Lesser known Beethoven piano sonatas.

[Enrique]

Which are some of the lesser known piano sonatas from No 14 upwards,
either by popularity or prestige?

[Peter]

Three gems that stand out are Op.54, Op.78 and Op.90 - overshadowed by the better known works.

[Enrique]

Opp.54 and 78 I understand the music. Op. 90, instead, is beyond my comprehenssion however. And I do not undderstand how the man who wrote the Mass in D major and the Ninth is the same who wrote the last sonatas. I'm being honest.

[Roehre]

Opp.54 and 78 I understand the music. Op. 90, instead, is beyond my comprehenssion however. And I do not undderstand how the man who wrote the Mass in D major and the Ninth is the same who wrote the last sonatas. I'm being honest.

The 2nd mvt of opus 90 contains one of the most singable and schubertian melodies B ever wrote.
If you listen to the Ninth in Liszt's piano arrangement you will discover the similarities between this music (disguised in piano) and the sonatas in general, and the slow mvt and the finale in relation to the Diabelii variations more specifically.

[PDG]

Which are some of the lesser known piano sonatas from No 14 upwards,
either by popularity or prestige?

No.15 in D is just so beautiful. And four movements too, unlike opp. 54, 78 and 90 which seem to suffer due to their two movement constraints - my favourite of these being Op.54, a mini-masterpiece placed between (but not necessarily out-muscled by) Opp.53 and 57.

[Roehre]

....my favourite of these being Op.54, a mini-masterpiece placed between (but not necessarily out-muscled by) Opp.53 and 57.

And with a foreshadow of the slow mvt from Symphony 5 in its 2nd mvt.

[gprengel]

How different music is perceived! To me op. 78, especially the first mov. belongs to my favourite sonata movements of all. What a beautiful and singable main theme and how heart-moving this theme is changed to minor in the development section! Also the second mov. is so great in its passionate outburst of joy! The only lack of the sonata is that it is so short...
Also op. 90 is wonderful, especially because of the Schubert-like theme as Roehre correctly put it.

However, to me, op. 54 belongs to Beethoven's weakest works. Here I can't find anything of worth. What do you like about this one?

By the way, what op. 79? As for me I treasure this sonata mainly because of the gem of the slow movement in g-minor!! Pure melody with strongest expression of melancholic Romantic music ...

Gerd

[PDG]

And with a foreshadow of the slow mvt from Symphony 5 in its 2nd mvt.

I don't hear that - what am I missing?

[PDG]

Also op. 90 is wonderful, especially because of the Schubert-like theme as Roehre correctly put it.

However, to me, op. 54 belongs to Beethoven's weakest works. Here I can't find anything of worth. What do you like about this one?

Gerd

Gerd,
I'm pleased that the Schubert-like theme helps you to appreciate the 2nd mvt of Op.90! Others here have said the same thing. Thank goodness Schubert's influence was felt so keenly by Beethoven!

[Roehre]

....By the way, what op. 79? As for me I treasure this sonata mainly because of the gem of the slow movement in g-minor!! Pure melody with strongest expression of melancholic Romantic music ...
Gerd

And a sonata which quotes the Ritterballett WoO 1 from 1790

[Roehre]

I don't hear that - what am I missing?

op. 67 mvt 2 bars 229-235 and op.54 mvt 1 bars 145-148, both the coda just before the "peroration".

[Enrique]

And with a foreshadow of the slow mvt from Symphony 5 in its 2nd mvt.

You're quite right, but I had never had guessed. There are similarities in the figuration also, specially at the finale which sounds almost identical!