Your most favorite Beethoven sonata?

[Rach3]

If you have one?

edit: I meant to include a poll. Oops! In retrospect it would have been useless anyway.

 

[neutrino]

I'm relatively new to western classical. So at the moment I have to say "Emperor" since this is the only one I have heard, and that too only once. I may change my opinion in a few months!

EDIT: Here's proof for what I said in the first sentence...Emperor is a concerto.

 

[Cyrus]

I don't have any of his Sonata's, although I am 100% sure I have heard them all. So I can't say.

EDIT: Ahh, I only have one on my computer. It's a guitar. Its quite nice.

Dan na na na na dun na na nan a dunnn na na na na dunn an de dun. Eh, you know what I mean. (It's not his 5th symphony that I am humming, though you might think it sounds like it)

Now I am listening to the Egmont Overture.

 

[marlon]

My favourite :

Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor Op. 57, 'Appassionata'

About this work : when Beethoven presented it to his "boss" he was so angry because the guy gave some comments Beethoven did not like. He answered : There will be kings and princes for ever, but there will only be ONE Beethoven.

The "Emperor" is not a sonata , it is a pianoconcerto.

marlon

 

[Mk]

Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor Op. 57, 'Appassionata'

Oh, yes, that one is my favorite as well. Of course, Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, "Moonlight Sonata" is a pretty good too.

 

[fourier jr]

If you have one?

edit: I meant to include a poll. Oops! In retrospect it would have been useless anyway.

since I'm not sure what you mean by sonata...
cello/piano sonata op.69 in A major
piano sonata #3 in C major
violin sonata #1 in D major or #9 in A major (aka "Kreutzer")

 

[fuzzyfelt]

Waldstein, posssibly because it reminds me of the 2nd movement of the
7th Symphony, which I love. Is it just me or does anyone else see the similarity?

 

[EL]

"Moonlight" rules!

 

[selfAdjoint]

Number 30, Opus 109 in E Major, played by Alfred Brendel. I groove on all the late sonatas, late quartets too; they are a new and deeper Beethoven. And Brendel is my man! Nobody has ever captured this music better, and I've heard some masters play it (I well remember a snowy evening at UW Madison in the early 1960s, with Rudolph Serkin playing all three of tha last sonatats, numbers 29, 30 and 31).

 

[Bladibla]

My favourite sonata has to be the 'Hammerklavier' sonata (Or Piano Sonata No.29 in B flat Major "Hammerklavier"Op.106 for you people who are skeptical on such matter), for its sheer technical virtuosity and its testament to Beethoven's immense counterpoint skills.

If you want to hear that, and all other piano sonatas, here:

http://boyunglee.com/music/beethoven/ps/

Best player in my books is Jeno Jando - His piano playing is high quality, and isn't so eccentric (another reason why I absolutely HATE Glenn Gould)

 

[Bladibla]

since I'm not sure what you mean by sonata...
cello/piano sonata op.69 in A major
piano sonata #3 in C major
violin sonata #1 in D major or #9 in A major (aka "Kreutzer")

When we say 'Beethoven' and 'sonata', it is usually implied that it is the piano sonatas.

 

[Rach3]

since I'm not sure what you mean by sonata...
cello/piano sonata op.69 in A major

I love that one! The Yo-Yo Ma recording with Ax is awesome - over-the-top, unrestrained romanticism, with liberal doses of humor. Whose do you listen to?

Rudolph Serkin playing all three of tha last sonatats, numbers 29, 30 and 31).

There is one more - number 32 op. 111! The best of the lot!

 

[Rach3]

When we say 'Beethoven' and 'sonata', it is usually implied that it is the piano sonatas.

Unless you're a violinist or cellist.

 

[Bladibla]

Unless you're a violinist or cellist.

No I MEAN that Beethoven is far, FAR more famous for his piano sonatas than any other sonatas for other instruments.

So it is irrevelant whether you are a violinist or a cellist.

 

[Rach3]

Number 30, Opus 106, played by Alfred Brendel.

Hmm, no. 29 op. 106 (Hammerklavier), or the E major no. 30 op. 109?

 

[Rach3]

No I MEAN that Beethoven is far, FAR more famous for his piano sonatas than any other sonatas for other instruments.

So it is irrevelant whether you are a violinist or a cellist.

Even the Kreutzer?

 

[Bladibla]

I'd rather people reference the link I gave in my post for others to hear what the sonatas sound like. This is a open forum, and any knowledge from here should be audible to everyone else.

 

[Bladibla]

Even the Kreutzer?

*sigh* Do you really think the average layman knows about the kreutzer sonata more than, say, the moonlight sonata?

 

[Rach3]

*sigh* Do you really think the average layman knows about the kreutzer sonata more than, say, the moonlight sonata?

Meh, Kreutzer's more awesome. I could care less about public opinion.

 

[Bladibla]

Meh, Kreutzer's more awesome. I could care less about public opinion.

But the point is we aren't talking about YOUR opinion now, are we?

 

[selfAdjoint]

Hmm, no. 29 op. 106 (Hammerklavier), or the E major no. 30 op. 109?

I mistyped a 6 for a 9. I meant 109. I like the Hammerklavier too, as well as Op 30 and 31, but my personal fave is 29.

I'll go back and edit my post.

 

[fourier jr]

I love that one! The Yo-Yo Ma recording with Ax is awesome - over-the-top, unrestrained romanticism, with liberal doses of humor. Whose do you listen to?

i've heard that one, & i also have the ones by rostropovich/richter, casals/serkin, kliegel/tichman, bylsma/immersmeel, pre/baremboim, markson/osorio & schiff/perenyi. the one by kliegel/tichman is definitely the best. the markson/osorio is good too.

 

[Mk]

I could care less about public opinion.

Or couldn't you?

 

[Rach3]

Or couldn't you?

No, I certainly could. For example, I might have been talking about politics.

 

[Rach3]

i've heard that one, & i also have the ones by rostropovich/richter, casals/serkin, kliegel/tichman, bylsma/immersmeel, pre/baremboim, markson/osorio & schiff/perenyi. the one by kliegel/tichman is definitely the best. the markson/osorio is good too.

Wow that's a lot of recordings, I'd be dizzy and disoriented by that point. I have one recording of this sonata not on that list, I forgot whose it was, but it doesn't matter that much because it was only average...

 

[Rach3]

I mistyped a 6 for a 9. I meant 109. I like the Hammerklavier too, as well as Op 30 and 31, but my personal fave is 29.

I'll go back and edit my post.

You're still confused: Hammerklavier is no. 29! I'm guessing you mean no. 30 - the one with the variations.

 

[marlon]

No I MEAN that Beethoven is far, FAR more famous for his piano sonatas than any other sonatas for other instruments.

So it is irrevelant whether you are a violinist or a cellist.

Good Point.

That's one of the differences between Beethoven and Mozart for example. Mozart wrote famous masterpieces in practically every musical "discipline".

For example, what about opera ? Beethoven wrote Fidelio, but apart from the astonishing ouverture, this piece is really not that good. Especially if you compare it's quality to other works.

Beethoven wrote just one violin concerto, but it is a real masterpiece and very famous (especially the third movement, which is sometimes used in commercials).

 

[neutrino]

I almost bought a CD of Beethoven Sonatas (8,14,21 and 23) today performed by Wilhelm Kempff. Does anyone of have this?

 

[marlon]

I almost bought a CD of Beethoven Sonatas (8,14,21 and 23) today performed by Wilhelm Kempff. Does anyone of have this?

I don't have it but it must be good for at least two reasons :

1) Kempff
2) The Appassionata is on it (nr 23, the best Beethoven sonata)


marlon

 

[neutrino]

I don't have it but it must be good for at least two reasons :

1) Kempff
2) The Appassionata is on it (nr 23, the best Beethoven sonata)


marlon

What about the moonlight? I think I'll get that CD the next time I go there.

 

[Bladibla]

Good Point.

That's one of the differences between Beethoven and Mozart for example. Mozart wrote famous masterpieces in practically every musical "discipline".

For example, what about opera ? Beethoven wrote Fidelio, but apart from the astonishing ouverture, this piece is really not that good. Especially if you compare it's quality to other works.

Beethoven wrote just one violin concerto, but it is a real masterpiece and very famous (especially the third movement, which is sometimes used in commercials).

Let us not forget that this does NOT mean Mozart is a greater composer than beethoven by any means. I would put Beethoven and Mozart on par, with Beethovens piano sonatas and concertos matching Mozarts opera.

(The only composer who I would put on top of these 2 giants is Bach, but that's another topic).

 

[Rach3]

marlon - Have you found Arrau's appassionata recording yet, the one where you can hear birds singing in the background?