite Beethoven Ser tha ave appeared in pst issues of Pun cattng fol level There te wo gine pers Rusion Felt Sang and «Te ‘sc Ty yout had at thee, and youl be wel on our way dsoverng what Becthoven all about Then thacbanamangemanca he moving Allegro om his7th Symphony which beginner inermedite ee ‘Then follows he teermonement Moonlight which ees the intermediate snd advanced eel pianist ‘And inl the Baul op 126 no wich forthe move avancd pani. You ca heat Chet Li perfor al ofthe above whch means you can ten to pee before you delet lara Oly and she ther wan cx bos ak onthe fom of Beavers mous Fr Else Tor some frker guidance we eur an indepth master by ou eve popular contibutor ce ‘Gonng echt with Ie Berhonen Sona, Cesham ofc up echia and peel aie hat Wil gv ou the foundation you eed to study Beethoven’ mighty 32 ‘So for now enjoy your dow of Beetoven pth ham, ERICA WORTH, EDITOR Pianist www.pianistmagazine.com PUBLISHER Dect Staphen re EDITORIAL, Garten Cran fa ()20 73860760 Facs4(O20 2860748 dear eva Worth dhorgparitraganecom Desuyedtacigetieniup denigedterOptrraptnecon itacrg Laure Benre lagentcnarelgvarerqroupcaue Sonor Ges Nathan ADVERTISING Grentacarane Aarts manage protmevedaspedcauk reeset e047? Fac 408526037 Uk & WORLD SUBSCRIPTIONS (exter USA & CANADA) Fans Suoxrpons Depsrmert ‘ars croup Pie oue PIOIP Ue Tara 77092483 Foo 940778421706, Frat sbscreterdonamapzincom Usnscanaoasuntonmons eecaaaeet en rage DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS. Rrelamemagagee Enna larentetarelevamersroupcaude moi 92003916 DISTRIBUTION Tra shop rer youthat toes Pons feomcreuroemr Erratcrergamerayoupcouk BACK IssuES eas (I7Te 92483, Fra bctuetpanetmaprnecom FOR ALLOTHER ENQUIRIES Gut ina ave Rae teseet )0 UK Foe aN 30) Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) BEGINNER Russian Folk Song CauntAnieyRanmowy we Rusia aniasiorin Ven when Syphon which Raramomysone ofthe detec ao oni Rasan eevee he ewan aboan cs amaer inst nd ea an eres ned re Rsun sng nents or ak tonminond stag quran Beteven Te oigsfiting.__sogelians fo 81013 Sono spe athe wou Ru ‘quarts his opus 18, conan wo instances ofa ThémerusseThe Fifth and Sach again fr this characteristic piece, Look tthe echnical ips within che sor, Yousineed tokeep yur istslooe nthe RH or they Ths inthe easy wi eez up when you bul up the speed beyofGmgor The melody returns (see he Fshaps). Vivace Vivace means vey quick! Moke sue are can hear all he RH te stacato res! softer hs me (). Ld Lf shout bebo wth a sret pulse The LH the foundation todhe piece Dig dep nt the heya Fy sort ou from he state i wil be spl to poy. Go backto the beginning ond Tis is he fst ce we come acres the doted The melody ia repec ofthe start bu it end cferenty repeat the fst 8 bos (the quovertsemiquaver pate Moke suet brings (¢2r5 7-8) 0 prepare yousefn acer tones with the double dts ‘ut very dear les harder than leaks especaly telyoute dois, because ofthe nace emp. 6 3——_—————_, — — Notice he ocert marking ‘ove the A Make on Dated quover but femphason the note fereagan. time! A Go back tothe beginning of bar 9 nd epectal the way treugh open (thet next the cee dot the end of ths piece neat th). 2 Beethoven.BEGINNER, rs) Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Tyrolean Air op 107 no 1 “This Tyoleanaitisthe fit ofBecthorers Zn Neon iui Vrison that ws ‘The frzandzon the second beat ofa bris an expressive rather than prcusive scent composed for Hate (or vilin) and piano in 1818, Nos 2 and 6 which are Scorsh From bar 5 the sured pis are replaced with pis of saccato noc, which requires as, along with No 7 (Russia) were published in London, Edinburgh and Vienna small movementof the west with the fingers temaining close othe keyboae. nthe in 1819, then he entire colton sppearedn Bonne Colgnein 1820, The phrawe le hand heise roche ofthe bar should be lg extend, while the second rakingin height hand are eryimporant. Whew quaversareslirted gether, and thd beats shouldbe played porta, eparsted with a pence movement oF out ‘heft should beaccented (ist doin) and the second light and aly (waist aed). ence forse. Moderato 2 oh 4 2 seh 4 \s | TT 23 2 5 4. Beethoven.Try the full learning experience with Pianist magazine... Pree ea Se to the scores with our music library (play and pause) at your leisure IT ed read B Y Fi Fra !how-to-play videos with ai RILETT our expert pianists on WIN A KAWAI ey 8 Lay Wy rene essential techniques IN OUR COMPOSIN' COMPETITION | inspiring performances EXCLU from concerts around the world> Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Allegretto from Symphony No 7 BEGINNER! INTERMEDIATE Hans-Gaineer Heumann offers up an intermediate lee piece, exclusively rated keeping the lines smooth and legato. You also ned to build up the dynamics for Pian, gradually, We think you will enjoy this arrangement Playing ep Ths arrangement offers relly good exercise in voicing your Pedalsp eumann just as sigested pedaling forthe opening chon Lines chords I startsoff at an caylee bu soon gets more complicated asthe iner needed lcwhere Bar 53 though, should deine have ome ewo pedal changes ‘vices Start appearingatbar20. Lotsoffingering hasbeen offered ohelpyouwith ine ar works well). Dabs ere and there wl ake things sound mot sonora Allegretto «= 60 _———_ a (2nd time pp ) 15 ©. Beethoven.Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) seiNneRs Allegretto from Symphony No 7 INTERMEDIATE 2 (2nd time f) (nd time pit f)Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) BEGINNER! Allegretto from Symphony No 7 INTERMEDIATE (2nd time sempre dim.)Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) BEGINNER! Allegretto from Symphony No 7 INTERMEDIATE = poco a poco 17 BeethovenFULL SCORE ON THE NEXT PAGE BEETHOVEN ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2 (Ist mvt) Teacher and performer Janet Newman shows you how to bring delicate layers of subtlety to this appealing and timeless piece that's sure to become a centrepiece of your repertoire Abid Info Key: Ct minor ‘Tempor Adagio sosento Soyle: Classical Will improve your Y pptone conta, 7 Evenness of tue 7 Suengho fh feger “This movement is immensely popular among musicians and non-musiclans alike. Amos everyone recognises it~ hho matter whae their age or musical ‘education ~ and almost everybody ‘with an interest in playing the piano will have tried to lear i atone point. ‘Alnough this sonata was writen well ‘over 200 years ago ie surprises us stil ‘with a sense of improvisatory musical exploration that fel remarkably contemporary, and the hear-breaking simplicity of the main theme (described bby Belioe as lamentation) appeals to the listener and player alike with dizer, emotional voice intaealaennadi yy exh Zpilipeeeemertets Scene heading uence tus gus peta Solon. ht psc own eee So beled ey dle nd ‘cede te eg sustain pedal (¢re corde) depressed. The no an ramenc hay changed Fut de cace esheets tc Moder pan bers gate se son ad fri el x eumgend ips die Serna ween Mr et ah Badin ese ons of Thea So lors ofr thou peed inseumert ars doa the Sion te feds Sanaa ‘intge whe sds sece Socnnstcostaster ch Shane Wid aiden pte | anime ih depen sald Ser Rte Peso Ca evn ander alee Roars ioost ores “ne Newanis Head Sttepadarne Roe! ieee Cited ain Soa eels ee Cronane Pianisimo isthe most used dynamic in this piece and atthe most treches ‘mezzo forte This means that you will need to be able to control your tone swith the utmost subtlety and evenness. “This pice is well known fr being one ‘ofthe hardest 0 play from this poine of view, as it is extremely difcule 0 sustain this dynamic quality thoughout the movement and play without any interruptions to the melodie line. Fist ofall, Twould suggest that you divide the movement into sections in order to help withthe note learning: bars 1-9, bars 9-15, bars 15-23, bas 23-28 and bare 28-42, at which point you will have reached the recapitulation of the main theme, Continue with ecional work from bars 42-51 (this passage contains ‘material fom the exposition, so you will have already learne many of the noes) From bar 51, goto bar 60. Treat bar 60 ca the end a one practice section, ‘This piece has three distinct layers: the LH as octaves, the middle line isin tiple arpeggio figures and the top line contains the melodic interes. In order to get the notes under your fingers, practise by combining the three elements in difering ways: LH octaves pls RH triples, RH triples plas melody and LH octaves plus melody. Tn chis way, you learn hw each ofthe pares interweave and support the others, And ic also helps you gaia coneol over your sound. You can aso apply the block practising’ method to help you absorb the notes quickly, which is co sy play the eriplet figure asa chord so that Fingers assume the shape of the arpeggio with greater Familia Voicing melody against accompaniment from bae 5 onwards with balance and projection (but never so loudly that you break chrough the sound barter of pp) ‘sone of the major technical challenges ofthis movement, A technique that tight help you here is "wrist leverage’ ‘What eis means i thae as you play the dloreed quaverlsemiquaver figure of the ticlody, you would relax down into the frat note with your wrist and then come up slightly on the semiquaver before pulling down again on the frst beat fesolution note. This is so much easier ta demonstrate rather than explain, but tay viualising this movement as fui, almost cxcuar shape, ‘Also, ‘brace’ your fifth finger and colour the ep line with a distinctive, ‘artying tone ~i should piere eo the core, even though the dynamic is hushed and muted. By "brace a rerm that plano teachers use Frequently, I'm 8. Beethoven ees etter suggesting cha the fifth finger should bestrong, lightly cused and eeady to strike the key. Perhaps iis the hushed and muted quality tha led ro the poet tnd crite Latdwig Rellstab ro give tis sonata its nickname, ‘Moonlight’ he fle i was a wonderful depiction of moonlight reflecting on Lake Lucerne Ifyou think ofthe lghe ofa fall moon, ichas an extraordinary clarity and lucidity ~ but wth no warmth or colour whatsoever within it Tee his rather bleak soundscape cht I try to achieve when I play or indeed, gech the Sonata. Learning Tip Practise finger substitution, by playing a sealo in any Koy and Substhuting aferent finger on teach note 1, 2-1, 2-1, and 0 on; then 13-1, 3-1, nd'soon, moving ‘trough al five fingers, Pay the hands separately ~and without sounding bury! “The LH has the easiest job ofall three pars, o 3 it would seem — afterall, what dificulties could slowly moving octaves present? However, iF you rally want fo play this movement 2s futhfully asthe composition demands, then I would encourage you to consider joining each octave as much 2 possible, which means practising your Finger substitution. Sear with Land 4 fon the fret octave (bar I) snd which will move 19 ¥ and 5 on the second bat “Then substitute che Fourth onto the Bh so that you move co the next position (octave A) with Tand 5 and so on. Cling to each octave, because in reality, this isthe only way o truly learn howe to grade your tone from one note co the next and tobe able to (eventually?) ‘guarantee « completely even and Eonsistent pp. Sul, chere ate doubsless differing opinions on ths (for example, ifyour hands are small, i wll be easier for you to ply all che acraves with thumb and fifth finger) s0 of course, choot the fingering that you fel will best suit your hands Enjoy this timelessly beautiful piece. You should savour taking the time to discover i, a it will doubtless become fone ofthe most popular works you will probably ever ply! aINTERMEDIATE CS) Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, first movement There aremany interpretations ofthismorement, Onourauio track Chenyin and she doesnt give way to slowing down or speeding up. It mighe sound takes what we thnk san appropriate tempo. She creates acalm atmosphere, contactor, but the calmer one play this the move intense wil ound, Adagio sostenuto ata 3° sempre pp e senza sordino ; Ofte ee ce eet er ie Tai! ee (Des 3 = ig 4 ae = 73 eas ern 9. Beethoven.NaS AVAXHOME?Ce eau ae CO eS aCe Le Cee Ca co eee ec es Unlimited satisfaction one low price Cheap constant access to piping hot media Protect your downloadings from Big brother Safer, than torrent-trackers 18 years of seamless operation and our users' satisfaction ONT tery 4-3 Brand new content elec AvaxHome - Your End Place We have everything for all of your needs. Just open https://avxlive.icuLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) dwig van INTERMEDIATE ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, first movement all te 4i¢e dilo allo 10. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ee InreRMeDIATE ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, first movement 31 1s 82s 1s ci cil mF Bo +4 444 BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, first movement INTERMEDIATE 31 dil 32. Beethoven oo a Attacea subito il seguenteLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, second movement INTERMEDIATE Beethoven compose sis famoussonataberween1 800-1, He was30 years olMd and just ginning ro ier fom she hearing lows that woul plague him ehoughout the test of ise. The sonata his 1h, was dedicated tone of his student the 17-yeaold Gilets Guiecod, for whom he apparently had oman flings = dhough tha’ Moonlight nickname came much tet. Becthoven described this plece as a ‘sonata quasl una fantasia, thereby providing eon forthe fic thie doesn follow conventional sonata form In this movement he alo departs fiom the conventional Schere-Teioby asking that the exposicon nor be epeated (a prima parte solaenta una vole) Playing tpe This rcky lide movement. We sggest staring ou hands Allegretto La prima parte solamente una volta b-—— as P 412. Beethoven ‘Peds ete. separately, OF course the emphass shouldbe the topline ofthe RH, but che LH ab has sown inner melody. This shore overeat has ro sound light and iy Novices mainly piano throughout. Adhere toall he ress. In che To section, you might want ty tue legato inthe RH octaves, This means Fingeing them ‘correctly Iedepends hw big your hand sto. Pedal pe In ths movernent only very ight das of pedal ae required. Sethe pedal markings. But we suggest hat you yout all various types of pedalling © {ce which sound you prefer Remember thar everything cede to sound light and deat, so les ia slimoet always more. You ea8 we more pedal i the Tea section inorder to produce good legato sound, |Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) cies INTERMEDIATE Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, second movement jy ita 4 ‘ ae >) 4 _ D.C. al Fine 14. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED Playngtpn Dont be putoffby the Presto tempo. Ax you work on youl find this movmentisa grat eson in so many things ~and you practise cael, building up the empo ever so slowly, you will each a lively wep in a tine Look the LH and RH pars as oly separate nits the LH hasitsown pan of action (dorted bass quavere and lcs of Alberti bas) and the RH another plan (arpeggios galore and melo). Your arpeggios wll improve no endif you work, aweay at them seriously. Break them up into short units, starting Presto pasgitato ‘with alfa bar, chen one ba then one and lfc, ad soon, With the RH, repeated quavers (bar 43 onward), kep che wrist supple, Tink of bouncing, Tal you don eax the wrist, iw sie up, Pay aention vo the dynanncs = there are lacs f changes from bar vob Pedal tip: Very few markings ae onthe score. Light pdal is required, Inshould sound cyst clear. Ar bar 21, however, cy fr mote pedal, at the milo dy requires a more legito sound at that point 4. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED 38. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED 417 BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED perese 38. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED ee IELudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCEDLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED 102 24. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED 22. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED bth ase teceeees j oH aeeeesaet a) #83 22. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCEDLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED 28. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) ‘Moonlight’ Sonata op 27 no 2, third movement ADVANCED 43 Adagio TempoGetting technical with BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATAS Teacher and performer Graham Fitch offers some vital technical and practical advice that, will help you be up to the challenge of studying and playing Beethoven's 32 sonatas cxthoven wrote his 32 piano sonatas between the ages of 25 and 55, ths these works span the composers so-called cay, middle and late periods, and paint arich picare of hic sliste development. In approaching on this vast subject fom avery practical point of view, I realised there iso way I could do any more than scratch the surfice ina single aril So before Isat down to write, I reached ‘oat to other pianists through social media to find out wh they really wane to know about playing and studying these sonatas. received a wide and varied series of questions in response, and hope I have addresed some of the important isues here Pedal “The sypes of piano Beethoven knew had very diferent tonal and resonance properties from our own ~ tone decayed quicker and the sound was more transparent. Beethoven only had a foor pedal from about 1800; before this he relied on knee levers (which were more cumbersome to operat) (Ceerny and Hummel reported that Beethoven used excessive pedal in his ‘own playing, The pedal masks he lft us in the sonatas all have to do with {resting an exces of resonance ~ more than you would normally chink to do. Tempering our pedalling decisions with che knowledge that Beethoven's ‘markings work better on the pianos of the time, we need to keep in mind that he was after blurred eects and not squeaky-clean textures. So lets not be squeamish Lets consider the Moonlight Sonata’ opus 27 no 2. I i easy to be confused by the instruction in the fist movement [the Score appeas inside this issue]. ‘Si deve suonare tuto pezzo delcaissimamentee senza soxdino! «ould mean one ofewo things: 1) Use che sustaining pedal throughout ~ WATCH GRAHAM ONLINE Dont miss Grehem Fics vide lessons, which youl find onthe Paist website at sew pinistmagaine com. He demonstate a dierent types of techniques there are over 2D lessons to watch. His current lessons ae fied at Steinway Hal, London, on Model D concer grand. Greham & 3 pianist teacher, wor and achudicater, Ho gives rastrlasses and workshops intaatinaly and writes a popular pana ble, wawwpactsingthepiane.com. and change it with each new harmony, of 2) Keep the sustaining pedal ‘own throughout - withou changing it. My soliion to this perennial problem is owofold: make late pedal changes and don’ put the pedal all the ‘way doven, just enough to barely ie dhe dampers from the stings. also find myself using finger pedal in the RH in certain places, holding onto the triplets with my hand. This all combines ro give an artistic elisation ofthe blurred mistines I feel Beethoven intends but without overdoing i. Czerny tells us this movement describes 's nocturnal scene, in which a mournful ghostly voice sounds from the distance’. [Readers might ls like to refer to ‘Grahamis Masterclass in Pianie No 84 (JunelJuly), in whieh he discusses pedalling in the musi of Beethoven and other Classical composers Adagio sostenuto sempre ppe senza srdino Another Becthovenian pedalling challenge to make the long pedal work inthe last movement of the opus 53 'Waldsteia’ Sonata (below). You could ‘se the stent pedal to hold the bass and then se he right pedal ro change on each new harmony (overlapping to create abit of blurring), or imply pu the right pedal down just far enough to catch the bass note “This will minimise che rexonance in the higher registers, and you can always tweak iby using flater pedalling if you do so carefully (dont lose that bass. For this to work, voicing and balance have to be controlled {impeccably in the hands. This sonata is sometimes known as Aurore’ after the las movement, which i sad ro describe che dawn of anew day. Allegretto moderato sempre pianissimo) %. 27. BeethovenMASTERCLASS a the stare ofthe opus 13 "Pathtique’ to cut the resonance, but it quite ‘angerous. Most players dont bother with this. Rforzando (or fr rnf is ‘bit like playing in bold type ~ not loud necesaily bur somewhat met Peculiat co Beethoven isthe undelivered crescendo ~a crescendo that promises to arrive ata louder dynamic level but just atthe poine of ative Beethoven places piano marking. This is the musical equivalent ofthe old schoolboy tick of pulling a chait from someone jus as they are about to sit own = it needs to beset up sit totl soeprse! ee) “The long pedals inthe rectatives inthe ise movement of che opus 31 no 2 Tempest’ Sonata (helo) are supposed to sound like a voice from the crypt, and therefore should nor be co clean. Again, ty dropping the pedal millimetre oso down from the top and adjust where necessary without Actually changing it. In a dry acoustic, Ise nothing wrong with holding the pedal about a quarter of the way down forthe whole recitaive. And remember whatever blurring you perceive a the piano is reduced by the time it reaches your audience Largo 7 5 con espressione esemplice * Performance Directions Beathoven was the mont prescriptive composer of his time ~ and even before his me. The ultimate contro feak, he lft very little doubr about phrasing, dynamics, arculation and other performance directions, He exploits a wide range of diferent touches and the fll dynamic ange, and the opposite tends ofthe spectrum ~ pianissima and fortisima ~ need ta be special. Make ‘sure co really observe each ffand pp, and save your extrt-loud and extra-soft sounds for these places “The directions of rinfand fp cause a lot of canfasion when you play Beethoven's music. Remember that sf(or sf) means sforzando~ a sudden accent within the given dynamic level. does noe mean to pay the note ot ‘chord as loudly as posible. Thus ina piano context, he sf will nox be that Toud, jue sudden! Make sure the notes surrounding the orsando are soft and unaffected by the accent. ‘On the other hand, fp tells us to play the note or chord forte and subsequent notes sofiy. Ths effect was much more easily achieved on the ‘apes of piano Beethoven knew, where the tone decayed relatively quickly. ‘On the modern piano, the sound tends ro bloom after the initial attack and takes longer to decay and this can make fp effects tricky to manage ‘Some aris se a trick with the pedal and re- depressing the keys silently ous practice room, you might try Following ehrough withthe crescendo to experience what the listener expects Thus instead ofthe given {pin the above example, practise resolving the crescendo to mforf. Having one this, see the crescendo through to the very lave semiquaver ofthe bar before the p, being careful nor to chicken out before the cu-of point. You may well find you need a litle extra ime forthe effec 0 register, experiment with playing the patrival a touch late. Then ey without eaking ny time and sce which works better — if you have made a big crescendo you might need a millisecond forthe resonance to disipae or you risk Swalloming up the p In the case ofa suite piano ies help make 3 small crescendo just beforehand since the natural tendency is. pre-empt the piano by softening too soon, Sometimes Beethoven das the opposite “1 hubito forte after a diminuendo. Inthe example below, fom the end of| the development section in the First movement of opus 10 no 1, T suggest making ste the chord on the lst beat before the fs as soft as posible ro ‘maitise the seprse Tempo In his music, Beethoven stretched many things to thei limits ~ dynamics, the capabilites of the pianos he had, and expressive power. Even in the ealy sonatas rempor cin range from the mos spacious of adagios ro whihwind prestissimos the gives us both back to back with the last rwo movements of ‘puis 10-no 1). Be careful that lento and grave movements are not 100 slow, ‘28 Beethoven“The opening of the ‘Pathétque’ is ofeen played way t00 slowly, with the result hae the fecing of the four main beats gts lst. ‘Watch out For adagios with an alla breve oF cut time signarure (such as the firse movement ofthe Moonlight) ~ the tempo applies to she i (hal note) main beats and nor to crorchets (quater nots). ‘We know that Beethoven vas fice with the tempo in is own playing and not at all metronome, Ie is hard to imagine the two completely contrasting, statements of the same idea inthe opening of ops 90 being played at cexacly the same tempo. We can suelystech our the piane (more relaxed and spacious) answer tothe fovte(deiven) statement fee bit here In his performing editions, Artur Schnabel suggests different metronome markings from one section 0 another for all the sonatas. Subtle gradations of speed are par ofthe style, bue we should avoid exaggerating these. Hand redistribution ‘When ie comes to Becthoven, some pianists are desd set against che ides of redistributing notes beeween the hands co make things more manageable, The great pianist Radelf Serkin played all the Beethoven sonatas except ‘one ~ apparently he would nor play opus 2 no 2 (bars 84-85 below) because he couldnt manage one figure written for the RH that most panists done think wie about dividing beeween the two hands, posibly hecause Beethoven gave his own explicit fingering (shown here in tlic) “There ate passages in Beethoven's piano writing that ate noc supposed, to sound safe and eany~ the treacherous LH leap in che opening of the ‘opus 106 Hammerklavier, che LH diminished seventh octaves atthe start ‘of opus 111, for example. To redisteibute these passages could destroy the ‘lements of heroism, danger and strugale integral to the gesture, We need to take a rise ere, is what the music i about. Allegro 2 St 3 Texture Like Haydn and Mozart before him, Beethoven often chought about instruments and terms other than ce piano when writing fr the piano. This sounds contadicor, I know, but somtimes we hea the orchestra in Beethoven’ piano writing, other mes a more intimate ensemble such asthe string quaret. The opening of opus 110 i written in four distinct parts, 3s though fora quar. Ie would be inappropriate o solo out the tp voice and hide the lowe ones instead find atonal blend where all parts contribu P con amabilita (anf) In the last bar above, a long pedal would cause the figuration to swim and lose articulation. Experiment with shore pedals so thatthe LH mimics the bowing of stringed instruments Teis not appropriate ro subdue Beethoven's accompanimental figurations ‘when they coneribte tothe drama, The tremolo triplets in the Kirst movement of the opus 31 no 2"Tempest ate more effective when brought to the foreground ~ don’ hide them: Tritts Beethoven accepted CPE Buchs authority on ornamentation, so he probably intended an upper note star eo the ils in the early petiod sonatas la bie middle and late period works, he tended to indicate when he wanted an upper note start, implying that a main note stare had become his deal He was also quite fastidious in indicating che sux (cermination) when he wanted one. In neary all eases, the fingerings given by Caeeny in his edition ofthe sonatas (published in 1850) imply a stare on the main note. I done think ies helpful wo be dogmatic aboue this. Make your decision based fon the context. Resources \When I suey Beethoven sonata, ike to consult 1 or trae diferent ‘edtions but wor rom the Henle Urtext. While | havea sof spot forthe ‘commentary and fingerings nthe old Craton Tovey ABRSM elton, the latest version by Barry Coopers more scholar. Scinabelseition makes an ‘excelent supplement 0» standard Utes, end itis also worth looking st Hens ‘von Bulow’ for fingerings an footnotes. Thre is a racent Henle ection with ‘alent fingerings by Muray Praha 29. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Bagatelle in B minor op 126 no 4 ‘ADVANCED Dedicated co Beethoven's brother Johann, the Six Bagatelles opus 126 were published in 1825. Tey ae character works tha are often performed in concert ‘ase Thisstormy piece nec cyte dive Pract sly and eanly, picking up the sped graclly(posbly with the help ofthe metronome) ill ou each the energetic pres tat wil surely make i come ave. Peli snot marked Into the score, bu use at your dstetion, Too lle and will sound to dry, and Presto : 2012 2 be A ‘00 much will make it sound too mushy, I's in AcBPA-B form, The dreamy B Section appar fist at bar 52 (change of key toa ‘happier A major) and again. at {nt 163 Here you should use more pl and ake not ofthe very longerescendos and diminaendos ry to grade cher Make sure the piece ails off smoothly at theend, Dontallow iardandotempeingasiemighe be. Irshoud just evaporate nto china Aer r SsLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Bagatelle in B minor op 126 no 4 ADVANCED sempre p Ht t tee tet ye artes paar eo ie ek te 24. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Bagatelle in B minor op 126 no 4 ‘ADVANCED 10 22. Beethoven pitt p.- afLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Bagatelle in B minor op 126 no 4 ADVANCED 22. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Bagatelle in B minor op 126 no 4 ‘ADVANCED 24. BeethovenLudwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Bagatelle in B minor op 126 no 4 ADVANCED 28. Beethoven