All-Beethoven Recital

[pianomann1984]

Say you are preparing an all-Beethoven recital of about 70-90 mins in 2 halves, what do you do?  I am thinking of preparing such a recital for a concert that I have been asked to give at short notice (the recital is July - many of you would have seen the other programme I posted previously involving Bach/Beethoven/Debussy/Liszt, but I dont think I can prepare this in time).  Anyway, here are my thoughts:

Sonata No. 24 in F#, Op. 78
Sonata No. 2 in A, Op. 2 No. 2

INTERVAL

32 Variations in C minor, WoO 80
Sonata No. 18 in Eb, Op. 31 No. 3

[TheHammer]

Say you are preparing an all-Beethoven recital of about 70-90 mins in 2 halves, what do you do? I am thinking of preparing such a recital for a concert that I have been asked to give at short notice (the recital is July - many of you would have seen the other programme I posted previously involving Bach/Beethoven/Debussy/Liszt, but I dont think I can prepare this in time). Anyway, here are my thoughts:

Sonata No. 24 in F#, Op. 78
Sonata No. 2 in A, Op. 2 No. 2

INTERVAL

32 Variations in C minor, WoO 80
Sonata No. 18 in Eb, Op. 31 No. 3

Yeah! Beethoven rules!

However, some questionst that come to mind (first impression).

1. Do these really make up to 70 min? I think it would hardly be an hour. Or do you count the Intermission? Anyway...

2. Are these the sonatas/variation you will definetly play, or are these just suggestions?

Okay, however the answers may be, I actually think it is a very good programme. You have Sonatas in three completely different styles: early, middle, and nearly-late. The 32 Variations is very cool, and op. 31/3 at the end is also quite nice (eventually a Finale deserving this title).
Problems could be that you play no real hit, no famous Beethoven. Now, for me personally, I would really appreciate this recital, hearing some pieces you don't get to hear so often (especially op.31 and 78 which I like very much).
So, for which kind of audience are you playing? What is the occasion? You might consider changing one of them to a more known sonata (Waldstein/Appassionata/Tempest obviously for the op.31/3, OR a really late sonata for the op. 78 (90/109?, although I would not start but end with one of the late 6).

Of course, these alternatives are much harder than your pieces, so if you don't know them (see question 1) forget it, and play your programme. Perhaps you want to consider learning an encore? "Rage over the lost Penny" (op. 129), "Polonaise" (op. 89), "Fantasia" (op.77) come to mind, or "Six Ecossaises" often played by Kissin. These pieces are all learnable till July if you have some time to learn (so, if you are not spending all your practice time on polishing your recital pieces...).

Anyway, nice programme. I would come...all Beethoven, cool. 

Good luck

[Kassaa]

Hammerklavier as an encore

[haydn]

I play one Beethoven piece, and I don't know the name ! 

[BoliverAllmon]

I play one Beethoven piece, and I don't know the name ! 

first Beethoven piece I learned was called German dance. I learned it and thought, Hmmm...i thought beethoven was hard to play. what is up with this piece and Fur Elise. Needless to say I was an uneducated moron.

boliver

[ahmedito]

I did an all Beethoven recital about two years ago, I am doing some now, as preparation for the Beethoven competition in Bonn. My last program was:

Beethoven sonata op. 27 n.1 in eb major
Beethoven sonata op. 28 in d major (Pastoral)
Beethoven sonata op. 90 in e minor
Beethoven sonata op. 109 in e major

I played 2 encores:
Rondo in G major
Rondo Caprichoso (Rage over a lost penny)

Ive played this program a couple of times, it lasts about 90 minutes and I tend to switch the order around. Sometimes I play the rondo as part of the main program instead substituting one of the sonatas. when a shorter recital was needed.

[pianomann1984]

Yeah! Beethoven rules!

However, some questionst that come to mind (first impression).

1. Do these really make up to 70 min? I think it would hardly be an hour. Or do you count the Intermission? Anyway...

2. Are these the sonatas/variation you will definetly play, or are these just suggestions?

Op. 78 - 10'30"
Op. 2 No. 2 - 25"
WoO 80 - 11"
Op. 31 No. 3- 25"

It's about 70" playing - about right, I think.  The concert is an outdoor summer concert at a stately home.  As it happens, I will now not be playing this programme, but rather a more varied programme of Bach, Beethoven, Debussy & Liszt.  However, I am saving this for future performances!  I think it's nice to play lesser-known works - I don't despute the usefulness of more popular pieces, but I feel the works in my programme deserve a little more recognition!

Many thanks for your posts.

Chris

[Goldberg]

Speaking of lesser-known works, check out Beethoven's G minor Fantasy for piano. Truly an excellent, if somewhat baffling, piece, and an interesting non-sonata look at later Beethoven works for piano. It's VERY rarely played, I believe, although Serkin swore by the piece.

[jaxpiano]

I'm planning this all-Beethoven recital for 2013:

Fantasie, Op. 77
Andante in F major, WoO 57
-intermission-
Sonata in B-flat major, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier"

[asiantraveller101]

Great programs, both @jazpiano, and pianomann. I have done all Chopin and all Schubert programs, but not Beethoven. If I were to do one, I would like to add some miniatures like the Bagatelles, which are rarely played, to lightened up the "chunkier" sonatas.
Best of luck in your preparation!

[nickmarshall]

I'm planning this all-Beethoven recital for 2013:

Fantasie, Op. 77
Andante in F major, WoO 57
-intermission-
Sonata in B-flat major, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier"


Fascinating justaposition: I can play the pre-interval works, but opus 106? Good luck!