Waldstein ascending 32nd's

[alpacinator1]

I'm learning the 3rd movement of Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata. I've been trying to play it with a metronome at 110 BPM. The part where I have to play a trill along with the main melody with the right hand and ascending 32nd note scale with the left hand seems impossible to play at that tempo. If I slow down a bit, I can do it no problem, but I'm really struggling to play 32nd notes that fast. I found that if I just play them as a glissando, it becomes much easier. Is this acceptable, or do I just have to practice the scales more? This is the only part of the piece that's giving me much trouble.

[alpacinator1]

Just bumping with another question. I've having trouble playing the section with the two-handed broken chord triplets. Specifically, where you have to play a low C and then immediately go up an octave. How is this done? I've been playing 5 -[jump] - 3-2-1-2-3 for these. Is that right? It seems hard to play and I'm having difficulty getting it up to speed.

[kalirren]

It should be possible to play those 32nds in tempo, but if your piano has light enough of an action to use a glissando, you probably actually should, just like the descending octaves in the finale were originally intended as glissando.  Just make sure that onset of the D's that begin the runs are clear, and you should be good.

As for the LH broken chords, try fingerings like 5-1-3-2-3-1, 5-1-4-2-4-1, flipping the four fingers over the thumb, which acts as a pivot.  In general, don't think of those figures as the first beamed group below, but as the second.

[alpacinator1]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. My piano does indeed have a fairly light action, and I also do a lot of practice on a digital piano with even lighter action (I know it's not ideal, but it's so I don't disturb everyone!). I've been getting a little better with the fast scales, though, so I'll have to practice it both ways and see which I like better.

[nyiregyhazi]

There's a rapid sextuplets near the start of the c major sonata op 2 no 3(?) that works great as a glissando. However i really can't see it here. You need to "arrive" at the top of the scale with a dynamic build though the preceding notes. How can you even articulate the C to a regular level of precision, nevermind make it register as a point of musical arrival after a sweeping crescendo through the scale? You'd have to post a recording, but I really can't picture it working with regard to musical results.

[alpacinator1]

I think you're right. Playing it as a glissando, I wasn't really able to get the dynamics well. I've been practicing the scale and I'm able to play it pretty fast now. When I play through the piece, I tend to slow down a bit for that section (from ~100 to ~90) but it doesn't sound too bad.

[alpacinator1]

I've been practicing the finger pivot section. My favorite fingering for it that I have found is 5-1-2-1-2-1. Very atypical, but it's working alright for me. I've gotten it up to around 75 bpm so far. I was watching this video of Barenboim playing the piece. Unfortunately, it doesn't show his hands for most of that section, but you get a glimpse for afew seconds starting at around 5:55. He doesn't appear to be using his thumb at all!  I don't see how that's even possible to play.