Beethoven - Sonata #17, op.31 no.2 in d minor, "Tempest"

[andhow04]

The first movement!
Largo - Allegro

[andhow04]

The second movement!
Adagio

[andhow04]

Third and final movement.
Allegretto

[rachfan]

This is one of the best performances of the Tempest I have ever heard.  Wonderful playing.  Congratulations!

[gerry]

This is one of the best performances of the Tempest I have ever heard.  Wonderful playing.  Congratulations!

Ditto the above.

[pianistimo]

if you count the beats in the 'largo' section - there is no holding of the fermata.  i'd like to hear the rolled chord done faster - the beats slightly faster - blending the pedal there, and then hearing that last note hold great suspense over what is to come.

[andhow04]

if you count the beats in the 'largo' section - there is no holding of the fermata.  i'd like to hear the rolled chord done faster - the beats slightly faster - blending the pedal there, and then hearing that last note hold great suspense over what is to come.

dang! im so bad at counting. i hafta go back to other recordins and see if they are lazy as me?
when u say rolled chrod, u mean the ones at the beginning? there's two kinds he wrote, rolled (with the squiggly) and then written out in small notes. so i thoughts, better make em different, one slow and one fast.  U might say, but shouldnt it be the other way around, squiggly fast and writtten out slow?  but if u think of poetry, shorter lines you read slower, and longer lines you read faster, so to relate it all, the first chords have a fewer notes, an d the second have more... slower 'n' faster 

thjanks to the above for the nice comments.  Im also kinda happy with this one, 'cept the 2nd mvmt whih seems a bit unnatural to me. Any thoughts ?

[teresa_b]

I listened to the second movement, and I thought it was very, very nice!  It didn't sound "unnatural".  I suspect you feel it's hard to pull off due to the adagio tempo and the difficulty keeping it moving forward.  Truly it sounds coherent and stately.

The only thing I could suggest might be to think of it as orchestral, and mentally assign "instruments" to the various parts.  Obviously timpani is implied by those 32nd note figures that keep the beat in spots.  Strings come to mind in the melodies--beautiful cello passages alternating with violins, etc.

It is lovely!
Teresa

[ramseytheii]

Tremendous atmosphere!  The first movement is really gripping, I can feel the nerves in between the fast and slow parts.  I think the left hand should be more rhythmically stable in the tremolo sections, when it has the main theme.  It seems to rush ahead slightly.  Otherwise great balance between the hands, really impressive.

The secon dmovement rhythm seems a bit uneven, parallel passages sound not totally in the same tempo.  Probably just needs a metronome, and comparing the passages side by side.  I think the sound is good, and I can tell your intention with the voicings, but it could be exaggerated more.  I just love the third movement which has a beautiful sheen to the sound, and the control is great!

Bravo again.

Walter Ramsey

[andhow04]

thanx so much for nice comments.  maybe i wuz a bit lazy w/the form of secon dmvmt... just tryin too mcuh to make it beautiful.  therez a lesson for all o' ya!

[piano121]

Hi. It´s wonderfull. I listened to it weeks ago, but had no time to coment. I was very impressed with you rendition. I don´t think second mov in unnatural , quite the oposite, it sound very fluid, and very beethoven like. Beutifull contrasts. The 1st and 3rd mov, are beautifull. Great technique, the recording it self was very well done. Only in a matter of taste, I prefer tha Allegreto in the 3rd mov a little bit slower. Lot´s of interpreters usualy do it pretty fast, but I thng this way it gets a more Alegro feel. Anyway, you can do it anytime you want, You master he piece, and are a great pianist. Thanks for sharing this.

btw, you got a very respectable repertoire. keep it up!

[troglodyte]

I listened to first mov so far. Really really good! At first I thought the allegro is way too fast but you bring it out with a strong sense of terror and being hunted, and keep it up consistently. Thanks for posting.

[andhow04]

thansk for ur poetic comments!

[timmyb]

Very nice playing.Sorry if it sounds pedantic but you are missing a bar from the allegretto.One of the identical bars 159 or 160.It's the sort of thing a competition judge may notice.

[shingo]

That was great to listen to, I really enjoyed it, well done! I am trying to learn this piece at the moment and this recording put me to shame.

[andhow04]

wow - am i really missing a bar?! yikes, i cant believe i did that.  Oh well worse has happened.  one teacher told me that in concert cliffor dcurzon played schubert b flat sonata and skipped from the exposition all the way to the recapitulation, in other words he elft about about 12 minutes of music!!!

[concerto_love]

It'a pretty good...!!!  Hope can play this one someday...

[andhow04]

thanx

[tds]

i listened to the 1st movement only. it's high class and i was very impressed. u knew exactly what u wanted and we could hear it in ur playing. bravo! warmest, tds

[sarrasani]

The first movement!
Largo - Allegro

I heard only the I movement. Very very very good playing, I liked the clear and at the same time expressive phrasing. Great control without being dry. Congratulations.
Sandro

[andhow04]

I heard only the I movement. Very very very good playing, I liked the clear and at the same time expressive phrasing. Great control without being dry. Congratulations.
Sandro

thank you so muich!  i also like watching your Youtube videos.

[aslanov]

the beginning of the first movement was a tinny bit too quick, but either way, it was fantastic playing. and the largo, i found much too fast. however clear and expressive it was, i'd like to hear it played at a slightly slower tempo, otherwise it was also just great.

[iroveashe]

Great performance of the first movement so far (have to listen to the other 2 yet).
You play it way better than I can and since I'm learning something from your performance I'll also mention what I think should be a bit different:
In bars 39 and 40, after all those sforzandi in ff I'd make the contrast with the sudden piano more noticeable.
And the other thing is the Largo section after the exposition, I feel that those silences after the fermati must be longer, to make the fortissimo more unexpected, which I feel should also be more heavy and just a tinny bit slower.
But anyway, it's just my opinion and overall I think it's great, will be listening to the rest of the piece soon ; )

[andhow04]

the beginning of the first movement was a tinny bit too quick, but either way, it was fantastic playing. and the largo, i found much too fast. however clear and expressive it was, i'd like to hear it played at a slightly slower tempo, otherwise it was also just great.

thanks!  I always have the problem, to play things too fast.   teacher used to say, in concert, play everything one notch slower than you want to, then it will be right!

[twiltot]

really really good! where did you record this?

[itaysegev]

Wow an amazing recording!!!
With the powerful and the emotion of Beethoven!
Well done!

[andhow04]

really really good! where did you record this?

thanx.. recorded it ina  church, with a very good piano.  HOWEVER the piano was on loan from a large institution, and it could only be tuned by their staff tuner,.. however the tuner was on vacation so that is why the piano is a bit out of tune.  this is a nine foot steinway normally used for a big concert series.  it has a great touch!