Intermediate classical sonatas

[mjames]

Ok so I just sort of gave in to peer pressure, so I'll be auditioning for a minor degree in performance. Already have a bunch of romantic pieces and baroque stuff under my belt so I'm okay in that area, but the era that I've sort of neglected is classical. 

Requirement: movement from a classical sonata

I'm fine with level 7 or below. You can suggest popular or lesser composers I don't really mind, as long as its accessible. Thanks!

Just to give you an idea of what I enjoy: stuff with pretty melodies pls. Or 1st movements with interesting developing sections...

[visitor]

cool! no big, a lot of people seem slow to come back around to appreciating classical, it seems most and this board included is so heavily slanted to romantic. I actually prefer classical very very late romatnic into mid 20th century then Baroque and early/mid romantic.

What about early classical CPE Bach wrote some jiggy stuff!
ie just an example but lots to choose from w/ CPEB
does it have to be a fast movement or mov i or iii or can you choose a slow one? note the ii/slow ones are actually harder a lot of the time but there's some really groovy ones
here's a popular one, love this thing, try to read through a few of the movements, it's quick but texture is not bad, ie it's not a beast like Beethoven Op2 No 3,

ie movement ii here isn't bad

[visitor]

Dussek!

[visitor]

Clemetni

[visitor]

hm maybe this? would have to check to see on score availability and level but it's super cool

feel like classical (common practice period classical, not the broad general term) doesn't seem to get a lot of love and when it does it's Moazrt, this, Haydn that, Beethoven, etc. Nothing wrong per se (though those topics are far and few between). And my keen interest in Ukraine piano music, slavic composers (predecessors to Kosenko etc).

So I like the alternative Bortniansky presents, similar to electing to play Clementi, etc.

Don't recall there being a topic on this lately.

Anyone else familiar w the composer and pieces also a fan? Have you performed/studied it some works and have any insight or favorite features to share?

ie

bio
DMITRY STEPANOVICH BORTNIANSKY  
(1751 - 1825)

Dmitry Bortniansky was born in Ukraine, grew up singing in the choir of the Russian Imperial court, studied composition in Italy, and later became the first native Slavic Kapellmeister to the czars. He was, by all accounts, a consummate choral director and highly successful composer. During his directorship of the Imperial Court Chapel, the choir performed not only his music and that of his contemporaries in St Petersburg but also Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, and, most notably, the world première of Beethoven’s virtuosic Missa solemnis. Because his singers were trained to sing a cappella motets, large-scale choral-orchestral works, and opera alike, Bortniansky’s choir had a varied sound unique to all of Europe. In his own music for the Orthodox church, which forbids the use of instruments, Bortniansky incorporated a symphonic approach to the a cappella choral medium. The flexible grouping and alternation of solo and tutti voices that he developed in the choral concertos influenced the works of all later Slavic composers.

[mjames]

Oh yes clementi and dussek

I forgot about them


I will look Into their stuff. I like their writing style.

[medtnaculus]

The Dussek is great fun to play. How about some Haydn such as the first movement of his sonatina in F major?

[briansaddleback]

Classical sonatas. Classical works. Alberti bass galore. MMmm.

All piano students start off w classical  but their heart and desire point towards romantic.
After being in romantics, for many, they turn full circle and go back to classicals. That is how I feel.I feel missing in my musical journey the classical bread and butter sonatas.

I applaud you for wanting to explore.

For level 7 and below you have a whole range to choose from.

I don't recommend Mozart too much bc I dont have a lot of experience w him, but say Haydn and early Beethoven are all perfect classical sonatas you can choose from. I have the Henle Beethoven sonatas vol 1 and it is a wonderful book I suggest you buy it  , for approx $40 you will cherish a lifetime of riches (This is only what art and music brings to one's life. $40 elsewhere? no way)
Also I suggest a couple of Schubert's sonatas. They are VERY INTRIGUING more so than Beethoven and Haydn for me. Musically I dont feel the sonatas as a musical form. Strange right? I sometimes feel it is just Schubert speaking to us, to me. He is conversing and really making himself vulnerable bc lot of his passages come across as quirky and a little scruffy, dirty hands, scruffed elbows and knees, and unwiped mouth smeared w some food sauce he ate. He didnt take a shower for a day or two. I dunno. This is what I feel from his few sonatas. Unbelievable. I dont get that from hadyn , mozart, chopin

[mjames]

I agree with you on the Schubert, I also love his sonatas. Although chronologically speaking his early music lines up with late classical composers like Beethoven and Dussek but I'm pretty sure a lot of people still classify early Schubert as "early romantic." Don't want to take a risk. However for non-auditioning purposes I do want to look at his e flat sonata. Very beautiful stuff.

Agree with Haydn, I've been listening to him for a few hours and I feel like I should pick one of his works.

[chopinlover01]

This one is nice.

This one is absolutely lovely, and a good early Beethoven sonata.

[1piano4joe]

Hi mjames,

The Sonatina in G major Anh. 5 1st movement by Beethoven is both accessible and has the pretty melody.

The Sonatina in A minor, Op. 94, No. 4 1st movement by Biehl is also very pretty and was going through my head all day one day.

The Sonatina in F major, Op. 168, No. 1 1st movement by Anton Diabelli is another "pretty" one.

These are not "sonata" movements but are both good stepping stones to more difficult movements and quite satisfying to learn and play. Since you say you have "sort of neglected" the classical era, I just thought I'd mention them.


"Real" sonata movements for your consideration:

1. Haydn's Sonata in F Major, Hob.XVI:9 Third movement: Scherzo

2. Beethoven's Sonata in G major, Op. 49, no. 2 1st movement (Grade 8 RCM)

3. "Moonlight" 1st movement. Popular, yes, but you don't mind, right.

These are "accessible", below grade 7 and pretty.

I hope that helps, Joe.

[visitor]

let me know if bomptempo speaks to you, might be able to help you w score (btw have not forgotten on f/u w/ you on the medins dainas, stay tuned...)

love this

[visitor]

spam

[visitor]

Johann Christian Bach is important to include as well on the early classical side of things

[kawai_cs]

What about the Haydn sonata that somebody posted in Audition room recently? All movements are absolutely gorgeous! Not sure about its difficulty level but you have played already the prelude by Rach so you should be ok.

[rubinsteinmad]

Haydn's Sonata Hob:XVI 32.
Steibelt's Sonata in c minor has very pretty melodies, but I don't know its difficulty.