pathetique first movement

[guidofellini]

Hi everyone !

I'm currently working on Beethoven's sonata no.8 (Pathetique) Op. 13.  I have some trouble in the crossing hands section of the first movement. How shall execute the mordents (or are they trills ?) For instance, lets' have a look at bar 57 :

Shall I play the principal note before the auxiliary note and play like this : g a g f f g f e

Or like this : a g f g f e

Or are they trills ?

I have listened to several recordings, but I couldn't really say what they play. They do it really fast.

Sorry for my english, I'm not a native speaker.

Thanks in advance.

[allthumbs]

Those are upper mordents. You would play it like you first suggested, (with the appropriate flats of course.)

[guidofellini]

Thank you very much.

[guidofellini]

Also, I have a question about the left hand tremolo. Like every person working on this piece I feel som pain in my wrist. I have read on several threads that I must rotate my forearm. I have watched some videos on youtube and I don't see the pianists do any movement. Am I missing something ?

[pianoperformer]

Read this book. The author makes reference to exactly this several times.

As for me, it's been several years since I've played this, so I don't remember. I would recommend trying to play it as fast as you can, and then practice relaxing your wrist. If it doesn't work, slow down a little bit to a comfortable speed, where you can relax, practice at that speed for a while, then try to increase a little again.

[terry_b]

This is not a reply, it's the same question.  I have played it as an upper mordent as you have said, and I can hear that I'm not playing it correctly.  I'm playing it on the beat.  Something I'm doing is wrong.  I am very frustrated by this.  I want to play this sonata more than I want to do just about anything right now, and I can't hear exactly how the mordents are supposed to be played.  I am very desperate for help.  I really want to play this. 

[ramseytheii]

Attached are two possible ways to play this ornament.

Walter Ramsey

[terry_b]

Thank you Mr. Ramsey!!!  I am not sure why when I listen to this piece, I think I'm playing it incorrectly.  I have been playing it accoring to your top line.  I'll try the bottom line and see if I like that better.  Anyway, thanks for taking the time to help me.   

[mad_tom]

The only recording I know that plays them as Beethoven wrote them is Horowitz's (it is on YouTube).  Everyone else (that includes all the "great" Beethoven intepreters) turns them into triplets or simple crush notes, and places the accent randomly.