Beethoven: Für Elise
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Beethoven’s “Für Elise” (or Bagatelle in A minor WoO 59) is certainly one of the most well-known piano pieces of all time. The graceful, meandering simplicity of this slightly melancholy music makes it a favorite with the public. The piece was composed in Beethoven’s middle period, around 1810. However, it was not published until 1865, several decades after the composer’s death, by the Beethoven scholar Ludwig Nohl. The title, meaning “To Elise”, has puzzled Beethoven researchers. There is no record of any woman named Elise in Beethoven’s life, and the fact that the original autograph manuscript is missing has fueled speculation. One of the most established theories, suggested by Max Unger, is that Nohl misread the dedication, and that Beethoven intended to name the piece “Für Therese”. Around 1810, Beethoven was in love with a woman called Therese Malfatti, and even proposed to her, but was rejected. The other main theory is that Elise might have been a nickname for the opera singer Elisabeth Röckel, Beethoven’s close friend, who later married the composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel.
Performance hints:
Because of its great popularity, Für Elise is perhaps played and taught more than any other piano piece. For many piano beginners, its an important goal to be able to play at least the first section. And the first 22 measures are certainly playable even for someone with quite limited skills. To be able to perform the complete work, one should have acquired a more solid technique.
Since the only dynamic indication of the score is pp (measures 1 and 77), it’s suitable to use a rather subdued and soft touch more or less throughout, although one is of course free to add slight crescendos and diminuendos, perhaps even approach a forte in the dramatic episode at measures 60-76 (before the return to pianissimo).
Strive to keep a consistent speed through the various sections. Make sure not to play the characteristic E-D#-E-D#-E figures mechanically; instead, shape them with great care, always adhering to the graceful flow of the 3/8 time signature. |
 Am I ready to play Fur Elise?
May 24, 2011, 12:00:44 PM by classicalmusiclover
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I am 14 and i started piano classes for 5 months. I started with pieces lower than grade one, but then i suddenly started feeling much more conformable, so my teacher gave me pieces that were harder. Like Bach's 1st invention. Now my new piece is fur elise. Do you think that I am ready to play it? I will be doing the grade 4 exam in november.
I also have no problem in memorizing, so i dont mind the piece being long.
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Sheet Reading Misshap. Fur Elise?
March 07, 2011, 09:27:44 AM by lostprophet
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I worked out the staves to be DFACE for the Treble and FACEG for the Clef... surely that's not right? It's moved by 5 notes! 
I really want to learn this song until it sounds exactly right, I've been practicing it for a week (starting from almost no experience lol) I have the sheet music for it, I can read it just fine (ie. super slowly lol), but what the? why are my staves all muddled???
While I'm at it, what's a "32nd note C major"? I'm guessing "32nd note" refers to the timing/tempo?
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 Using the sustain pedal in Für Elise
October 29, 2010, 06:47:27 PM by pbryld
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Hello. I recently started playing piano (3 months ago) and have been practicing Für Elise.
I know the piece completely by heart now, including the sustain pedal.
Though, in the sheets I have, there are no directions to using the pedal in the legato-part (I hope you know what I mean).
It probably means that the pedal shouldn't be used, but I'm asking here anyway, if someone could make it sound better than it already does.
Thanks in advance!
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Beethoven "Fur Elise"
August 19, 2010, 04:02:13 PM by padrooskey
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Although I have heard this piece frequently over the years, I have not - until now - actually played it.
So I set about learning it this week, and the results are here in this mp3 file. I worked from the Wiener Urtext (ed. Alfred Brendel) which interestingly has the note D instead of E in the R.H. in bar 7 (3rd last semiquaver) and at similar points throughout the piece. Most pianists I have heard play E; however W. Kempff and Brendel prefer the D note.
I have used the Garritan Authorised Steinway software in this performance.
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Fur Elise
July 02, 2010, 09:56:58 AM by sbran
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Hi,
This may sound like an idiotic questions to anyone who knows anything about the piano but I've only been playing for 3 weeks so I no next to nothing about it. Anyway, I've been learning Fur Elise from sheet music I got off the internet and during the part where you play all the E's the left hand crosses over the right hand. Why do you do this when it would seem easier to do without crossing over?
Cheers
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General consensus on Moonlight Sonata & Fur Elise and other questions
May 13, 2009, 09:01:35 AM by nosrepemos
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Hey all, first post here, woo, whatever  .
So I have finally decided, after a ~5-6 year break from piano lessons, that I want to return to the great artform that is piano music.
I have restarted my lessons a couple of weeks ago with the same teacher as before, and with a schedule of meeting every Thursday for 30 minutes. When asked about what she thought my grade level was after playing some old pieces from my old lesson books, she said 'intermediate', whatever that means.
All I know is I can play Franz Schubert's The Unfinished Symphony and his Serenade with relative ease, only having problems with getting the timing right on the triplets for Serenade. Both of these are in the book Piano Pieces for ChildrenThose are the only two assignments I got so far, having started so recently.
Righty then, enough about me, and on to the main subject! I am currently learning the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata, and actually have been for the last few weeks. It's a very moving piece, and right now I am working on bringing out the emotions in the music, and getting it smooth in general.
Now, my questions about the sonata are:
1. Is it generally look down upon intermediate players who only learn the first movement of the sonata and give nary a wink to the second and third movements? I surely want to learn the last movement, and the second movement 'seems' easy, but I know both are out of my grasp compared to the relative ease of the first movement. And I know that when you learn a sonata, you're supposed to learn all the movements in them, but I think the only movement I can learn & play here without absolutely butchering it is the first movement. Just wondering about your opinions on this issue.
2. What do you think the tempo of the first movement should be? I personally defy the alla breve notation and prefer to take the Adagio Sostenuto tempo marking very literally, playing it slow and drawn out, because I think it accentuates the melancholic feeling of the piece very nicely. However, I want to know if you guys think I'm doin' it wrong, or if the 'it's your own interpretation' excuse will work here.
3. Finally, my teacher said that recitals will be during the last week of either October or November. I am confident I can get my technical ability up by then, and I want to make the Moonlight Sonata First Movement my recital piece. I am wondering if this is a good idea? Would a returning intermediate player be able to express all of the feeling of this piece during a recital? Or should I choose something else as a recital piece?
On to the next subject, Fur Elise. Yes, that quintessential piece that everyone and their grandmother/father/uncle/brother/cousin can play. Even I remember playing it for a recital during my earlier years, although that was a fairly simplified version of only the first 'section' of the piece (the one with all the arpeggios, if you know what I mean.)
Now I want to learn the whole piece properly, but I am having doubts about it:
1. Would it be advisable to skip on this piece for now due to its immense popularity? I don't want to be 'yet another person who can play Fur Elise, yet poorly.'
2. If I were to learn it, how hard are the other 'sections' after the first one like? I'd imagine they'd be harder in comparison to the part with the arpeggios, but how much harder?
Finally, other questions:
1. Could you recommend any good books for an intermediate returning player? Right now, I have Piano Pieces for Children, The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises, Developing Artist Piano Literature Book 3 by Faber, and some Scales & Arpeggios exercise book which I forget the name of.
2. What are some nice pieces for an intermediate student to practice? Keyword here being 'nice', obviously you'll get really bored if you practice really boring pieces, so I'm mainly looking for pieces with some emotion in them, similar to the Moonlight Sonata.
3. And are there any good sites with free downloadable sheet music? I know, sure I could simply pay the minuscule 5 dollars a month here, but being a jobless and credit-card-less 16 year old doesn't help my case.
Thanks in advance, and thanks for tolerating my TL;DRness!
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Am I ready to play 'Fur Elise'?
May 03, 2009, 03:19:05 PM by concerto_love
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I've just passed my grade 2 exam and now I'm in grade 3. Learning Czerny op.139 book 2 and first lesson in Bach right now, Burgmuller will come soon.
What I want to ask is... My friends who study in different place with me already played it when they're grade 1 or 2. But when I asked to my teacher can she teach me to play that, she said that I'm not ready for it, I better work on my currently learning pieces right now.
My friends said that I should talked to my teacher again about it, but I'm afraid since I can't reach the target in the last exam. Am I really not ready to take that piece? Or it's just my teacher who's to strict... For notes, my phrasing and touches are really bad...
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Für Elise PS Urtext (sheet music) 
Für Elise - FREE SAMPLE (mp3 file) 
