specific questions regarding pathetique first movement

[joeplaysthepiano]

I have two questions regarding the section that starts at bar 50.  First, should the hands cross over just as the score says for the measures before the ornaments?  I'm sure that they should, but it just seems a little awkward.  Any tips on that?

Also, with the ornaments, because my theory knowledge or whatever isn't that high, I'm not exactly sure how to play these things.  And from the recordings I have heard, it is also very difficult to tell.  It almost sounds like the recordings do it as grace notes, but that's not what the score indicates I believe.  Can someone help clarify this issue of how exactly to play them?

Greatly appreciated,
Joe

[thierry13]

For the hands cross, they are not supposed to be awkward, so you're doing something wrong. You CAN'T play it without crossings. And you have to do them really fast so that the answer on higher notes answers right right away without any pause. For the ornaments, you play the note, note higher, the note, and one note lower. And you repeat. For wich tone/half-tone option, follow the current scale. Not the one the piece is written in, C minor. You must play it in Eb minor. So F, F-sharp, F, Eb , Eb, F, Eb, Db, Db, Eb, Db, C, Bb, C, Db. <-- Was for the first ornementation run.

[joeplaysthepiano]

thanks a lot for your help.  Do you think the best fingering for the ornaments would then be 3-4-3-2, 3-4-3-2, 3-4-3-2, 1-2-3?

[aerlinndan]

Hello Joe,

I'm new to the forum here but I just played the Pathetique on a solo recital. I think the best fingering on each of the ornamentations changes based on the configuration of black and white keys used in the ornament. There are only two different fingerings that I  used.

a)  2 3 2 1
b) 3 5 3 2

Let's take the first run which outlines a Bb dominant 7th harmony. The sequence of fingerings I used was b, b, a. Perhaps you could also do a, b, a. It really depends on which one leads to the most clarity and musicality and feels easiest for your fingers. I would suggest going through each individual ornamentation finger with just your right hand. Find which one is easiest for you for each one, and write in a or b above the ornament in the score. (Or you could do as I did and write in the first finger used for each ornament; i.e., a=2 and b=3.) As you practice, be willing to re-adjust and re-think the fingerings. For me the most difficult part of this second theme was nailing the first note after each cross-over in the right hand, so I strived for 100% subconscious familiarity with each of the ornaments so that I didn't have to think about them and rather so that I could think about the big leaps and the phrases.

Good luck!