Everyone loves a good Beethoven Sonata on a recital program. But are we pianists up for the challenge? When I was younger, i.e. 15 or 16, I played so many Beethoven Sonatas easily. Now when I face them 10 years later I appear technically sluggish and lacking in finesse.
I can play a Mozart Sonata well-polished, which I was never able to before, but I can’t tackle the technical ferocity of the Beethovens without many, many painstaking hours of practice. What gives? Well, there are many problems at face here. First, I took a haitus from Beethoven Sonatas for quite some time, more than the average pianist would. But more pressingly, my technique and approach to the piano changed. What I focus on has changed. I used to focus on rapidity, virtuosity, and accuracy. I now focus on structure, sound color, and interpretation. Hopefully one day I can do both with ease.
Here are some of the problems I encounter with Beethoven, naming three main issues from Sonatas in each of his Three Periods:
Early Beethoven
Middle-Period Beethoven
Late-Beethoven
