Waldstein Sonata. How do I study?

[vertigoone]

I am beginning work on the Waldstein Sonata.  I know that it is one of the great sparks of Beethoven's "Heroic" decade.  I just don't know how to study for this piece in particular.  Where do I begin?  What do I need to know in order to play this piece knowledgeably?  What was its inspiration, or do we even know?

[quantum]

Why not start by sight reading it beginning to end.  It will give you an idea of what parts are difficult for you and where to concentrate your work.

On the musicological front.  You know that it is from his heroic period, so why not investigate other pieces written in the same time period.  Look at the dedicatee of the piece.  What is that person's significance?  What was that person's relationship with Beethoven? 

[vertigoone]

Thank you for your reply.  My teacher gave me a DVD entitled Beethoven's Eroica by Michael Tilson Thomas of the San Francisco Symphony.  It was a very interesting account, with quite a few strokes of musicological brilliance, of the conductor's journey discovering the historical significance of Beethoven's third symphony.  However, the history of music seems to be an endless well of knowledge that may or may not be significant to performance.  Obviously, I don't think that it is essential for someone to know the name of Beethoven's dog for them to play the Waldstein to the maximum; however, I am interested in the significant influences of the music (the must-knows), since I don't have much experience at all studying the historical backgrounds of musical works.

That is a great suggestion, however!  I will study this Count von Waldstein to whom the piece is dedicated (though I would argue that it is more profoundly dedicated to Beethoven's own emotional/expressive subconscious).  Thanks!

[symphonicdance]

(1) Find a reference book on Beethoven sonatas, with analyses.  This should enable you to understand the structure of the piece.

(2) There are two masterclass DVDs on this sonata.  Barenboim's only talked for the first movement.  Kovacevich covered the entire piece, as well as PS #31.  Worth to borrow from university/public library.  (Of course, I suppose that there are other masterclass video clip on this piece available on youtube.)

Good luck!!!

[vertigoone]

One more thought!  What are some of the important pieces of Beethoven's heroic period?

Would it include...

The Appassionata sonata, Op. 57?
The Eight Songs, Op. 52?
Sonata "a Therese," Op. 78?

Does it last all the way until his late period?  I am interested in what range of works historians consider to be Beethoven's "heroic" period - where is its beginning and end?

[vertigoone]

Thank you, SymphonicDance! I am really trying to stay away from any recordings of the Waldstein at this time.  In the past, when studying music, I would have the tendency to listen to endless recordings and adopt the opinions of a good performer.  However, the Waldstein is so close to my heart that I don't want my vision of it to be influenced by someone else, at least at this point.  However, I have been listening to a lot of recordings of other Beethoven sonatas written around the same time - but for this, I try to keep mostly to Schnabel 

My last piano teacher had the Barenboim DVDs to which you are referring.  I remember watching the masterclasses and being quite inspired by Barenboim's insight!  I agree that it is a great resource.  Sometime, after I get a real handle on the music, I should go back to that DVD.  Thanks!

[quantum]

Start with what you know, then whittle it down to more specific searches.  Write down a series of keywords that you think are important. 

If you need some general information, look at a Beethoven biography.  Skim the contents and index and read the sections that turn up your keywords.  Eg: Waldstein, heroic, Count von Waldstein, subconcious, etc.  Locate associated keywords that turn up frequently and add to your list.  Repeat the search with new keywords. 

Read the footnotes for the sections in the book.  Make a note of sources with potential.  Skim the bibliography, make note of any more related sources.  Make a list.

Go to a university library, and find those bibliographic items in your list.  When you pick a book of the stacks do not just walk away.  Look at the surrounding items on that shelf, pick out books that look like they have potential and skim them.  If it turns out some data, again update your list of keywords and make note of the additional bibliographic items. 

Don't leave that spot in the stacks, look on the shelf above, the shelf below, and turn around a look at the shelf behind you.  Repeat the process. 

There might be some sources that are frequently cited by various authors.  If so they may turn out to be important.  Look these up.  Some of these are probably primary source documents. 

A lot of newer research is now published electronically.  Do a search through these as well.  One place to start is Jstor (the library will need to have a subscription). 

In searching on a specific piece, certain primary source documents many prove helpful:  concert programs, newspaper articles, critical reviews, letters by the composer referencing the piece, letters by the composer to the publisher, etc.  Also read the liner notes in modern recordings.  You may find links to further sources there. 

[vertigoone]

Quantum, this is spectacular advice!  I just copied and pasted it into a Word file.  This last summer, I had the opportunity to visit the campus of Jacob's School of Music at Indiana.  I was floored when I saw their music library.  It's a shame that I only had 10 minutes to check it out!  I live about an hour away from UCLA and will probably end up making the trip to their library.  I really appreciate the time you took to write this!

[quantum]

Another tip.  There are obvious time limits we need to get around when working in a library.  Bring a digital camera with you.  It would preferably have settings to clearly capture text on a page.  Writing things down takes a lot of time.  Take photos of pages in the books.  It will also save you from photocopy fees and lineups. 

[indianajo]

My how the world has changed.  When I learned a piece when I was young, usually I never had heard  any performance. So I would play the right hand slowly until I wasn't making mistakes.  then I would play the left hand slowly until I wasn't making any mistakes.  Then I would put the hands together, extremely slowly, to make no mistakes.
After some weeks of this, I could speed up a little and pay attention to the expression markings the composer, editor, or publisher had put on the printed page. Editions vary, I only had one.  
So, necessarily, every performance of a piece I made, was inherently my own. The teacher gave me some guidance, but not a lot.
After I had done that, after the FM radio became affordable, sometimes I heard on the radio performances by great artists of pieces I could play.  
Sometimes I liked the artist's performance better in some ways.  So I would change.  Sometimes I liked my way a whole lot better.  So I wouldn't change.  
The difference between painting by number and painting in plein air is the second way comes out your own way more often.  
Yes, after I have the mechanics down, I can appreciate other's performance or goals, or historical accuracy, or emotional state, or whatever.   But my own way is often quite pleasing, like home made bread.
This sort of emotional innocence about music will be totally lost on the internet generation.  All the libraries of the world at the touch of a few keys. Everybody has heard everything.  How will anybody create any new performance without a huge emotional rejection that everybody before was wrong?  
I'm not a rebel, I'm just a do it yourselfer- like my fathers before me.  My grandfather built a house out of scrap lumber to excape the discipline of the company coal mining town.  (it still stands occupied). I make up my own musical performances, and electronic devices.