best Beethoven sonate to start with

[gjkoster]

Hi,

I'm playing for about 2,5 years now and I really like the Beethoven sonates. I have the Gilels collection of the sonates (although not completely played by him) and also the dvd of Sokolovs recital in Paris where he played Beethoven sonates. I think ther're Superb! I'm able to play op 27:1 (moonlight) and part 13:2 (pathetique part 2) myself but I would like to play a complete sonate. Both 27 and 13 are a bit out of my league, 27 because of part 3 and 13 because of 1 and 2. I can think of other sonates but before you know it, there are quite difficult and very long (like the pastorale, op 28)...

In other words: which complete sonate would you start with???

[failed]

Beethoven wrote two "easy sonatas" op.49,1 and 2.
I think they are good to start with..

[kd]

Or the sonata Op. 79 in G major, which is a bit harder than the Op. 49 ones, but still sometimes considered a "sonatina", so it should be manageable. Plus it has the advantage of having 3 full movements in standard sonata form, which cannot be said about Op. 49.

[gjkoster]

Ok, thanks for the suggestions! They both will be a challenge but I'll give it a try.

[rc]

Consider too, that you could learn the slow movement of a sonata and come back to learn the fast ones later on.

You mentioned the 'pastorale', also one of my favorites, though the fast movements are still beyond me the slow movement was the first full piece of music I learned.

Beethoven sonatas are the reason I took up piano.  One day I will do them justice and play them for everyone I know.