Left hand

[softbn]

Hello. When you’re learning a new piece and you work on the dynamics do you usually think about the right hand and the left hand just naturally follows what the right hand does ( left automatically goes louder when the right does so )
I’m learning the 3rd movement of Beethoven Tempest sonata and the dynamics seem tricky. I need to think about each measure and each hand separately?

[softbn]

So my question is - does the left hand always play louder when there’s a crescendo ?

[lelle]

Usually the crescendo applies to the music as a whole, i e both the left and the right hand, unless it's clearly indicated in the score that you only should increase the volume in one hand or voice. Hope that answers your question.

[brogers70]

As Lelle said, unless otherwise indicated, the crescendos and diminuendos apply to both hands. If, as is often the case, the melody is in the right hand, it can be effective to make both the crescendos and diminuendos more pronounced in the right hand than in the left. That way you get both an absolute increase or decrease in the volume of the main line, as well as a relative increase or decrease compared to the accompaniment which makes the dynamic range of the main line seem greater than it actually is.

[softbn]

But in Beethoven tempest sonata 3rd movement there are some kind of arpeggios starting in the left hand and ending in the right vs in the second line - the right hand is silent then the left is silent. Is the rule the same ? The left hand quiter ?

[brogers70]

I'm not sure exactly what measures you are talking about, but when the RH has the melodic line and the left hand is an accompaniment figure, then, yes, I'd bring out the RH. When in doubt you can always look up a few performances on youtube and see what the performers you like best do with the voicing of the section you are thinking about.