Beethoven's Spring Sonata
Just out of curiosity, has anyone here played the Beethoven Spring Sonata? I'm considering putting it on my next recital.
Replies (16)
Been there, done that. It's fantastic. Have fun.
It is my favorite - and my favorite performance (unfortunately not mine) has been Rosand's. Except perhaps for the performance I heard of the Kreutzer sonata played on a marimba by a San Francisco Symphony percussionist (with piano accompaniment, of course) - that performance was amazing.
andy
I'm working on this piece too!
Greetings,
John try
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YaAH9ybfV4&feature=related
I agree with you. Simply one of the best. Also Menuhin with Kempfe.
Cheers,
Buri
A great piece! Personally, I like Kogan's version the best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmTF5zIKngw
Some of us starts the first note up bow. My teacher made me do the down bow. Either way, not a an easy start:) To me the 4th movement is the most fun to play.
I performed it once, many years ago. I really should perform it again. There is an old VHS tape - I wonder if it was converted to DVD - about Jamie Laredo performing different repertoire and discussing various aspects of technique and performance. As an example of ensemble rehearsal for performance, he chose the 1st mvt. of the Spring sonata!
Greetings,
John, I find the whole intonation of the piano in the Oistrakh recording to be slightly jarring. For example, the relative pitch of the upper and lower end, the octaves and so fourth. Interesting to compare it with the piano on the Menuhin recording which sounds so much brighter and er, key conscious. The quality of the isntrument makes a big differnece though.
Communist dreariness versus the shining beacon of western piano tuners perhaps?
Cheers,
buri
Yixi Zhang - thanks for the link - that really is a fabulous rendition.
I'm only an intermediate player - but I do not find the first movement that inaccessible. Perhaps thats because listened to this maybe a billion times when I was a kid and know every note :)
ee
I played it 2 months ago, it's great, it doesn't have many technical details but it is difficult to perform becauseyou have to take care of every note and every phrase.
I recomend Oistrakh and Lev Oborin's version
Here is the link if you want to hear my performance.
The Oistrakh/Oborin recording is a good one to have in your ears. The 'Spring' is deceptive: it is actually very, very difficult to convey the sentiment of what Beethoven wrote to an audience. You seem to be a very sincere player that just hasn't been taught what is important musically. Technically, your vibrato is a little tight, not allowing you to vibrate important eighth notes. Your bow technique could improve by working on your fingers reacting and acting on attacks so that you develop a variety of ways to approach phrase beginnings and a better palette in dealing with some of the sF markings. In this piece, Beethoven strings together such markings 3-4 times in a single phrase, they should be heard and made different each time. Also, one should know the piano part inside and out, after all, Beethoven was a pianist and composed that way until he developed as a violist and composed the late string quartets.
(Small aside: you are 'showing up' your pianist by playing your part from memory. Use the music, or have it in front of you. By him using it, it immediately makes him in the eyes of the audience a less accomplished participant.)
Its one of the easiest of the sonatas, and is very enjoyable to play. I think I always start it with a down bow, but it could work the other way around.
Someone mentioned using vibrato on the 16th notes (i.e. the semiquavers). Is this a good idea? (In the first movement). It should be a reasonably fast tempo.
Also, just to mention it, but ALL pianos are out of tune. (As far as string players are concerened).
I was just playing it yesterday. I agree with what the previous posts said. It may be considered by some to be technically the easiest, but at the same time it allows you to really concentrate on the emotion you want to put into it. Along with the recording mentioned, I like the recording of Ilya Itin because you can really see his positions and how he uses them to convey more emotion. for example, at the end of a phrase you are may be in 3rd position using your 1st finger, and you start the next phrase with the same note, but you are in 2nd position. I enjoy very much the way that changes the tone of the note. I don't think I do this successfully, but I will get there one day!
I have a recording of the piano part to the first movement here if you would like something to play with when you are practicing.
http://www.midnighttutor.com/music/music_files.html
Tom
Hi!
It's part of my repertoire of things I play when I'm done practicing. Go for it, you won't regret it. How about Accolay Concerto for Violin No 1 also? That's a lot of fun to play.
Hi, I'm playing this sonata now. Still working on the first movement only. I like this sonata very much, but just cant play it well....what about you?
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May 2, 2010 at 04:14 PM ·
IT IS GREAT