what is your favourite beethoven piano sonata?

[jaquet]

Just a question so i can broaden my listening to some more beethoven.it would also be cool if you could metion who you think plays it best. I'll start first, op 109 played by heinrich neuhuas.

[pianistavt]

It might also be interesting to ask what is your favorite Beethoven sonata movement, since you may like the 1st movement of a sonata the most, but not particularly the other movements.

Personally, I don't have a favorite.  I don't really listen to Beethoven much anymore, though I think I've listened to  just about every sonata at one time or another.  I do have a favorite pianist for Beethoven though - Igor Levit.  It's the best Beethoven I've ever heard - extremely precise and nuanced in every detail, he really sets a new bar.

[transitional]

Just a question so i can broaden my listening to some more beethoven.it would also be cool if you could metion who you think plays it best. I'll start first, op 109 played by heinrich neuhuas.

Schnabel everything - if you don't mind the low sound quality, his recordings are far more distinct than any other Beethoven I've heard, if sacrificing accuracy for volatile, fleeting playing is your thing. My favorites are Op. 81a and Op. 110.

[psipsi8]

I will diverge from the expected responses (the late sonatas) to say that I'm really into no.3 lately (op.2 no.3, C major). It's totally sublime and to make it shine despite its apparent simplicity, is not an easy task. The second movement in particular, is totally ahead of its time: very chopin nocturne-like. I think that this sonata was one of Glenn Gould's favourites also and it shows in the way he plays it. Avoiding overt romanticisms, clear and precise passages and tasteful attention to dynamics.

[brogers70]

I will diverge from the expected responses (the late sonatas) to say that I'm really into no.3 lately (op.2 no.3, C major). It's totally sublime and to make it shine despite its apparent simplicity, is not an easy task. The second movement in particular, is totally ahead of its time: very chopin nocturne-like. I think it was one of Glenn Gould's favourites also and it shows in the way he plays it. Avoiding overt romanticisms, clear and precise passages and tasteful attention to dynamics.

I completely agree about the slow movement - those sonatas may been inspired by/dedicated to Haydn, but that movement is way ahead of its time.

[chopinlover01]

My "favorite" of just about anything in music changes with the weather, time of day, state of mind/inebriation, alignment of the stars, etc. so I'll just share what came to mind right now:

Some that others have mentioned - Op. 81a (which I tried to learn in high school and never could get the hang of the double note passages - yikes!!) and 110 in Ab (Schnabel's recording is gorgeous). Another is the late E major sonata - I think Op 109

[jamienc]

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.

[gasplamey]

Moonlight.
Go ahead. Kill me.

Just kidding. It's actually 110.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Moonlight.
Go ahead. Kill me.

Just kidding. It's actually 110.

Phew. Had me scared there for a second.

The later sonatas are probably the best (and also the hardest). My personal favorite is Hammerklavier, but only outside of the context of difficulty.

[lelle]

They're all sooo good, so it's hard to pick.

But right now, I'd pick Appassionata when played really well. It's so damn powerful, and hard to beat.

I'd also pick the Moonlight sonata for nostalgia reasons, it's one of the pieces that made me get into piano because I thought it was so awesome.