Beethoven Sonatas - which one should I play next?

[chopin2015]

chopin2015 - Good luck on Chopin! I don't have much ability on Chopin and Liszt... ¬¬ Of course, I do not have ability on other composers as well, but anyway... -_-'' ~~feeling worthless~~ Well, I'll like to listen to your recording/video. Good luck!

teran - Yes, it's very tempting to play at tempo, but I couldn't even play the first bars... xD 120 is a nice tempo to study too. '-' I think I'll take a long time to get the right tempo, but I hope I will do it! Thank you!

Dont feel worthless! Genius is mostly tge ability to be patient while waiting for results....i got that from a chinese fortune cookie. Hey i just realized....i spent 5 months on memorizing ang getting up to tempo the winter wind etude. So dont feel bad, take as long as you need!

[felipe717]

Dont feel worthless! Genius is mostly tge ability to be patient while waiting for results....i got that from a chinese fortune cookie. Hey i just realized....i spent 5 months on memorizing ang getting up to tempo the winter wind etude. So dont feel bad, take as long as you need!

Winter Wind Etude??? o-O I'd say "ONLY 5 months?!". I can't say for sure, because this piece (among several others) is beyond my capacity for now, but I think it's extremely difficult! Congrats, anyway! xD

[felipe717]

I've finished Op.2 no.1 a few weeks ago (all the movements) and I had a good time (: I know Teran suggested me to study Moonlight's 3rd but... '-' I just don't feel I'm ready... :\ I feel that even if I study it very hard, I couldn't play a reasonable sound/music.
About Op.2/1... I still have a few problems in the movements. In the 1st movement I'm still a little bit stuck at the trills section on the development, but I'm improving it considerably. The 2nd movement is reasonably well. My main problem in the 3rd is that damned section with fourths (right hand) on the Trio section, but I'm also improving it. The 4th movement really isn't that hard, and it's pretty well, actually.
So, unfortunately I won't go for Moonlight's 3rd for now... :x I was thinking on learning a few more movements before it.
I was thinking about either 1st movement of Op.26 or 1st movement of Op.78. I really love both movements and they don't seem to be extremely difficult - but, nevertheless, they don't seem to be easy .-.
So, what do you think?
Thank you! ^^

[felipe717]

OK, forget about Op.26 or Op.78... '-'
Actually I have studied Op.2 No.3, only the 3rd movement (the Scherzo) and also the Op.7, again the 3rd movement.
They're both practically memorized. Initially, I found Op.7 harder. But now I'm having much more difficulty in the Op.2/3... In Op.7, the "Minore" section is very hard for me, but I'm improving (after all, I'm practicing it for only one week). However, those damned jumps in Op.2/3 are killing me!! :x
Does anyone have a tip for the Minore from Op.7 and the jumps from Op.2/3?

[chopin2015]

I've finished Op.2 no.1 a few weeks ago (all the movements) and I had a good time (: I know Teran suggested me to study Moonlight's 3rd but... '-' I just don't feel I'm ready... :\ I feel that even if I study it very hard, I couldn't play a reasonable sound/music.
About Op.2/1... I still have a few problems in the movements. In the 1st movement I'm still a little bit stuck at the trills section on the development, but I'm improving it considerably. The 2nd movement is reasonably well. My main problem in the 3rd is that damned section with fourths (right hand) on the Trio section, but I'm also improving it. The 4th movement really isn't that hard, and it's pretty well, actually.
So, unfortunately I won't go for Moonlight's 3rd for now... :x I was thinking on learning a few more movements before it.
I was thinking about either 1st movement of Op.26 or 1st movement of Op.78. I really love both movements and they don't seem to be extremely difficult - but, nevertheless, they don't seem to be easy .-.
So, what do you think?
Thank you! ^^

Hey, I don't blame you! I overheard a parent asking for the moonlight sonata at a music store, for a beginner student...I mumbled...figures, it's a popular work by Bee, but not a good starting point! Have you looked at rankings of the Beethoven sonatas? You still want to learn something and push yourself, or work on something you want to learn so the work put in is effortless) Anyways, some of the easy ones still look more difficult than a given chopin etude, because they are longer, after all...

PS, op 14 no 1 seems manageable...also, the 2nd movement of the tempest is totally worth it. It is ranked as more difficult sonata, but it would be a good starting point for your experience with difficult/more developed sonatas by Beethoven. After that you could easily learn the movements you are missing from the other sonatas you have played movements from.

Best of luck to you!

[felipe717]

Hey, I don't blame you! I overheard a parent asking for the moonlight sonata at a music store, for a beginner student...I mumbled...figures, it's a popular work by Bee, but not a good starting point! Have you looked at rankings of the Beethoven sonatas? You still want to learn something and push yourself, or work on something you want to learn so the work put in is effortless) Anyways, some of the easy ones still look more difficult than a given chopin etude, because they are longer, after all...

PS, op 14 no 1 seems manageable...also, the 2nd movement of the tempest is totally worth it. It is ranked as more difficult sonata, but it would be a good starting point for your experience with difficult/more developed sonatas by Beethoven. After that you could easily learn the movements you are missing from the other sonatas you have played movements from.

Best of luck to you!

I agree with you about the Moonlight.
And I've seen many rankings. But I didn't found any ranking that classifies the movements, only the whole sonata. I know that playing the whole sonata is much better, but I could adquire somo knowledge with separated movements. As you said, Tempest's 2nd, for example...
I've finished Op.2/1 and my problems on it are shorter. The 3rd movement of Op.7 and the 3rd of Op.2/3 are pretty tricky (mostly the Op.2/3), but I hope that in a few weeks they'll be better.
I was thinking on the 2nd of Op.2/3, but as you suggested either Op.14/1 or Tempest's 2nd, I'll try, and see what's the one I prefer...
-.-' I feel "stifled"... Like if all the effort I'm giving is having no results. '-' But I know the patience is the right answer.
Anyway, how is going Op.10/3? OK, I'm asking some fool thing... After all, you probably must have already finished it... '-'
Well, thanks for the suggestion!

[chopin2015]

I agree with you about the Moonlight.
And I've seen many rankings. But I didn't found any ranking that classifies the movements, only the whole sonata. I know that playing the whole sonata is much better, but I could adquire somo knowledge with separated movements. As you said, Tempest's 2nd, for example...
I've finished Op.2/1 and my problems on it are shorter. The 3rd movement of Op.7 and the 3rd of Op.2/3 are pretty tricky (mostly the Op.2/3), but I hope that in a few weeks they'll be better.
I was thinking on the 2nd of Op.2/3, but as you suggested either Op.14/1 or Tempest's 2nd, I'll try, and see what's the one I prefer...
-.-' I feel "stifled"... Like if all the effort I'm giving is having no results. '-' But I know the patience is the right answer.
Anyway, how is going Op.10/3? OK, I'm asking some fool thing... After all, you probably must have already finished it... '-'
Well, thanks for the suggestion!

Well, you will only improve as time goes by, so do what you think is right and you also enjoy. Later, you will probably need no effort at all to finish the complete sonatas u already worked on! Tempest is awesome...i bet you could tackle a movement of it, and finish a sonata uve worked on. I finished the entire 7th sonata, but it will be a while before I am able to play the whole perfectly and record it...but I enjoy putting in the effort!

[felipe717]

Well, you will only improve as time goes by, so do what you think is right and you also enjoy. Later, you will probably need no effort at all to finish the complete sonatas u already worked on! Tempest is awesome...i bet you could tackle a movement of it, and finish a sonata uve worked on. I finished the entire 7th sonata, but it will be a while before I am able to play the whole perfectly and record it...but I enjoy putting in the effort!

I've almost finished the 1st from Pastoral. It's very nice, but I found it a little tricky. Nevertheless, I'm almost finishing it. I've also started 1st from Op.14/2 and I'm improving.
I've finished 2nd from Op.10/3 (but it's very hard and I can't play perfectly '-'), the 3rd from Op.7, and the 3rd from Op.2/3 (this one is still a little bit stuck yet). Op.2/1 is finished.
I will "perform" and finish these ones. Then I'll think about Tempest (probably the 2nd ._.).
Thank you! ^^

[chopin2015]

I've almost finished the 1st from Pastoral. It's very nice, but I found it a little tricky. Nevertheless, I'm almost finishing it. I've also started 1st from Op.14/2 and I'm improving.
I've finished 2nd from Op.10/3 (but it's very hard and I can't play perfectly '-'), the 3rd from Op.7, and the 3rd from Op.2/3 (this one is still a little bit stuck yet). Op.2/1 is finished.
I will "perform" and finish these ones. Then I'll think about Tempest (probably the 2nd ._.).
Thank you! ^^

Do you have any particular questions about op 10.3 2nd movement? I should record that one soon...

[felipe717]

Do you have any particular questions about op 10.3 2nd movement? I should record that one soon...

Actually, I have no 'very important' questions... What I really needed is a piano teacher to guide me through the various interpretations of each song...
But thanks anyway!! If I have a bigger problem, I talk to you; and of course, I want to listen to your recording!!

[felipe717]

OK, I'm in a new movement now... Waldstein 1st. '-'
Yes, I know it's a great jump from the other Sonatas I was playing. At the moment, I can play:
* Op.49
* Op.79
* Op.2/1 (all movements)
* Op.2/3 (3rd movement) [still a little bit stuck because I haven't studied it much]
* Op.7 (3rd movement) [the same here]
* Op.10/1 (1st movement)
* Op.10/3 (2nd movement)
* Op.13 Pathetique (all movements) [but I repeat: the 1st movement is a beast .-.]
* Op.14/2 (1st movement) [I'm almost finishing it]
* Op.27/2 Moonlight (1st and 2nd movements]
* Op.28 Pastoral (1st movement) [polishing it]
So, I decided to start the 1st from Waldstein... And really, I haven't found it too difficult. I think that the hardest section is from bar 272 to bar 274. I can already play the exposition relatively well, and the development is almost there too. Today I started the recapitulation and it's quite similar to the exposition (of course). The hardest in this movement (imo) is the coda, but nothing I can't handle.
I thought I would die on trying to play the tremolos "pp", but it's easier than I thought. The hardest section in the exposition (for me) is bars 66-73 (it seems easy but I found it very tricky '-')
Anyway... I'm improving. I know it's a difficult one, but at least I'll try!!
Does anyone have a tip or something to say about Waldstein 1st?
Thank you! u.u

[felipe717]

I have almost finished Waldstein 1st. I thought it would be much harder but its form is quite simple and patterned, and memorizing wasn't hard. With much fingering practice (particularly in the development) I could play it without an extreme difficulty.
The exposition is practically OK. The same for the development. I must improve a little the recapitulation but it's not harder at all.
The main problem is being the coda. But I started studying it yesterday, so it's normal, of course... I'm improving, but those appoggiaturas in 10th jumps (left hand) are really tricky. '-'
Anyway, I'd like some tips and advices about this piece... After this, I'm not going to sutdy another Sonata because I'm supposed to "polish/finish" the others I've already started. It will take time, though...

[chopin2015]

Nice! Congrats on the progress! I have some videos on my utube. Also, I am doing a recital in about month and a half. I will have that taped.

[felipe717]

Nice! Congrats on the progress! I have some videos on my utube. Also, I am doing a recital in about month and a half. I will have that taped.

Wow, that's a very good news! Thank you for all the support. I feel for not being able to reciprocate somehow. But I whish you best of luck on your recital! I know you'll be great (even though I've never listened to your performances).
If you don't mind, I'd like to listen to you videos at any time.
Anyway, thanks a lot again and good luck on your recital! ^^

[chopin2015]

Thanks! If you click on my display name, my link is on there. I will let u know when I upload more.

[felipe717]

Thanks! If you click on my display name, my link is on there. I will let u know when I upload more.

I listened to your performance of Chopin Ballade in G minor, and...
'-' REALLY, I really liked your playing! I don't know much about Chopin Ballades, so I can't say much. I don't know if there are mistakes or bad playing, but for me, it's perfect!! xD
Now I'm ashamed of myself. xD
Congratulations!!

[felipe717]

Hey, chopin2015, you asked me if I had any questions about the 2nd from Op.10/3... Actually, I do have a few questions... '-' If you can answer, I'll be grateful.
All the questions are about pedal...
1) At bars 5 and 48, is it wrong if I hold the LH chord and hold the pedal for the whole measure?
2) At bars 16 and 55, is it wrong if I hold the pedal, even with the RH staccato?
3) At bar 29, the same here: is it ok if I use the pedal, "canceling" the two very last rests?
4) At last, at the two last bars of this movement, should I hold the pedal? '-'
Yes, the questions are all about the using of pedal... xD I never know if rests and staccatos are a little "dispensable" at certain points.
Anyway, these are the main problems I'm having. If you can clarify it for me, I'll be very grateful!!
Thank you.

[chopin2015]

I listened to your performance of Chopin Ballade in G minor, and...
'-' REALLY, I really liked your playing! I don't know much about Chopin Ballades, so I can't say much. I don't know if there are mistakes or bad playing, but for me, it's perfect!! xD
Now I'm ashamed of myself. xD
Congratulations!!

Lol you are too kind! I definitely mistakes in that one, and my professor is doing his best helping me correct these. Do not feel ashamed! I am ashamed I have not kept up with recordings. I have waaay too many pieces on my plate. Honestly, I am sure you are fantastic.

Here are the answers for op 10.3 second movement:

1)You only hold the chord for a duration of a quarter note. Do not hold after that, through the staccato.
2)it is ok to use a little pedal, just for the left hand. If you clear pedal enough, rh will still be staccato.
3) i think the best aporoach would be to hold the pedal for the last notes like a fermata. Then, still count (2 )8th rests of silence.
4) i feel like there should be some pedal for the notes, especially since they are marked slurred in my book. But ultimately, the last rest has a fermata over it. I interpret this to mean that the rests and silences and clear staccatos are most important to obey in this piece. hope that helps.