Piano Forum

Easily Op. 111.

I know there are so many other favorites based upon popular belief, but that Sonata is such a miracle of musical creation that I can barely contain myself when listening to it or playing it. It simply encapsulates everything about Beethoven that is immediately engrossing. The idea that the element of contrast is so apparent between the two movements draws one to the very essence of what he was trying to achieve with the genre, and the chaos followed by the bliss from the first to the second movement is so profound that it is quite difficult to put into words what it means until you have lived with it, struggled through it, and then finally performed it that it can have a deeper meaning and influence on you.

I certainly don’t want to draw any attention away from the other magnificent works he composed in this genre, but that last Sonata is simply one of the greatest achievements of any composer thus far in my opinion. I am so happy to have lived at a time when it can be learned, studied, and performed to the level that we easily can access today through our technology.

Do yourself a favor and start learning that piece, even if ever so slowly. When you get to the point where it becomes a reality, you’ll be a different person.