Two Big Sonatas

[chopianist123]

I was wondering, in your opinions is Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata or Liszt's Sonata in B Minor more difficult to tackle technically? How about Musically?

Which of these two great sonatas do u prefer personally?

Thanks for your answers.

[liordavid]

Liszt B minor sonata is harder musically. Just looking at the Hammerklavier score the majority of its technique comes is chords and fugues at fast tempi

[birba]

DEFINITELY Hammerklavier.  Question closed.

[m2r]

No questions asked Hammerklavier.

[pianisten1989]

They are so very different! I like both, but in different ways..

[prongated]

It's interesting...I've only seen musicologists compare the Liszt b minor sonata to Chopin's b minor sonata and also Schubert's B-flat major sonata in debating which is the greatest 19th-century piano sonata. Doing it with the hammerklavier makes perfect sense too.

I personally prefer the Liszt, but probably simply because I don't know the hammerklavier as well as the Liszt. But even based on this limited knowledge of the Beethoven, I'd wager that is the harder one to put together musically...in general, to put together a work of such length with a great amount of material, presenting it as a whole work is always a challenge...in contrast, I've seen a musicologist "categorise" the thematic ideas in the Liszt to around 7...so yeah...

Liszt B minor sonata is harder musically.

W H A T ? ? ? ?

[simonjp90]

W H A T ? ? ? ?

perhaps he means that the beethoven is such good music you barely need to do anything but play it. whereas the liszt needs an extra bit of work