Authentic mp3 page - 2 piano sonatas Op.14

[Peter]

Now available to members at www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/authentic.html

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'Man know thyself'

[Amalie]

Both pieces are fascinating to listen to, and they are like time pieces that link up to the heroic age of Beethoven.
The first movement seem to be fast and agitated.
No.2, A bright, lovely and enchanting lyrical movement.
The very pure and melodic sound of the pianoforte came over very well, louder than usual.

[Joy]

I agree. Very enjoyable works. It is hard to imagine this and the Pathetique written around the same time. As I find it the same way about B's 2nd Symphony and his next The Eroica. Two very different works. I have to agree with Amalie about the pianoforte being very pure and melodic.

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Rod]

I think these are pretty good efforts. Whilst I agree that the melodic charms are more convincingly realised on the fortepiano, I think the dramatic moments sound more convincingly dramatic too.


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited September 12, 2003).]

[Rod]

A question for Chaszz, Are these performances too fast!?

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by Rod:
A question for Chaszz, Are these performances too fast!?

No. I'm referring more to Baroque music with my complaint about tempos in HIP, and to a range of composers of that era rather than one or two.

These sound just fine. I do notice a little family resemblance in the first one to the Pathetique, in the harmonies, not in the thematic content. To me the fortepiano sounds quite nice here, especially in the second one. Beautiful music.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chaszz:
No. I'm referring more to Baroque music with my complaint about tempos in HIP, and to a range of composers of that era rather than one or two.

These sound just fine. I do notice a little family resemblance in the first one to the Pathetique, in the harmonies, not in the thematic content. To me the fortepiano sounds quite nice here, especially in the second one. Beautiful music.

Please bear in mind that the Badura-Skoda recording has a much higher recording level, and is recorded in a better accoustic. These are always important factors to consider when making a judgement. The instrument in the other recording is based on a later (1800) model by Schantz, which you will hearing again when we come to the Moonlight.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[jman]

I haven't listened to this (yet) but I always had a little idea about the No.1 sonata but I felt it never really was worth much but since the sonata has been brought up here... Now, it might be different on a fortepiano then the modern piano, but does anyone else think that the first sonata might have sounded amazing, even better, as a symphony?? Just listening to parts of it-especially the first and third movements-and I can just imagine how it would sound with a full orchestra instead of just the piano...

[Rod]

Originally posted by jman:
I haven't listened to this (yet) but I always had a little idea about the No.1 sonata but I felt it never really was worth much but since the sonata has been brought up here... Now, it might be different on a fortepiano then the modern piano, but does anyone else think that the first sonata might have sounded amazing, even better, as a symphony?? Just listening to parts of it-especially the first and third movements-and I can just imagine how it would sound with a full orchestra instead of just the piano...

Well I will be waiting with anticipation for your assessment of these efforts with op14. Beethoven arranged No1 as a string quartet, but I fail to see how the piece would be improved as a symphony.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
Beethoven arranged No1 as a string quartet, but I fail to see how the piece would be improved as a symphony.

I agree - the Hammerklavier Op.106 has been orchestrated - though I've never heard this version it apparently doesn't do the original justice. In an age without recording I can see the 19th century logic of arrangements, particulaly arranging orchestral works for piano and Liszt was a master of this - It was considered that he even outdid the orchestra in power and effect with his performance of Berlioz's march to the Scaffold from the Symphony Fantastique.

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'Man know thyself'

[jman]

hmm...that is quite interesting then! I guess I did mean more orchestral versions of it...I can always hear strings during the runs and everything like that...so a string quartet would probably work just fine!!

[Rod]

Originally posted by jman:
hmm...that is quite interesting then! I guess I did mean more orchestral versions of it...I can always hear strings during the runs and everything like that...so a string quartet would probably work just fine!!

I have read a theory that op14/1 was originally conceived as a quartet, but converted to a piano piece at some early stage. Thus is was then a relatively easy task for Beethoven to make the subsequent arrangement of the piano version 'back' to a quartet.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited September 15, 2003).]