Favorite Beethoven sonata?

[yellowcat12345]

What are some of the Beethoven sonatas that you like?

[theholygideons]

I hate them all. Don't ever post up such a trivial question.

[blackonwhite]

I hate them all. Don't ever post up such a trivial question.

calm done it's just a question .

[le_poete_mourant]

calm done it's just a question .

recalibrate your sarcasm detector

[jockey]

I could not choose one favourite Beethoven sonata because I appreciate all of them. I am studying the score for piano sonata no.4 at present, but I particularly like the slow movement, (Largo, con gran espressione). I really enjoy listening to Daniel Barenboim's performance of this sonata on pianostreet ATM.

 I think that each  sonata is `unique,` and there is a lot to learn from each of them.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

I hate them all. Don't ever post up such a trivial question.

I love them all. I also like trivial questions.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

Op.2 No.1 'Little Appastionata'
Op.2 No.3
Op.10 No.3
Op.13 'Patheique'
Op.14 No.1
Op.26 'Funeral March'
Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight'
Op.31 No.2 'Tempest'
Op.49 No.1 'Easy Sonata 1'
Op.57 'Appastionata'
Op.78 'A Therese'
Op.79
Op.81 'Les Audiux'
Op.106 'Hammerklavier'
Op.110
Op.111

[28843253]

I am inordinately fond of the 28th Sonata in A major but alas, it is not a view shared by many.

[ganymedger]

That is a very difficault question. IMO they are all amazing. If I had to choose one, I'd pick op.26.
This was also Chopins favorite Beethoven Sonata. It sounds a bit like Chopin I think too.

[visitor]

In my top 5( and 3 of 5 are colab- its odd no one else made any mention of any of the incredible sonatas for piano and cello or piano and violin esp since ppsked question for sonata  which I applaud as limiting to only solo piano sonatas is boring   )
No 9 kreutzer

Freakin love this thing!

[kevonthegreatpianist]

That is a very difficault question. IMO they are all amazing. If I had to choose one, I'd pick op.26.
This was also Chopins favorite Beethoven Sonata. It sounds a bit like Chopin I think too.

Chopin was inspired by Op.27 No.2 for his Fantasie Impromptu, and Op.111 for his second Sonata and Op.10 No.12 Etude.

[le_poete_mourant]

Chopin was inspired by Op.27 No.2 for his Fantasie Impromptu, and Op.111 for his second Sonata and Op.10 No.12 Etude.

I'm not sure why you associate Op. 111 with the Chopin second sonata. The similarities between Op. 26 and the Chopin B-flat minor are much stronger -- the structure overall, the third movement funeral marches, and the fourth movement perpetual motion. Where are you getting this information?

[josh93248]

Ooh a very difficult question.

I would say the Pathetique and the Waldstein are my top 2 but I can't choose between them.

[chopinlover01]

I'm not sure why you associate Op. 111 with the Chopin second sonata. The similarities between Op. 26 and the Chopin B-flat minor are much stronger -- the structure overall, the third movement funeral marches, and the fourth movement perpetual motion. Where are you getting this information?

They open in a similar fashion, though, which is worth noting.
I doubt Chopin drew inspiration from purely one Beethoven sonata when he wrote his, just as I doubt he drew inspiration from any one field nocturne when he wrote any given nocturne.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

I'm not sure why you associate Op. 111 with the Chopin second sonata. The similarities between Op. 26 and the Chopin B-flat minor are much stronger -- the structure overall, the third movement funeral marches, and the fourth movement perpetual motion. Where are you getting this information?

well you said much stronger.

[evryali]

Beethoven's Piano sonata no.30 always makes me excited it's my favorite.

[robinlamott]

Sonata's are all boring especially Beethovens. They are too long and boring and never hold the listner long enough to take them anywhere.  I dont know why any composer would be bothered labouring over such long music, then again he was paid for it (unlike most composers who write for nothing).  I feel sorry for the poor publishers who had to make sense of Beethovens scribble handwriting. Come to think of it I bet half of what we hear was written by the Publisher because he couldnt make out the blobs of ink and weather notes were sitting on the lines or the spaces etc etc.  Take a look at the original manuscripts in those times they are unreadable. 

[schumaniac]

Sonata's are all boring especially Beethovens. They are too long and boring and never hold the listner long enough to take them anywhere.  I dont know why any composer would be bothered labouring over such long music, then again he was paid for it (unlike most composers who write for nothing).  I feel sorry for the poor publishers who had to make sense of Beethovens scribble handwriting. Come to think of it I bet half of what we hear was written by the Publisher because he couldnt make out the blobs of ink and weather notes were sitting on the lines or the spaces etc etc.  Take a look at the original manuscripts in those times they are unreadable.  

BRUH


It was maybe even BECAUSE of the fact that Beethoven was deaf, that he was able to write music of such grand proportions and deep reflection. ALL of his sonatas are masterpieces, architecturally or emotionally.

And no, I don't think it makes a difference whether or not he was paid for it- Schubert wasn't paid jack sh-t, and he wrote all these (beautiful) sonatas: D784, 840, 845, 894, 958-960. Don't forget the 10-minute-long C minor impromptu and the Three Pieces D946, which usually function as a "sonata" when programmed in concerts.

Also, composers wrote "fair copies" of their manuscripts in those days- the material they sent to the publishers was much more readable than their manuscripts, which were essentially "real-time thought processes" full of scribbles, sketches, etc.

Are you sure his sonatas are "boring," or is it just that you don't understand them? What you're saying is against the consensus of musicians- and you write so much about your own experience as a composer/musician! It's like a guy claiming to have all these qualifications to be a historian or a political scientist, who then says "Russia should annex Crimea and the rest of Ukraine and then some lel420yolo."
The more you write these critical things, the more credibility you are losing, and the harder it will be for you to promote your work- especially on this forum.

[josh93248]

I wouldn't bother Schumaniac... He may yell at you and call you a "pedofile" whatever that is... Like he did to me... Oh well, the admin are taking their time banning this guy... Not to presume too much your excellencies...

[torandrekongelf]

There is no weak piano sonata by Beethoven in my view.

At the moment I am listening to one of the Beethoven sonatas its my current favorite.

I listen more to the unfamiliar ones like number 6,7,10,22,24 etc.

[schumaniac]

In my top 5( and 3 of 5 are colab- its odd no one else made any mention of any of the incredible sonatas for piano and cello or piano and violin esp since ppsked question for sonata  which I applaud as limiting to only solo piano sonatas is boring   )
No 9 kreutzer

Freakin love this thing!

Oh, we can include violin sonatas?

IN that case, the G major violin sonata is one of my favorites...

[kevonthegreatpianist]

one more thing; in the first edition of the 106, theres a metronome mark for all four movements that i think was added by beethoven. however beethoven was deaf at that time, so how the hell does beethoven put metronome marks when he can't hear a metronome?

no wonder they weren't very accuarte

[schumaniac]

one more thing; in the first edition of the 106, theres a metronome mark for all four movements that i think was added by beethoven. however beethoven was deaf at that time, so how the hell does beethoven put metronome marks when he can't hear a metronome?

no wonder they weren't very accuarte

Well, in those days... metronomes swung...

Jk you knew that probably.

It's just like following a conductor; you don't need him to make a sound to feel his beat
EDIT: Seems like you were joking

[kevonthegreatpianist]

Well, in those days... metronomes swung...

Jk you knew that probably.

It's just like following a conductor; you don't need him to make a sound to feel his beat
EDIT: Seems like you were joking

And now, we go to the App Store and use metronomes that way. Beethoven would probably be clueless if he came to our time. Like *The screen moves! Incredible!

[le_poete_mourant]

one more thing; in the first edition of the 106, theres a metronome mark for all four movements that i think was added by beethoven. however beethoven was deaf at that time, so how the hell does beethoven put metronome marks when he can't hear a metronome?

You can see a metronome too, right? He did still have his vision.

The formatting of the metronome marks depends on your edition of the sonatas of course, but the metronome markings were an addition to the work after its initial composition. The first edition was by Artaria, but the metronome markings were sent by Beethoven to a different publisher in London after its initial publication by Artaria. This was a difficult time for Beethoven financially, which is why he sought its publication in England as well. In fact, in its English iteration the sonata even appeared as Op. 88 in two parts -- the introduction and fugue listed as separate entities. We think of Beethoven often as this kind of perfect god of composition from whose wishes we cannot deviate, but he actually wrote in his letters that the Op. 106 could be tinkered with.

from Beethoven's letters:

Should the sonata not be suitable for London, I could send another one; or you could omit the Largo and begin straight away with the Fugue...which is the last movement; or you could use the first movement and then the Adagio, and then for the third movement the Scherzo--and omit entirely no. 4 with the Largo and Allegro risoluto. Or you could take just the first movement and the Scherzo and let them form the whole sonata. I leave it to you to do as you think best.

Remarkable, really!

[kevonthegreatpianist]

You can see a metronome too, right? He did still have his vision.

The formatting of the metronome marks depends on your edition of the sonatas of course, but the metronome markings were an addition to the work after its initial composition. The first edition was by Artaria, but the metronome markings were sent by Beethoven to a different publisher in London after its initial publication by Artaria. This was a difficult time for Beethoven financially, which is why he sought its publication in England as well. In fact, in its English iteration the sonata even appeared as Op. 88 in two parts -- the introduction and fugue listed as separate entities. We think of Beethoven often as this kind of perfect god of composition from whose wishes we cannot deviate, but he actually wrote in his letters that the Op. 106 could be tinkered with.

from Beethoven's letters:
Remarkable, really!

true

[chopinlover01]

Sonata's are all boring especially Beethovens. They are too long and boring and never hold the listner long enough to take them anywhere.  I dont know why any composer would be bothered labouring over such long music, then again he was paid for it (unlike most composers who write for nothing).  I feel sorry for the poor publishers who had to make sense of Beethovens scribble handwriting. Come to think of it I bet half of what we hear was written by the Publisher because he couldnt make out the blobs of ink and weather notes were sitting on the lines or the spaces etc etc.  Take a look at the original manuscripts in those times they are unreadable. 

Brevity doesn't necessarily make something good either- otherwise your works would be top of the line, which they frankly aren't.
And yes, as mentioned previously, Beethoven's manuscripts are not what were sent to the publisher house. Neither were Chopin's, those are quite messy as well sometimes. The manuscripts were just to get the piece down, much the rough draft of an essay or something. They rewrote everything neatly, sent it to the publisher, and the publisher probably contacted them over discrepancies.
Do kindly stop spreading misinformation, please.

[cameronbiles]

Sonata's are all boring especially Beethovens. 

Right I'm presuming you're trolling others wise I'd reevaluate the value of the sonata as whole. Firstly from an musicology point of view sonatas from a very large part of the musical canon for piano and many other instruments (something you should/ are appreciate and learn, simply saying 'are boring' simply doesn't fit the bill. We all prefer different things but we possibly learn the most from the most boring of topics). Also as a composer myself I feel there is much to be learnt from Beethoven's sonatas ALONE let alone more modernist works. Beethoven I feel lays all the ground work for the romantic and post romantic sonata form therefore it is critical for you to understand the basics of the style before you can mould these concepts into your own in every sense, plus harmonic analysis of his stuff wouldn't do you any harm either to have as Beethoven uses simple tonal harmony so gives you a firm grasp of tonal harmony. I've left many other thoughts out mainly because I can't be arsed! So to sum up... You don't have like it...but you can learn it.
P.s I have a soft spot for the early sonatas of Beethoven,particularly op.7 and no.1 op.10