Impressive Beethoven Sonatas

[kornv9022]

What are some beethoven Sonatas that pianist like to show off their skills with? I think the third movement of the moonlight is very impressive for me. But, what other movements do you guys find the most impressive in terms of skill?

[chopinlover01]

Any and all of them, if you can play them well.

Keyword: if.


It's also worth mentioning that the Beethoven sonatas are hardly show-off material; aside from it being opposite to the composer's intent, showing off often doesn't fit the music. You might get someone say "Wow, he's amazing!", but it's not a show-off-piece in the same vein as a Liszt etude.

[j_tour]

Any and all of them, if you can play them well.

I like the one I'm doing, Op. 27 no. 1 -- my goals are different than to impress, though.  It has a nice beat and you can dance to it.

For me, I'm not going back to the Op. 27 no. 2 again, but I'm glad I put the time in as a younger teen with the third movement, and I never had my sights on the Op. 111 or the Hammerklavier, but if this were a TV show and they put "impressive sonata," there's a good chance the Presto agitato from Op. 27 no. 2 might be on there.  

[chopinawesome]

Waldstein

[beethovenfan01]

I would guess Les Adieux, third movement--or the Appassionata, third movement. Maybe Waldstein (also third movement). But Beethoven wasn't really in the category of trying to impress an audience--remember, he quit performing regularly in his late twenties.

Beyond Beethoven, Liszt is very impressive--nearly all his music is virtuosic and big-sounding. Also, many of Chopin's early works (not talking about anything written after 1835 or so) are meant to be impressive. Same with Brahms and Rachmaninoff. Are you happening to notice a trend here??? All those composers got what Liszt called "virtuoso fever." But then they matured and wrote works that may also be huge and impressive, but are by and large much more mature in the fact that the goal is to make beautiful music than to impress an audience.

My two cents on this matter. My own performances are always better when I'm not worried about trying to impress people ...

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I would guess Les Adieux, third movement--or the Appassionata, third movement. Maybe Waldstein (also third movement). But Beethoven wasn't really in the category of trying to impress an audience--remember, he quit performing regularly in his late twenties.



My two cents on this matter. My own performances are always better when I'm not worried about trying to impress people ...

Actually I'd be more impressed if you can play the first movement of op 81a, 53, and 57 well rather than the third movements

[beethovenfan01]

True, the first movements are longer and more complex. But to an uninitiated audience, I think the third movements would be more impressive, solely because they are always moving, and have more virtuosic material. My own opinion.

[canada100]

Any and all of them, if you can play them well.

Keyword: if.


It's also worth mentioning that the Beethoven sonatas are hardly show-off material; aside from it being opposite to the composer's intent, showing off often doesn't fit the music. You might get someone say "Wow, he's amazing!", but it's not a show-off-piece in the same vein as a Liszt etude.

Couldn't agree more!

[canada100]

3rd Movement of Moonlight Sonata
3rd Movement of Appassionata (the whole Appassionata's really amazing, must say)
1st and 3rd Movements of Waldstein (again, the whole thing's really good_
Basically, any sonata of the middle-late period has its "virtuosic" moments.

Op. 111, Op. 10 #3, Pathetique, Op 109, all have movements one can consider virtuosic.

But again, I don't consider Beethoven Sonatas to be showoff pieces....in the same sense as Liszt.

Still, IMO, Hammerklavier takes the cake if you really want something formidable....

[klavieronin]

The last mvt. of Op.2 No.1 is quite impressive and actually relatively easy to play as well. It's a lot of fun. The 2nd mvt. is quite beautiful also.