Beethoven sonata?

[thierry13]

Wich Beethoven sonata (a early one)you think would be fairly challenging and good for a conservatory audition, else than the pathetique(wich I allready learned, I may do this one, but I want to try a new one).

[Goldberg]

Op. 7, op. 26, op. 27 no. 1, and whatever the early C major is...

[RoyalJoyal89]

Not sure if they are early or not but i liek the Waldstein and Tempest.

[sharon_f]

Op. 7 is terrific. Very challenging. For ages it seemed like no one was playing it, though now it seems like it's getting more and more popular.  Has a very difficult to pull off(musically, that is) slow movement.

Op. 2, No. 2 in A major. Or Op. 10, No. 3 in D major are also good choices.

[pianoboi666]

Appassionata, hammerklavier, or the very last sonata.  in my opinion 3 of the best pieces ever written.

Dan

[thierry13]

I would sure go for them If I would have time for, because they are sure my favorite, by I mentioned early sonatas  By the way, the one you all mentioned are really good, tough I still don't know wich one to choose 

[Rach3]

Waldstein, Appassionata, Hammerklavier are definitely NOT early sonatas.

Everything else suggested is exactly what you're looking for. op. 7 could make a great audition, op. 26 (A-flat major) is a particularly big and often-ignored early sonata which I really like - It has a Theme & Variations, and a Funeral March, and everything. I have great respect for op.2/1 (f minor), which for various reasons might be considered insufficient, for an audition... still it's a miraculous piece which you might want to look at while you're reading through all these others.

[paris]

i learned pathetique but, i switched it with op.7.  pathetique is not the best choice for audition.  try with op.7, it is very challenging, and rarely played.  don't do moonlight, for the same reason as pathetique.  op.2 n.1 (i think f minor) is also nice one. op.2 n.2 (A major)  has a lot of work on it, demanding as op.7
op.2 n.3 (C-major) is another good one. it all depends on you, which of these you like more.
good luck! 

[Goldberg]

Aha! Yes, I too was going to suggest op. 2 no. 2 in A major but couldn't remember the no's...terrific little piece. Do the op. 7 if you have the time and skill (or the op. 26 would be an excellent choice as well, the only real "problem" being that it's in 4 separate movements, and the 1st one can be quite a challenge).

[aquariuswb]

Op. 10/3 or Op. 22

Those are the best of the early ones in my humble opinion.

[etudes]

do we count pastorale as early one?
then op.2no.2 op.2no.3 op.7 op.10 no.2 op.10no.3 op.22 for the audition

[thalbergmad]

Op2 No3 would be my choice for an early Sonata.

[thierry13]

I think I'll learn op.10 no.3. It's my favorite from the early sonatas I listened to. I'll learn it and polish it, polish pathetique, and I will then choose wich one I'll play.

[rebel1ns]

op2 no3 is real nice IMO, its pretty straightforward learning it except for those thirds in the beginning

op10 no3 is cool too, im learning it right now, u def made a good choice

[steinwayguy]

Op. 7 is the way to go, certainly. Op. 2 No. 3 is waaaaay overdone. Op. 10 No. 3 is a good choice, I suppose. I don't really know how much it's played for auditions. But the three that are way overplayed are 2/3, the Appassionata and the Waldstein. And don't do a late sonata for a conservatory audition (I'm assuming you're relatively young), because they really frown on young people playing late Beethoven.

[thierry13]

Late beethoven sonatas require a lot of maturity, like the Apassionata, Hammerklavier, op.111, etc. I could play them technically, but I don't think I would have time to get them to their full maturity, and get a good interpretation out of it. It would be good notes, with basic musicality... and that suck lol.(and yeah i'm young, I'm 15 years old, so it would not be a good idea)So I'm gonna learn this op.10 no.3 , and anyway I just love it! Thanks for all your answers.

[musik_man]

Late beethoven sonatas require a lot of maturity, like the Apassionata, Hammerklavier, op.111, etc. I could play them technically, but I don't think I would have time to get them to their full maturity, and get a good interpretation out of it. It would be good notes, with basic musicality... and that suck lol.(and yeah i'm young, I'm 15 years old, so it would not be a good idea)So I'm gonna learn this op.10 no.3 , and anyway I just love it! Thanks for all your answers.

You could play the Hammerklavier after 1.5 years.  That's impressive.

[pianoboi666]

very good choice, the op. 10 No.3 was my first beethoven sonata.  I apologize for my response earlier, I just saw Beethoven sonatas and those popped into my head, i didn't pay attention to the (early) part lol.  but newayz yes if you can play the hammerklavier after 1.5 years I'm very impressed.  after 13 years of playing I still have issues with that one.

[thierry13]

Yeah I could play it... but it's SO long, it would take more than a month for sure.

[dinosaurtales]

Appassionata, hammerklavier, or the very last sonata.  in my opinion 3 of the best pieces ever written.

Dan

But be very confident in your musicianship if you want to do Op 111 - that second movement has a lot of unpianistic stuff in it, and would be difficult to pull off!

[steinwayguy]

Yeah I could play it... but it's SO long, it would take more than a month for sure.

Quite simply- no you couldn't. No fully mature pianist masters this piece in under five years, period.

[musicsdarkangel]

op 10 no 1 in c minor, is excellent.

That's what i used, and it worked well, even when i messed it up.


It is a challenge though.  Listen to all three movements.

The first is powerful, the 2nd beautiful, the 3rd bombastic, and quick as hell.


It's CRAZY i love it.

[Pianostudy]

Ok, let's get this straight.... For all the ignorant people out there..  C- Op. 10 No. 1 is NOT considered an early sonata.   That is clearly not what the post was asking.  Second of all, Op. 2 No. 3 in C MA  is definitely a standard as far as repertoire and auditions are concerned.  Hope this helps.

[aquariuswb]

Ok, let's get this straight.... For all the ignorant people out there..  C- Op. 10 No. 1 is NOT considered an early sonata.   That is clearly not what the post was asking.  Second of all, Op. 2 No. 3 in C MA  is definitely a standard as far as repertoire and auditions are concerned.  Hope this helps.

Op. 10/1 is the 5th of 32 sonatas -- that's not early? (It might technically be the 7th, depending on when the Op. 49 sonatas were written, but that's neither here nor there). In terms of his compositional style, the early sonatas would probably encompass everything before the Waldstein, the middle sonatas would include Waldstein through Das Lebewohl, and the late sonatas would be Op. 90 - Op. 111. One could further break down the "early period" into, say, "early" and "early-middle," in which case (again, going by compositional style) I'd probably put the dividing line between Op. 26 and Op. 27. The idea of a "dividing line" is flawed however, because clearly his maturity was a gradual process. But no matter how you slice it, all three of the Op. 10 sonatas are "considered early." Get your facts straight before calling people ignorant.

[steinwayguy]

Op. 10/1 is the 5th of 32 sonatas -- that's not early? (It might technically be the 7th, depending on when the Op. 49 sonatas were written, but that's neither here nor there). In terms of his compositional style, the early sonatas would probably encompass everything before the Waldstein, the middle sonatas would include Waldstein through Das Lebewohl, and the late sonatas would be Op. 90 - Op. 111. One could further break down the "early period" into, say, "early" and "early-middle," in which case (again, going by compositional style) I'd probably put the dividing line between Op. 26 and Op. 27. The idea of a "dividing line" is flawed however, because clearly his maturity was a gradual process. But no matter how you slice it, all three of the Op. 10 sonatas are "considered early." Get your facts straight before calling people ignorant.

Correct.

[musicsdarkangel]

Ok, let's get this straight.... For all the ignorant people out there..  C- Op. 10 No. 1 is NOT considered an early sonata.   That is clearly not what the post was asking.  Second of all, Op. 2 No. 3 in C MA  is definitely a standard as far as repertoire and auditions are concerned.  Hope this helps.

I'm not ignorant.

Thanks.

It is an earlier sonata you moron.  Learn the facts....then bash.

[thierry13]

Ok, let's get this straight.... For all the ignorant people out there.. C- Op. 10 No. 1 is NOT considered an early sonata. That is clearly not what the post was asking. Second of all, Op. 2 No. 3 in C MA is definitely a standard as far as repertoire and auditions are concerned. Hope this helps.

This is clearly WHAT i was asking. They are not ignorant. I consider op.2 to opus 28 early.

[thierry13]

Quite simply- no you couldn't. No fully mature pianist masters this piece in under five years, period.

I'm not speaking of taking it to its full musical possibilities. I was speaking technically. Most pianists can handle it technically, same at early ages. What can pianists not do, is taking it to a superior music level.

[raffyplayspiano]

yea, i was actually going to mention Op 10-1-its got a few trickly parts, and the second movement is i think very tricky as well, but if played well, i think this piece shows many pianistic skills...
good luck on whichever piece you decide. let us know how it goes.

Raffy

[steinwayguy]

I'm not speaking of taking it to its full musical possibilities. I was speaking technically. Most pianists can handle it technically, same at early ages. What can pianists not do, is taking it to a superior music level.

Ok, meaning that you do not have the technique to take it to its full musical possibilities.

Using your definition of "technique",

Quite simply- no you couldn't. I have absolutely no doubts that you couldn't play that fugue. And I'd love to hear you play that separated octaves passage at the end of the first movement. Someone I know who has played both the Hammerklavier (and a definitive performance of it no less) and the Rachmaninoff Third has said that they are equally technically difficult.

[dancingfingers]

Op. 10 no. 2 is quite delightful and often overlooked...the fugal third movement is none too easy.

Good luck!

[mound]

speaking of Beethoven sonatas, I just found this link (somebody posted it on another forum)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/classical/pizarro/

I've been listening for days!

[phil13]

If you count it as early, try the 'Pastorale' Sonata in D major. It's an amazingly beautiful piece, and only somewhat more difficult that 'Pathetique'. And, it's not as overplayed as 'Pathetique' or 'Moonlight'. But don't take my word for it, I'll be using 'Pathetique' in the auditions anyway...

[burstroman]

Op. 54