Appassionata Sonata Tips?

[pianosaremusic]

So I've been playing the Appasionata for several days now and I recorded a portion of it yesterday. If you could please listen and give your opinion on what I could improve on, then I would appreciate it very much!!! Thanks!

[furtwaengler]

You certainly can play it! Great technique, and good concept and contrasts throughout - you know how it. One personal thing...I don't like the delayed attacks on all the trills, especially as you are matching them in that way - there are some good opportunities for appogituras on some of them to, if you so choose...this is a personal thing of course.

Some may be interested in your joining this thread:
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=45069.0

[iratior]

I was so sorry I didn't get to hear the movement all the way through -- for some strange reason, the tape player of my computer (at least, I presume it's the tape player's fault) cuts things off just after you had done the run with the repeated low C in the bass.  I too play this sonata so I'm glad to compare priorities, though I emphasize preliminarily that you are just as much entitled to your priorities as I am to mine.  For tempo of the piece, I would believe in putting more assai into Allegro assai.  If the Italian word for "enough" is used the way the French word for it is, "enough" this or that is typically a way to express an understatement.  By "enough", they really mean "a lot".  I like to impart a very strong sense of rhthym into what I do, so I don't think I'd use so much rubato.  I note the dialogue that seems to be going on in this piece.  We have the loud chords, alternating with the trill.  The loud chords are like a person who is exclaiming about the tragedy that is reality;  the trills, on the other hand, seem to be a hushed voice of denial -- especially when they usher in a modulation to G# minor.  In the recapitulation, the loud chords last longer, firmly entrenching the tonality of F minor, and
then -- the trill, instead of being soft and distant, becomes loud and in agreement with the preceding chords.  The second person is no longer in denial;  the second person "gets it".  I don't know whether you gave measure 162 all the force it deserves, but I certainly would have liked it if you did.

[pianosaremusic]

I was so sorry I didn't get to hear the movement all the way through -- for some strange reason, the tape player of my computer (at least, I presume it's the tape player's fault) cuts things off just after you had done the run with the repeated low C in the bass.  I too play this sonata so I'm glad to compare priorities, though I emphasize preliminarily that you are just as much entitled to your priorities as I am to mine.  For tempo of the piece, I would believe in putting more assai into Allegro assai.  If the Italian word for "enough" is used the way the French word for it is, "enough" this or that is typically a way to express an understatement.  By "enough", they really mean "a lot".  I like to impart a very strong sense of rhthym into what I do, so I don't think I'd use so much rubato.  I note the dialogue that seems to be going on in this piece.  We have the loud chords, alternating with the trill.  The loud chords are like a person who is exclaiming about the tragedy that is reality;  the trills, on the other hand, seem to be a hushed voice of denial -- especially when they usher in a modulation to G# minor.  In the recapitulation, the loud chords last longer, firmly entrenching the tonality of F minor, and
then -- the trill, instead of being soft and distant, becomes loud and in agreement with the preceding chords.  The second person is no longer in denial;  the second person "gets it".  I don't know whether you gave measure 162 all the force it deserves, but I certainly would have liked it if you did.

The way you described the alternations between the different characters within the piece really makes sense and I'll work on improving on that! About the incomplete movement- I only recorded to the repeated low C in the bass after the run since I hadn't learned the last part well enough to record it. Thanks for the tips though, they are definitely going to be really helpful!