Beethoven Piano Sonatas in recital

[jaxpiano]

I'm playing an all-Beethoven in April (Pathetique, Tempest, Moonlight, Waldstein) ... thoughts?

[iratior]

I think the juxtaposition of keys would go more smoothly if you opened with the Moonlight, then Tempest, then Waldstein, finally Pathetique.  I'm assuming that's precisely the program, that you won't do anything else.   Your concert could have a very showy ending if, instead of the Pathetique, you did Appassionata, Les Adieux, or the sonata in the books just after the Tempest.  The Pathetique ending is relatively calm.

[kitty on the keys]

I would try  Tempest.....Moonlight......Pathetique......Waldstein

kitty on the keys

[pianoman53]

I would actually begin with the waldstein.. or tempest. Those two has very interesting beginnings, and it would be a shame if you didn't begin with either of them. Though, You probably can't end with the tempest, because of it's "fading out" ending. So Tempest first, and maybe waldstein last (ending in major is always a good thing). I don't think it matters whether you put Pathetique or Moonlight second/third. If it was an audience with perfect pitch, you could do a thing with c major to c minor.. But they wont, so most people wont even think about that they both are in c.

Why are you speculating in what would happen if he changed into Apassionata and Les Adieux? The audience would have a good giggle if he added op 111, because if the dotted rhythm, and they would be impressed by the fugue if he plays Hammerklavier, sooo...

[scott13]

Personally i don't like the program, it is filled with "cliche Beethoven". Please don't take this the wrong way, but i would not want to attend this concert with my reasoning being solely based on your choice of sonatas, regardless of how good a pianist you may be.

Tempest, Moonlight and Pathetique are arguably the three most well known of his sonatas, and to bombard an audience with all of them in one go seems a bad idea.

Have you given any though to playing three sonatas in order of Beethoven's three main periods?

Start with a bright energetic early period sonata such as Op 2#1 (to show Beethoven's initial compositional period and the assimilation of Haydn and Mozart), then move into the middle period with Waldstien (I llike this choice as a middle, less showy than Op 57) and finish with Op 106 (if you can technically pull it off) or Op 111 ?

End of the day your call on which sonatas, but i don't think i would be the only one put to sleep by Moonlight and Pathetique.

[nyiregyhazi]

Personally i don't like the program, it is filled with "cliche Beethoven". Please don't take this the wrong way, but i would not want to attend this concert with my reasoning being solely based on your choice of sonatas, regardless of how good a pianist you may be.

What I find odd is to make it ONLY Beethoven- yet pick the most cliched sonatas available.  Who is this for? The kind of people who would appreciate a Beethoven-only concert would surely prefer a more balanced and varied selection? Would even those who favour the more popular sonatas really want to hear them all in one go? Surely they'd prefer a more balanced programme, featuring other composers too? If it's supposed to be audience friendly by design, I think you'll find they might actually find it rather overwhelming. A Beethoven half is more than enough, in my opinion.

[mcdiddy1]

I agree with the sentiment. It would be better to have a theme like -stormy sound pieces or maybe pieces some how linked in some way.

[franz_]

Pathetique, Tempest, Moonlight, Waldstein

[bachbrahmsschubert]

Anybody who can sit through an entire concert of these 4 Beethoven sonatas deserves some sort of reward. Perhaps you should pay them to attend.