Embarking Upon Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas

The 32 mature piano sonatas of Beethoven constitute an unrivalled body of great music for the pianist. The famous 19th-century pianist and conductor Hans von Bülow called them the “New Testament” for pianists, the Old Testament being Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier.

However, since Bach was writing for a very different keyboard instrument and Beethoven’s piano was in essence the same as the modern instrument, we can say that the 32 sonatas are indeed the summit of classical piano repertoire, presenting some 12 hours of music at the highest level of inspiration and mastery.

For the pianist embarking on these masterpieces for the first time, or at any early stage of their exploration – you are lucky and I envy you! This is a journey that can last a lifetime and repay endless study as you go deeper into Beethoven’s message of humanity and artistic richness. I hope these pointers from one who has lived with all the sonatas for a long time may help you on your way.

A personal response

It is important to find your own personal response to the sonata you are playing – Beethoven wanted his music to go straight to the heart, so your performance must come straight from your heart and not be merely the result of the lessons you have had, or copying other pianists however great or famous they may be!

Nevertheless, Beethoven also had a strong will and an absolute mastery of composition so there are certain elements and technicalities of his musical language that we must understand and respect. He remains a classical composer, with all the logic and formality that implies, however much he was moving towards Romanticism all his life.

Choosing editions

The first thing to understand is that Beethoven was incredibly, fanatically careful and precise in notating his own music. Where there are uncertainties, due to the approximate nature of the early printing technology, they have mainly been cleared up in the best modern editions.

The first thing, then, is to start with a really good Urtext edition. The best is the new Bärenreiter edited by Jonathan Del Mar, however this has no fingering apart from Beethoven’s own – which is in fact often eccentric and impractical. For a young or less experienced player I recommend either the older Henle edition of B.A.Wallner with excellent fingering by Conrad Hansen or the new ABRSM edition of Barry Cooper.

However, the older editions, by some of the most celebrated Beethoven pianists of an older generation, should certainly not be overlooked: editions of Hans von Bülow, Artur Schnabel, Alfredo Casella, Tovey and Craxton, Claudio Arrau and many others contain invaluable insights and some genius fingerings, and can be used in conjunction with a modern Urtext edition that gives the closest approximation to Beethoven’s original text.

Starting out

The most important consideration when starting out is to READ, READ, READ. This begins with all the information that is printed before the first note: the heading (“Grande Sonate” or just “Sonate”?), the dedicatee (who was he or she, and what did they mean for Beethoven?) and the opus number, which generally shows the date of composition and is often also printed or can easily be found in the notes.

Then there is the key signature: it’s vitally important to know what key you’re in at any point, and to have a “relationship” with that key – for instance, think what other pieces you have played or know that are in the same key and what that key means to you in terms of mood and colour, from light (E major, G major) through heroic (E flat major), dramatic (C minor), mysterious (C sharp minor) to dark (F minor).

Take in the time signature, making a distinction between common time (C, 4/4) and alla breve (C with a line through it, two beats in a bar). Anything in triple time is more or less a dance movement. Then take in the tempo and any other expressive marking: from prestissimo all the way down to largo and adagio with all shades in between, and modifications such as molto, con brio, ma non troppo, cantabile or sostenuto. Think what those mean to you, and only then are you ready to play the first notes!

It’s all in the details!

In reading the music, take every care over detail. Two common areas for error: ties and accidentals, be on the intense lookout for those – if you make a mistake at the outset it’s incredibly difficult to correct it after you have learnt the sonata or movement and the wrong note or missed tie is lodged in your brain and fingers!

Analyse the form and harmony as much as you’re able while in the learning process. Of course we all need good teachers, but ultimately the best teacher is yourself. Don’t be afraid to identify with Beethoven and feel strong emotions while you play, but in actual performance we need a cool head, a strong and firm sense of physical gravity (don’t sway around, however excited you’re feeling!) and a logical and consistent fingering that you can rely on when the going gets tough or you’re under pressure.

Armed with these considerations, you can enjoy your Beethoven playing as he wanted you to, and it will communicate itself to your audience whether of one, fifty or a thousand!

– Julian Jacobson

Further links & resources

• Click here for links to Julian’s video lessons on a selection of Beethoven’s Sonatas on the Online Academy.
• Click here to view an index of our Beethoven on Board series which features detailed video lectures on Beethoven’s first five sonatas (or click here for a blog preview for the first sonata).
• Click here for more information on Julian’s recommended edition (Bärenreiter). These editions are also available on the digital sheet music app Oktav and readers can also use discount code PRACTISINGTHEPIANO30 to get 30% off an annual subscription to Oktav.