10 best Beethoven sonatas

[tds]

 

[presto agitato]

1 - Pathetique
2 - Appassionata
3 - Num 27 in E minor
4 - Tempest
5 - Les Adieux
6 - Num 28 in A
7 - Num 13 in E flat
8 - Num 32 in C minor
9 - Hammerklavier
10 - Waldstein

[apion]

1. Hammerklavier
2. Waldstein
3. Pathetique
4. Appassionatta
5. No. 32
6. Tempest
7. Moonlight
8. Les Adieux

[steinwayguy]

1 - Pathetique
2 - Appassionata
3 - Num 27 in E minor
4 - Tempest
5 - Les Adieux
6 - Num 28 in A
7 - Num 13 in E flat
8 - Num 32 in C minor
9 - Hammerklavier
10 - Waldstein

I pray to God that is not your ranking...

1-6, in no order
Op. 90
Op. 101
Op. 106
Op. 109
Op. 110
Op. 111
7-10, in no order
Op. 7
Op. 53
Op. 57
Op. 81a

[presto agitato]

I pray to God that is not your ranking...

WHY

[aquariuswb]

I pray to God that is not your ranking...

1-6, in no order
Op. 90
Op. 101
Op. 106
Op. 109
Op. 110
Op. 111
7-10, in no order
Op. 7
Op. 53
Op. 57
Op. 81a

Hehe, I KNEW your list would look like that...
My list would be similar, but instead of Op. 90 give me Op. 78.
I can't say I'd have the same order as you (late sonatas, the rest), but those are the same sonatas I'd pick. If I must rank them, I will do so now, but this would change if I did it tomorrow -- or even later today!

1. Op. 81a "Lebewohl" -- I can't get over the vivacissimamente
2. Op. 110 "The Shiznit Part 2"
3. Op. 109 "The Shiznit Part 1"
4. Op. 53 "Waldstein" -- currently trying to polish the first movement
5. Op. 101 "Better than the Hammerklavier IMO"
6. Op. 106 "Hammerklavier"
7. Op. 78 "For Therese"
8. Op. 111 "The Shiznit Part 3"
9. Op. 57 "Appassionata"
10. Op. 7 "Can't think of a good nickname here"

As you can see, I've labeled Opp. 109-111 as "The Shiznit." This is because they deserve nicknames.

[aquariuswb]

Doesn't anyone else have an opinion here??!?!?

Over the months that I've been a poster here, I've been SHOCKED  by how few people talk about the LvB piano sonatas -- SteinwayGuy is an exception. In my opinion, these are the greatest piano works ever composed. Many would agree with me, yet composers like Alkan and Sorabji seem to get more of the limelight here. Why?!?

BLASPHEMY!

[Lance Morrison]

Doesn't anyone else have an opinion here??!?!?

Over the months that I've been a poster here, I've been SHOCKED  by how few people talk about the LvB piano sonatas -- SteinwayGuy is an exception. In my opinion, these are the greatest piano works ever composed. Many would agree with me, yet composers like Alkan and Sorabji seem to get more of the limelight here. Why?!?

BLASPHEMY!

riiiiiiiiiiight...

[sharon_f]

Doesn't anyone else have an opinion here??!?!?

Over the months that I've been a poster here, I've been SHOCKED  by how few people talk about the LvB piano sonatas -- SteinwayGuy is an exception. In my opinion, these are the greatest piano works ever composed. Many would agree with me, yet composers like Alkan and Sorabji seem to get more of the limelight here. Why?!?

BLASPHEMY!

I'll tell you why I don't have an opinion, or rather (because I do have an opinion) why I didn't want to post a response.

Over the months I've been BORED  by all of the best/favorite/worst topics. Favorite Chopin piece, favorite non-nicknamed Beethoven sonata, favorite nicknamed Beethoven sonata, favorite piano concerto. Now we've got a thread 10 Best Beetoven Sonatas. Why 10, why not 11 or 7 or 4. Why not the 6 most favorite Bach pieces written in the key of D major.

I'm sorry.... I've been working a lot of overtime and not had much time to practice. I guess I'm a little grumpy. I'm on this forum because my boyfriend's been working 10 hour days and he's in bed sleeping and I can't practice.

What was the question, again?

[sharon_f]

Okay, now I'm even grumpier!!!

I found another thread: Beethoven's 24 Sonatas. In this one we're asked which eight of the 32 we'd axe. That thread was also started by TDS.

Please, please, please TDS. Desist with these threads. I beg you. My sanity depends on it.

[tds]

my sharon_f, i don't know what to tell you, really. but you made me laugh ( legitimately or not?, i have no clue ) so hard, that i was almost choked. really, the only thing i can say right now is this: thanks for making me laugh! havent laughed like this for so long. oh, also, dont ask me why i laughed. warmest, tds

[steinwayguy]

WHY

You think that the Pathetique is the best Beethoven sonata? To each his own, to some extent, but that? All of my respect for you is lost.

Doesn't anyone else have an opinion here??!?!?

Over the months that I've been a poster here, I've been SHOCKED by how few people talk about the LvB piano sonatas -- SteinwayGuy is an exception. In my opinion, these are the greatest piano works ever composed. Many would agree with me, yet composers like Alkan and Sorabji seem to get more of the limelight here. Why?!?

BLASPHEMY!

Completely agree. Late Beethoven in particular. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again- the late Beethoven sonatas are the pinnacle of the piano literature. and I'll add that Alkan and Sorabji didn't nearly anything nearly comparable to them. Is everybody on this forum a immature-virtuoso-driven 15-year old?

[Lance Morrison]

some of us just like to talk about more music than Bach and Mozart and Beethoven and Brahms    but i suppose my opinion matters not

there are a few people talking on the Sorabji thread....my thread from a while ago on Schönberg I believe had one respondent. So what is the big problem? Why must everything be about Bach and Beethoven and Liszt and Chopin?

[stormx]

I agree that Beethoven piano sonatas are the pinnacle of piano literature (along with many Chopin pieces). This should be not surprising, being Beethoven the greatest composer ever !!! 

Regarding the topic question, i am not very original...my favorites are the most well known...However, i tend to prefer the intermediate period over the late one.

My current top one (and this will certainly change in the future) is not usually mentionned as the best:

TEMPEST 

PD: despite what other posters said, i enjoy reading this kind of polls in Pianoforum 

[sharon_f]

my sharon_f, i don't know what to tell you, really. but you made me laugh ( legitimately or not?, i have no clue ) so hard, that i was almost choked. really, the only thing i can say right now is this: thanks for making me laugh! havent laughed like this for so long. oh, also, dont ask me why i laughed. warmest, tds

Thank you, TDS, for not taking my posts too seriously.  And you're welcome. Warmest, Sharon_F.

[aquariuswb]

some of us just like to talk about more music than Bach and Mozart and Beethoven and Brahms    but i suppose my opinion matters not

there are a few people talking on the Sorabji thread....my thread from a while ago on Schönberg I believe had one respondent. So what is the big problem? Why must everything be about Bach and Beethoven and Liszt and Chopin?

That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that since this is a piano forum, and many people -- including myself -- consider the Beethoven piano sonatas to be, as SteinwayGuy said it, the "pinnacle" of piano composition, I'm surprised by how relatively few topics are actually about Beethoven.

On the other hand, Chopin and Liszt seem to get a lot more attention in here, as do other composers of "virtuosic" piano pieces, like Alkan and Sorabji. What's wrong with pointing out these observations?

[Lance Morrison]

That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that since this is a piano forum, and many people -- including myself -- consider the Beethoven piano sonatas to be, as SteinwayGuy said it, the "pinnacle" of piano composition, I'm surprised by how relatively few topics are actually about Beethoven.

On the other hand, Chopin and Liszt seem to get a lot more attention in here, as do other composers of "virtuosic" piano pieces, like Alkan and Sorabji. What's wrong with pointing out these observations?

nothing is wrong.....i just am a worthless arrogant jerk 

[aquariuswb]

nothing is wrong.....i just am a worthless arrogant jerk 

Me too!

[steinwayguy]

some of us just like to talk about more music than Bach and Mozart and Beethoven and Brahms    but i suppose my opinion matters not

there are a few people talking on the Sorabji thread....my thread from a while ago on Schönberg I believe had one respondent. So what is the big problem? Why must everything be about Bach and Beethoven and Liszt and Chopin?

The most popular topics currently are about Sorabji, Alkan, Chopin Etudes and Beethoven Sonatas. There is a reason people should talk about Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms more than Alkan and Sorabji. There are so many composers that deserve more attention, either because they're not getting any at all (schoenberg) or because their compositions have greater musical value than they are warranted (Mozart sonatas).

[Lance Morrison]

.....i just am a worthless arrogant jerk 

[theodopolis]

...Why not the 6 most favorite Bach pieces written in the key of D major.

1) Prelude & Fugue in D - BWV532 (The original organ work...not Busoni's!)
2) Prelude & Fugue in D - (WTC I)
3) Toccata in D - BWV 912
4) Harpsichord Concerto - BWV 1024
5) Partita No. 4
     Last...but certainly not least -
6) The Magnificat! - BWV243


Sorry... Couldn't Resist it!

[vertigoone]

Thank you, TDS, for not taking my posts too seriously.  And you're welcome. Warmest, Sharon_F.

What a refreshing reply!  It is a rare thing to see someone humbly reply instead battle out a pointless argument.  You have shown wisdom.

[pianoman53]

What a refreshing reply!  It is a rare thing to see someone humbly reply instead battle out a pointless argument.  You have shown wisdom.

S/he also showed it about 9 years ago. Great job catching that!

[kevonthegreatpianist]

The greatest Beethoven sonatas in order

10. Op.2 No.1 'Little Appastionata' (I think I spelled it wrong)
9. Op.14 No.1
8. Op. 26 'Funeral March'
7. Op. 49. No.1 'Easy Sonata'
6. Op.27 No.1
5.Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight' (One of my favorite Chopin nocturnes is Op.27 No.2)
4.Op. 53 'Waldstein'
3. Op.106 'Hammerklaiver'
2. Op.13 'Patheique'
1. Op.111

And blast off!

*ship explodes in 2 seconds 

I don't know why I like Little Appasionata but not Appasionata. I haven't listened to the bigger work yet...

I think Op.49 No.1 is also a great sonata. It's not that easy tho. The second movement provides notes that are faster than Chopin's first scherzo, and the first notes have turns that took me ten minutes to learn. Ten minutes is actually a long time.

Op.111 is currently underrated and I recommend you to listen to it.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

The greatest Beethoven sonatas in order

10. Op.2 No.1 'Little Appastionata' (I think I spelled it wrong)
9. Op.14 No.1
8. Op. 26 'Funeral March'
7. Op. 49. No.1 'Easy Sonata'
6. Op.27 No.1
5.Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight' (One of my favorite Chopin nocturnes is Op.27 No.2)
4.Op. 53 'Waldstein'
3. Op.106 'Hammerklaiver'
2. Op.13 'Patheique'
1. Op.111

And blast off!

*ship explodes in 2 seconds 

I don't know why I like Little Appasionata but not Appasionata. I haven't listened to the bigger work yet...

I think Op.49 No.1 is also a great sonata. It's not that easy tho. The second movement provides notes that are faster than Chopin's first scherzo, and the first notes have turns that took me ten minutes to learn. Ten minutes is actually a long time.

Op.111 is currently underrated and I recommend you to listen to it.

Now it's been like 2 months, my list changed a bit:

10. Op.14 No.1(my nickname 'Grand Sonata Plus')
9. Op.26 'Funeral March'
8. Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight' (my nickname 'Very Slow Steroids')
7. Op.2 No.1 'Little Appassionata'
6. Op.57 'The LEGIT Appassionata'
5. Op.13 'Patheique'
4. Op.106 'Hammerklavier' (my nickname 'Beethoven on Steroids')
3. Op.110 (my nickname 'The Quiet Funeral March')
2. Op.53 'Waldstein' (my nickname 'March of Doom')
1. Op.111 (my nickname 'Mario Gone Mad')

Op.111 is leads the sonata chain. Go 111.

[schumaniac]

The whole "Little" and "Legit" thing is BS to me. People just take an earlier sonata written in the same key as a "nickname" one and then slap a "Little" in front of the nickname. By that logic, "op. 7" is "Little Les Adieux" and op. 10 no. 3 is "Little Pastoral!"

[kevonthegreatpianist]

The whole "Little" and "Legit" thing is BS to me. People just take an earlier sonata written in the same key as a "nickname" one and then slap a "Little" in front of the nickname. By that logic, "op. 7" is "Little Les Adieux" and op. 10 no. 3 is "Little Pastoral!"

true. except the op.7 is about two times longer than Op.81a and already has a nickname and op 10 no 3 is much harder than the op 28

[glennross]

• Sonata in E major, op. 109
• Sonata in B-flat major, op. 106
• Sonata in D major, op. 10/3
• Sonata in D major, op. 28
• Sonata in D minor, op. 31/2
• Sonata in A major, op. 2/2
• Sonata in C major, op. 2/3
• Sonata in F major, op. 10/2
• Sonata in A-flat major, op. 110
• Sonata in E-flat major, op. 27/1

I really like those earlier sonatas in which he understands the art of voice leading so well.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

• Sonata in E major, op. 109
• Sonata in B-flat major, op. 106
• Sonata in D major, op. 10/3
• Sonata in D major, op. 28
• Sonata in D minor, op. 31/2
• Sonata in A major, op. 2/2
• Sonata in C major, op. 2/3
• Sonata in F major, op. 10/2
• Sonata in A-flat major, op. 110
• Sonata in E-flat major, op. 27/1

I really like those earlier sonatas in which he understands the art of voice leading so well.

what happened to 2/1 and 111?

[kypiano]

The whole "Little" and "Legit" thing is BS to me. People just take an earlier sonata written in the same key as a "nickname" one and then slap a "Little" in front of the nickname. By that logic, "op. 7" is "Little Les Adieux" and op. 10 no. 3 is "Little Pastoral!"

Op. 7 is "Little Les Adieux"? Where did you find that? It's not on Wikipedia OR Imslp But I see their point, Les Adieux is harder than Op. 7. In obvious reasons if you actually've played them both. (Exccept in my case, Op. 7 was a bit harder to memorize but les Adieux was pretty straightforward.)

I couldn't find "Little Pastoral" either anywhere. Wait- did you make those nicknames up??? Bless you, poor child Oh, and congratulations for pointing out that Les Adieaux is more boring than Op. 7

[kypiano]

what happened to 2/1 and 111?

Op. 2#1 is boring. Op.111 is ugly. Same with most other Beethoven Sonatas. But when the pretty parts come, they are REALLY pretty

[kevonthegreatpianist]

Op. 7 is "Little Les Adieux"? Where did you find that? It's not on Wikipedia OR Imslp But I see their point, Les Adieux is harder than Op. 7. In obvious reasons if you actually've played them both. (Exccept in my case, Op. 7 was a bit harder to memorize but les Adieux was pretty straightforward.)

I couldn't find "Little Pastoral" either anywhere. Wait- did you make those nicknames up??? Bless you, poor child Oh, and congratulations for pointing out that Les Adieaux is more boring than Op. 7

He made these nicknames up as a joke corresponding to that I put 2/1 as 'Little Appastionata', 2/3 as 'Little Waldstein,' 10/1 as 'Little Patheique,' and 22 as 'Little Hammerkalvier.' ANd Op.7 already has a nickname.

No, I think they're about the same difficulty, and Op.7 is about two times longers.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

10. Op. 7 "Can't think of a good nickname here"

 

well op 7 already HAS  an offical nickname

[kypiano]

He made these nicknames up as a joke corresponding to that I put 2/1 as 'Little Appastionata', 2/3 as 'Little Waldstein,' 10/1 as 'Little Patheique,' and 22 as 'Little Hammerkalvier.' ANd Op.7 already has a nickname.

No, I think they're about the same difficulty, and Op.7 is about two times longers.

That must mean you haven't played (as in studied) them MAYBE when you're sightreading, l'Adieux is kind of "easy". It's just once you get into it, it gets really hard.

[rubinsteinmad]

That must mean you haven't played (as in studied) them MAYBE when you're sightreading, l'Adieux is kind of "easy". It's just once you get into it, it gets really hard.

Do you sightread Liszt, pregnant dog

[glennross]

Sigh, why on earth do people feel the need to give nicknames to Beethoven's sonatas. Does it add any certain value to it by doing this. Doesn't seem like that to me. It's such nonsense that because the op. 7 is in E-flat that it is therefore called 'Little Les Adieux'. If one would go down that path, he could equally as well say that op. 27/1 or 31/3 are 'Little Les Adieux's'. Just stop giving them nicknames and play the music.

[rubinsteinmad]

Do you sightread Liszt, pregnant dog

I wrote BIT*CH. How come it got changed to "pregnant dog"?

[rubinsteinmad]

Sigh, why on earth do people feel the need to give nicknames to Beethoven's sonatas. Does it add any certain value to it by doing this. Doesn't seem like that to me. It's such nonsense that because the op. 7 is in E-flat that it is therefore called 'Little Les Adieux'. If one would go down that path, he could equally as well say that op. 27/1 or 31/3 are 'Little Les Adieux's'. Just stop giving them nicknames and play the music.

Well, no one calls it "Little l'Adieuax". It's just that schumaniac tried to start a trend because somehow he hates Op. 7, so he tried to start a trend to call it "Little l'Adieaux."

[glennross]

Well, no one calls it "Little l'Adieuax". It's just that schumaniac tried to start a trend because somehow he hates Op. 7, so he tried to start a trend to call it "Little l'Adieaux."

I know what his intentions were. It just in general the users and what things they've posted on this thread. By the way, I don't like the Op. 7 sonata too. Not even in the slightest. I think the other 'E-flats' are much stronger and more thoughtfull which makes them, for me at least, much better sonatas.

[pencilart3]

I love op. 109.

[rubinsteinmad]

Op. 2#1 is boring. Op.111 is ugly. Same with most other Beethoven Sonatas.

You have no taste.

Favs:
Op. 2 #2
Op. 2 #3 "The Gigantic Cuckoo from Mars"
Op. 10 #1 "Kind of Pathetic"
Op. 13 "The Pathetic"
Op. 28 "Pastorale"
Op. 31 #2 "Tempest Flows in You"
Op. 31 #3 "The Hunt"
Op. 49 #2
Op.53 "Waldstein"
Op. 57"Avocolada Appasionata"
Op. 79, II & III "Cuckoo"
Op. 81a, III "I'm going to pretend I'm sad that Napolean is here, but I'm actually really really jhappy"
Op. 111 "Gurlitt's Sonatina in a minor"

[kevonthegreatpianist]

I wrote BIT*CH. How come it got changed to "pregnant dog"?

because pianostreet is a b!tch

[rubinsteinmad]

because pianostreet is a b!tch

pregnant dog ass dumbass smartass sh*t *** ***

Those are all the cuss words I know, lets see what PS does to them

[rubinsteinmad]

pregnant dog ass dumbass smartass sh*t *** ***

Those are all the cuss words I know, lets see what PS does to them

OK: Here are the results:
They turned the B-Word into "pregnant dog"
They kept "ass" and "dumbass"
They turned the S-word into "sh*t" instead of the "I"
The F-word was turned into ***
The W-word that describes Clara Schumann was also turned into ***

[pencilart3]

OK: Here are the results:
They turned the B-Word into "pregnant dog"
They kept "ass" and "dumbass"
They turned the S-word into "sh*t" instead of the "I"
The F-word was turned into ***
The W-word that describes Clara Schumann was also turned into ***

Thanks for the info.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

OK: Here are the results:
They turned the B-Word into "pregnant dog"
They kept "ass" and "dumbass"
They turned the S-word into "sh*t" instead of the "I"
The F-word was turned into ***
The W-word that describes Clara Schumann was also turned into ***

and theres still dildo, condom, lay, ride, redtube, bullshit, pussy, dick, cock, prick, and lots of others

[alpacinator1]

and the first notes have turns that took me ten minutes to learn. Ten minutes is actually a long time.

lol

[paxxx17]

Necroposting now that I've finally listened through all the sonatas

1.   106
2.   90
3.   53
4.   111
5.   101
6.   110
7.   57
8.   109
9.   31 (no2)
10.   78

I haven't listened to much of the early sonatas, so maybe some could fit in in the future (like Op. 7 and Op. 22)
Last three sonatas are still fresh to me (only listened to each one about 5 times) so I expect them to grow in the future
For some reason, I don't like Op. 81a
I've made this list by giving points to each individual movement, then averaging over number of movements (and some corrections that benefit sonatas with higher number of movements)

[perfect_pitch]

I'm going to say this nicely, but I don't see the Sonata's as being worth ranking - I think of them as Beethovens own reflection on what was happening in his life (with the exception of Op 49, No 2)

They are a development of who he was as a person. In the beginning - he wrote pieces that tried to push the piano to greater and bigger things, in the middle was him finally becoming the more mature composer that he was, and then the final sonatas of his life were him trying to pour his heart and soul into the music he so much loved, but couldn't aurally hear (but could probably hear innately in his head... I'm presuming that he had perfect pitch given that he could compose such brilliant melodies that work out so beatifully... to do so without perfect pitch seems impossible.)

That's just may take, and yes, I know Paxxxx did necro the the sh!t out of this thread, (sorry, but it's true - although vertigoone probably takes the cake).

And yes, this is someone who has listened to them in order many times (all 32 of them)

[pencilart3]

I don't see the Sonata's as being worth ranking - I think of them as Beethovens

*Sonatas
*Beethoven's