The Appassionata

[Joy]

Heard Opus 57 the other day and as usual was spellbound. I remember reading somewhere that this piece was never performed live during Beethoven's lifetime. Is this true? What was the reasoning B had for never performing it or anyone else ever performing it for that matter?

[Rod]

Who was playing Joy?

Well it certainly would not have been performed in public as happens today. There is only one documented case of a public performance of a B sonata and even here there is confusion as to what the piece was.

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

[~Immortal Beloved~]

*scratching her head*

That's odd...I thought Beethoven played that piece in public.

[Rod]

Originally posted by ~Immortal Beloved~:
*scratching her head*

That's odd...I thought Beethoven played that piece in public.

Beethoven performed his sonatas at private 'concerts', as opposed to public ones. Not sure about his performing the Appassionata though. I'll look into this. Sonatas were not concert hall pieces in those days.

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

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited August 09, 2002).]

[Joy]

Originally posted by Rod:

Who was playing Joy?

It was performed by Caio Pagano. He is one of the Arizona University's faculty members and music teacher here in Phoenix. You probably wouldn't have heard of him although he does do concert tours every summer before coming back here in the Fall but I think it's just United States tours.

[Andrea]

I must agree with Rod that the sonatas where privately performed as to being in a concert. I have 27 books on Beethoven and there's not a whole lot written on the sonata op. 57. I did find one interesting story. When Beethoven returned to Vienna from Troppau, he had the manuscript of the Appassionata Sonata with him. During a storm that hit on this return trip this manuscript got a little wet. Back in Vienna Beethoven showed this manuscript to his friends, the Bigots. Marie Bigot looked at it and went to the piano and began to play. Beethoven was amazed that she was able to read it and she played the whole difficult sonata at sight. When she was finished, she asked him if he would give her the manuscript. He brought it to her later... God knows, or should I say, maybe only Beethoven knows if this sonata was performed more times either in private or in concert.

[~Immortal Beloved~]

Originally posted by Rod:
Beethoven performed his sonatas at private 'concerts', as opposed to public ones. Not sure about his performing the Appassionata though. I'll look into this. Sonatas were not concert hall pieces in those days.

Yeah I know, some books I read he played some pieces in private. but I don't think the biographers didn't meantion of beethoven playing that piece in public or private. I would like to see the information your finding out.

[~Immortal Beloved~]

Originally posted by Andrea:
I must agree with Rod that the sonatas where privately performed as to being in a concert. I have 27 books on Beethoven and there's not a whole lot written on the sonata op. 57. I did find one interesting story. When Beethoven returned to Vienna from Troppau, he had the manuscript of the Appassionata Sonata with him. During a storm that hit on this return trip this manuscript got a little wet. Back in Vienna Beethoven showed this manuscript to his friends, the Bigots. Marie Bigot looked at it and went to the piano and began to play. Beethoven was amazed that she was able to read it and she played the whole difficult sonata at sight. When she was finished, she asked him if he would give her the manuscript. He brought it to her later... God knows, or should I say, maybe only Beethoven knows if this sonata was performed more times either in private or in concert.

Wow aswome story!

[PDG]

I was thrilled to find a book, "Appassionata", in the local shop, only to get it home and find out that I'd spent good money on a trashy Jilly Cooper novel. And COULD I get my money back?! HA!! I don't think so (hmmph).......

Mind you, the cover should have been a giveaway.....

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by Andrea:
I must agree with Rod that the sonatas where privately performed as to being in a concert. I have 27 books on Beethoven and there's not a whole lot written on the sonata op. 57. I did find one interesting story. When Beethoven returned to Vienna from Troppau, he had the manuscript of the Appassionata Sonata with him. During a storm that hit on this return trip this manuscript got a little wet. Back in Vienna Beethoven showed this manuscript to his friends, the Bigots. Marie Bigot looked at it and went to the piano and began to play. Beethoven was amazed that she was able to read it and she played the whole difficult sonata at sight. When she was finished, she asked him if he would give her the manuscript. He brought it to her later... God knows, or should I say, maybe only Beethoven knows if this sonata was performed more times either in private or in concert.

Many piano works were written to be performed in circles of family and/or friends. Before the days of broadcasting family members often either read novels or poetry aloud to each other or performed music in the evenings. Every middle and upper class family usually had one or two people who could play piano and read music well.

Beethoven as we know was the first great composer to earn his living mainly by the sale of sheet music. When a new piano piece or quartet by him came out, it stimulated word-of-mouth excitement similar to what happens today when a movie or song comes out. This was helped along by advertisements by the music publishers in the newspapers.

Also symphonies were routinely reduced to four-hand piano arrangments for this purpose and sold very well.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Chaszz:
Also symphonies were routinely reduced to four-hand piano arrangments for this purpose and sold very well.

New music was eagerly sort out by people, - a situation today's contemporary composers can only envy!

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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

Originally posted by Chaszz:
Many piano works were written to be performed in circles of family and/or friends. Before the days of broadcasting family members often either read novels or poetry aloud to each other or performed music in the evenings. Every middle and upper class family usually had one or two people who could play piano and read music well.

An evening reading or listening to piano?Sounds good to me, Chaszz. It's amazing how TV has really limited our activities. How nice to be with the family and talk after a hard's day work. Times certainly have changed.

Joy



[This message has been edited by Joy (edited September 19, 2002).]

[John Rasmussen]

Originally posted by Andrea:
I must agree with Rod that the sonatas where privately performed as to being in a concert. I have 27 books on Beethoven and there's not a whole lot written on the sonata op. 57. I did find one interesting story. When Beethoven returned to Vienna from Troppau, he had the manuscript of the Appassionata Sonata with him. During a storm that hit on this return trip this manuscript got a little wet. Back in Vienna Beethoven showed this manuscript to his friends, the Bigots. Marie Bigot looked at it and went to the piano and began to play. Beethoven was amazed that she was able to read it and she played the whole difficult sonata at sight. When she was finished, she asked him if he would give her the manuscript. He brought it to her later... God knows, or should I say, maybe only Beethoven knows if this sonata was performed more times either in private or in concert.

Quick comment: Harold Schonberg also tells that story in his book "The Great Pianists," and comments: "A woman who could do that could do anything." Having seen facsimiles of some of Beethoven's manuscripts, I'm forced to agree!