The
Complete Sonatas of
Beethoven (
Live)
Joel Schoenhals, piano
www.joelschoenhals.com
Eastern Michigan University
Pease Auditorium
September 21,
2012
Greg Knollmeyer, video production
http://www.video.gregknollmeyer.com/
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Sonata No. 2 in A
Major, Op. 2,
No. 2 (1796)
Allegro vivace
Largo appassionato
Scherzo: Allegretto
Rondo: Grazioso
Three Sonatas
Opus 2 (1795)
With the encouragement and financial support of
Count Waldstein, Beethoven arrived in
Vienna in
1792 to study with
Franz Joseph Haydn, to whom these three sonatas are dedicated. While Beethoven was always reluctant to acknowledge
Haydn's influence and even remarked that he didn't learn anything from his teacher, the influence of Haydn is evident throughout these works. In particular, formal organization, contrast of moods and dynamics, harmonic structure, and the technique of evolving a movement or even entire sonata out of a small motive, creating an almost subconscious organic whole, clearly reflects the hand of Haydn. At the same time, we hear that at the age of 25,
Beethoven's individuality and revolutionary spirit is strikingly present in these three youthful sonatas, which vary radically from each other in character.
Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2 (1796)
This sonata is distinguished by a more light hearted, humorous, and lively character
. In the first movement, Beethoven again uses a short motive, this time a falling staccato idea resembling laughter, and subsequently dresses it in a variety of costumes. In comparison to the first sonata, this first movement is expanded and much more harmonically adventurous. The second movement demonstrates that while Beethoven's most personal thoughts were written and drafted at the piano, he also felt that the instrument was inadequate. Beethoven appears to be composing for a string quartet, complete with "pizzicato" cello lines underlying the chorale above. Beethoven revisits this radical texture again in later sonatas. The charming third movement has the humor and character of a scherzo, again echoing the laughter of the first movement. Beethoven's polarization of moods is evident here in the contrasting stormy trio in the minor key. A sweet and Schubertian grazioso finale rondo ends the work and is full of improvisational variations on the rondo theme. The work seems to evaporate at the end, but not before Beethoven again contrasts the elegance of this movement with impatient and determined episodes.
-
Notes by Joel Schoenhals, 2012
Dan Harteau, piano technician
Concert Instrument:
This performance features
Steinway Model D, serial number 213668. It was manufactured in the
Steinway & Sons factory in
Queens, New York on March 28,
1922. Presumably, it returned to the
Steinway factory for additional work in the
1950s, as there are Steinway
100th anniversary medallions on the fallboard.
Sampson R.
Field, a former president of the
New York Philharmonic and chairman of the
Marlboro School of
Music and
Marlboro Festival in
Vermont purchased the instrument in
1953. "Mr. Field headed the Philharmonic from 1978 to
1981 and was a member of its board for more than 20 years. He was an amateur pianist who occasionally played with professionals, and he worked for many years as a volunteer for several organizations that aided the growth and development of the careers of young musicians" (
New York Times, obituary,
1991). AC Pianocraft of
New York City acquired the piano and it was rebuilt in
2006.
- published: 16 Apr 2013
- views: 580