Who has learned the Hammerklavier?

[pmz310]

who has learnt it, and tell me your experiences

[general disarray]

I had to work it up for a master class course.

I'd never want to perform it.  I think it's failed Beethoven.  His strivings for profundity, in my very humble opinion, fall short of his stretch.  The pretentious Adagio overstays its welcome and the fugue is a gigantic, convoluted pain in the ass. 

Beethoven achieved supreme summits of inspiration that I could only dream of.  But the Hammerklavier is not one of those summits.  It's an inflated, bloated monster of a sonata that fails as often as it succeeds.  Give me 101, 109, 110, 111.  Perfection.

I'm sooo over the Hammerklavier. 

[tompilk]

thank god someone agrees with me. I've never really liked it that much...

[goldentone]

I had to work it up for a master class course.

I'd never want to perform it. I think it's failed Beethoven. His strivings for profundity, in my very humble opinion, fall short of his stretch. The pretentious Adagio overstays its welcome and the fugue is a gigantic, convoluted pain in the ass.

Beethoven achieved supreme summits of inspiration that I could only dream of. But the Hammerklavier is not one of those summits. It's an inflated, bloated monster of a sonata that fails as often as it succeeds. Give me 101, 109, 110, 111. Perfection.

I'm sooo over the Hammerklavier.

That's an interesting perspective on the Hammerkalvier.  Definitely food for thought.

I mess around with the first movement every so often.  As far as I know, it has never been posted in the audition room.

[Nightscape]

I love this sonata.  It's my favorite Beethoven sonata.  But it is so massive and rich I don't actually listen to it often.  But when I do it's quite an experience.  I've never tried to play it however.  But I imagine learning it would either spoil its magic or make you appreciate it even more... hard to say really.

[franzliszt2]

I went through a hammerklavier phase, and practiced it for a few weeks. I really love this piece, but I think that there are better sonatas.

[thierry13]

I love this sonata.  It's my favorite Beethoven sonata.  But it is so massive and rich I don't actually listen to it often.  But when I do it's quite an experience.  I've never tried to play it however.  But I imagine learning it would either spoil its magic or make you appreciate it even more... hard to say really.

I'd say if you REALLY study it when you are fully ready to tackle it, and if you can make the magic happen, you will appreciate it even more, IMO.