Beethoven Waldstein

[Reoreo111]

Hi, I've just started the Waldstein Sonata by Beethoven.  Do you have any tips/comments about the piece?  It will be greatly appreciated! Thanx!

[BuyBuy]

Good courage... One of Beethoven most difficult sonatas, in my opinion (I hope you're easy with trills and melody notes played at the same time with the same hand, cause the 3rd movement is full of them).

[Reoreo111]

I'm actually just learning the 1st movement right now.  Any tips on how to keep the eighth notes really quiet, or any other tips on the piece?

[88keys]

Play them in a wrist staccato.

It might sound as wierd advice at first, because wrist staccato seems to involve more power from the hands. But what it actually gives you is more control - and control is exactly what you need to play these notes at pp.

Also, have you looked at the rest of the sonata yet? If not, I strongly advise you to do so: it gets considerably harder after the first 8 measures or so.

[88keys]

Oh, I almost forgot:

Since the music itself is not supposed to be entirely staccato, you'll have to keep the hands on the keys a little longer than the usual wrist staccato. Otherwise, it won't sound good.

[Irock1ce]

O wow the Waldstein Sonata and the Appassionata sonata are 2 sonatas that i am looking at.. im trying to pick either one of them to play. Im just wondering but how long have you guys been playing to reach this level? Because i am not sure if i am at the level of these sonatas yet.... I am also looking at chopin's fantasy impromptu.. thanks a lot!

[Reoreo111]

I have been playing since 1st grade, and i am a sophomore in high school right now.  

[Irock1ce]

whoaaa uve been playing a long time.. lets see.. i started seriously playing about 6 years ago.. i took my first lesson in 3rd grade, got my piano in 4th and started really getting into it from 5th-7th and then 10th to 11(going to be junior) and hopefully ill always be into it   oh yeah im also playing Waldstein too now...

[Irock1ce]

does anyone have any methods on how to play the trills + quarter notes on one hand.. just like in the 3rd movement of this?....

[tph]

does anyone have any methods on how to play the trills + quarter notes on one hand.. just like in the 3rd movement of this?....

Perhaps it's considered cheating, but when I learnt it, I broke the trill (ever so briefly) to pick the top line out with my pinky.  I believe the effect was essentially the same.

As for other tips, the treacherous octaves in the coda can be done as a glissando on a light keyboard, provided you have a tough pinky AND light action.  To train it, I had to resort to bandaids a few times to get over the blisters.  Trick here is how to stop and go while sliding.  I practised just the displacement between first octave and first little pause.  Then I added thumb/nail glissando to this same exercise.  Finally, I added the pinky.

Cheat no.2 is to play these octaves as two scales.  Play the bass chord (LH), then the first notes of the scales as an octave with the RH.  This gives you time to jump the LH to complete the scales.  Do the same for the ascending scales, except you'll have to drop the last two notes of the RH scale in order to play the chords.  It was the best and most reliable compromise, I think.

Great interpretative imagery for the 2nd and 3rd mov'ts is the other "name" of this sonata, "Aurora" - gives the impression of the 2nd mov't as twilight reflections, and 3rd mov't as the anticipation of breaking dawn, a "trilling" moment.

tph

[Beethoven87]

I started when I was barely five (Like a day after...) and I'm sixteen...  

   Anyway, the Waldstein:  I realy can't put it better than "tph" above me did...  That's about what you have to do to get it right.  However:  DO NOT, FOR GOD's SAKE, underestimate the prolonged passages of triplets.  I would STRONGLY suggest practising slow, VERY strong runs in both hands again and again to gain independence of the fingers (I.E. Phillipe exercises) so you can hit the accents (very important).  Then move on to staccato practising of the same section to improve clarity.  Otherwise, you're guarenteed to bomb that when you raise the speed.  Also, the loud, slow, practising will keep all the notes even, so when you accent at higher speeds, they're still even.  this is absulutely VITAL to this section (beleive me, I started wrong and I'm STILL {four months after starting the movement} going back and fixing those sections).  Anyway, have fun with a Waldstein.  Absoluetly wonderful sonata by Beethoven, definetly one of my favorites.  

[Irock1ce]

yeah.. the trilling i figured out.... even though i fel like a cheater   but my teacher says that since beethoven didnt say "DONT DO THAT" or whatever, then its perfectly fine.. its like using a pedal with the chords in the first movement.... unless u have huge hands.. playing those chords super legato is super hard.... so i cheat on that too... but.. yeah im practicing things reallllly slow to get myself ready to speed it up eventually..... thanks for the tips guys!