The most fun beethoven sonata to play?

[mysteryfinger]

Hello friends I see a lot of posts about favorites, hardest/easiest, and all of that.. but what is the Beethoven sonata (or movement of a sonata) that you've had the most fun learning and playing?

And maybe also least fun 

[lelle]

Hmmm, I have studied 19 of the 32 sonatas and it's really hard to choose! They are all enjoyable to play, but some less so than others

I have always had a soft spot for the Sonata in E major op 14, but I'm not sure if it's the most fun to play.

Appassionata feels pretty awesome to play, but it's also difficult.

My first true love in piano music was the Moonlight sonata third movement, so I think that one is up there too.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Op 2/1, op 2/3, op 31/3 last movement.

^^ I played op 14/1 for my Grade 8!

[lelle]

^^ I played op 14/1 for my Grade 8!

Wonderful! I think it, and its companion in G major, are really underrated. The material is simple, borderline banal, but Beethoven is very meticulous with all the details, performance indications etc, creating a lot of subtle details that make the sonatas interesting and full of life if you can bring them out. It's like he wanted to do something that was the polar opposite to the Pathetique sonata (which is Op 13).

[the_franzliszt]

Hmmm...This may be an unpopular opinion but the most fun Beethoven sonata to play for me is a tie between:
Piano Sonata No.31 in A Major (Mostly because of the Third Movement)
Piano Sonata No.23 in F Minor (Difficult, but very fun to perform, besides the second mvmt lol)

Worst or must unfun to perform goes to:

Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor (Too Jazz Like for me to enjoy performing)

[pianistavt]

Good question!
I haven't worked on that many tbh, but :
The Pathétique (1st mvmt) was really fun when I first learned it age 14, haven't worked on it since then but I'm sure it would still be fun.  Same for Moonlight, 3rd movement, though I have an aversion to the key of c# minor these days.
In my adult years I enjoyed playing the
- Pastoral 1st mvmt (Op 28, D major)
- Scherzo from Op 31 #3 (in A-flat)

One's that I disliked playing the most:
- Les Adieux op 81a
- Op 90 in e minor (one of Beethoven's more schizophrenic)

My current project - op 109 - all movements are enjoyable physically and aurally.

 

[transitional]

- Les Adieux op 81a

What made Les Adieux not fun to play? I'm asking because it's my favorite Beethoven sonata and on my to learn list.

[pianistavt]

What made Les Adieux not fun to play? I'm asking because it's my favorite Beethoven sonata and on my to learn list.

"Fun" for me is some sort of integration of hand/finger movements and the energy of the piece.  I worked on Les Adieux quite a long time ago, it wasn't fun under the hands and it's not fun vibes, until you get to the 3rd mvmt, the Return, which is upbeat, but I think I was tired of the sonata by then (my teacher spent too long on the 1st mvmt), I found the finger work perplexing back then, I'm going to try it again in the future, maybe it'll go better.

[beebebleuga]

Op. 54 F major is extremely fun!
There is a lot of humorous stuff in it (contrasting themes and structure) and it's not in typical classical sonata form. It is also very upbeat and will make you happy when you play it. The second theme in the first movement-the big forte octaves are very fun and satisfying to play. The harmonic progressions and the coda of the second movement are very exciting and refreshing too! I think technique wise it is not too difficult, and maybe play this piece only if you have played other Beethoven sonatas before.

[psipsi8]

Op.31 no.2 Tempest, esp. 3rd movement. Playing it is exhilarating. Otherwise, Op.2 no.3 especially the first movement: very neat and playful.