Hammerklavier intro.

[Ludvig_Van_Me]

Whilst listening to different artists playing the 'Hammerklavier' their techniques of playing the first two bars are quite unique and different.


Is this done on purpose to add some of their own style and personality to the piece?


https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v349/aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa/HAMMERINTRO.jpg

[ericlc]

I'd find it difficult to believe that any two artists would be able to play any two measures exactly the same to begin with. Don't most people like to add their own style and personality to the music? Voluntarily or not, we're all human, right?

But anyway, which recordings in particular are you referring to?

[Ludvig_Van_Me]

Well  Arthur Pizarro for instance plays the chords in a measured, slow paced, concise way.

And I was just listening to Mei-Ting Sun and he goes for it!

Almost twice as fast as Arthur, with differing pauses and holding the notes differently.

[kempff]

Kempff plays them perfect staccato, Brendel too much pedal and Pollini mild pedal. Me, somewhere in between

[thracozaag]

 For something quite different, listen to Ernst Levy's.

koji (STSD)

[Ludwig Van Rachabji]

I play the entire intro somewhat slowly, and then do an accelerando up to measure 18.

It all depends on the pianist. Probably NO pianist plays it exactly the way Beethoven did. Different pieces mean different things to different people. For instance, I find a lot of the first movement of Opus 111 humorous. Beethoven might have been depressed the day he wrote it. Who knows?

- Ludwig Van Rachabji

[kempff]

I play the entire intro somewhat slowly, and then do an accelerando up to measure 18.

It all depends on the pianist. Probably NO pianist plays it exactly the way Beethoven did. Different pieces mean different things to different people. For instance, I find a lot of the first movement of Opus 111 humorous. Beethoven might have been depressed the day he wrote it. Who knows?

- Ludwig Van Rachabji

Op.111 is certainly a great work. I played it last week for a college audition, they were impressed

I find it more complex and emotional than humorous.