As many of you know, in addition to everything else, I am in the midst of a project to study one Beethoven piano sonata every month. August was Op. 57, “Appasionata,” and I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t get to it as much as I should have, between website design, composition and the start of school. I got to spend some time with the first movement, and listen to the recording a few times, and read Charles Rosen’s analysis in The Classical Style. Other than that, I just didn’t get to it. There was music to write and there were students to teach.
So… I solicit the thoughts of readers–what have you learned from this piece? It is a standard example in music history class, so many of you will have looked at it at some point. Let me know. In the meantime, perhaps next month will go better.
There were similar distractions in Beethoven’s life… notably his efforts to gain guardianship of his nephew. Hopefully, I will be writing piano music soon and have that much more incentive to dig into my Beethoven. On to #24!
In the meantime, be sure to enter the contest: www.martiandances.com/contestcategories.htm
And you can always check out my previous rants about Beethoven piano sonatas on my facebook page (using the Notes application).
‘Til next month!