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This week's assignment is to compare and contrast your choice of early sonata with sonata #4, opus 7.

If you're doing the assignments, which sonata have you chosen and why?

I have chosen sonata #1 in F minor, for not much more reason than that it's first (apart from Opus 49).

I chose the Pathetique simply because I really like it and, of course, because it's one Gould recorded....shush you
Xxx

I chose Op 27 No 1 because it's such a contrast to Op 7. And I really like it!

I think the point is not which sonata you chose, but how good your analysis and comparison is.

By the way, is Mr Biss going to be grading 32 thousand homework assignments every week?

Opus 14, No. 2, because it's the only one I have performed.

Anyone else still working on the report? I'm so slow when it comes to writing.

Chris, are you sure that was on the "first thirteen" list according to Prof. Biss? I thought it included Nos. 1-11 and the two Leichte Sonaten, based on composition date rather than opus order.

No, it's peer-graded. That makes it hit-or-miss, but oh well...

And you're right, but since each sonata is so individual, it's fun discussing which one we picked/why we picked it.

I think the main value of the assignment is taking the time to think about it. Any feedback you get from the peer grading will be gravy.

[ETA: jmcintyre, I've barely started on the assignment. I've been listening to the sonatas (my choice #1 and Biss' choice #4) and now have to turn to the score to check my ideas. I have notes from the lectures so I'll be going through those point by point asking myself "same or different?" But I'm a fast writer, once I have my thoughts and evidence assembled.]

Polyphonist, I find it of interest why people choose the sonata they chose. Hence my question. After the due date, I'll be interested to hear what people discovered that they felt was interesting or notable.

For what it's worth Chris,

You're supposed to pick one of the early sonatas, what he calls "the first 13 sonatas". It's a bit confusing the way he's referring to the numbering, but he means sonatas 1-11, 19, or 20. (19 and 20 were written in the same time period as the first 11.)

op.27/1 (sonata #13) is one of the "experimental" sonatas he's going to be talking about in the third week.


-J

So what'd you pick, OSK?

Op. 22. One, because I played it. But also, I love it the most out of all the early sonatas.

You know, I was carefully counting to make sure that Op.27 No 1 was among the first 13. But I had completely forgotten about his inclusion of the Op 49 sonatas among the first 13. (Sigh) Now I'll need to go back and pick another! Ironically I had originally chosen the Pastorale sonata #15, Op 28. Time to pick it up again. Thanks for catching this for me.

No problem, though when you say "time to pick it up again", I hope you don't mean you're going to choose op.28, because that's not one of the early ones either!

The larger point is this: Sonata op.22 (usually called #11, but maybe here Biss is calling it "the 13th sonata", I don't know) is usually looked on as Beethoven's last "early" sonata. One that looks back and embraces all the traditional forms. The next ones-- including op.27 and 28-- become more experimental in different ways, and perhaps begin Beethoven's "middle" period.

Good luck--

-J

No, picking a different one: Op 10 No 3 in D major, (#7).

I picked Op. 2 No. 2 in A Major because I've lately been falling in love with it and wanted to be more familiar with it! I've played Op. 7 but never Op. 2 No. 2 although one of these days I'd like to...

I've been working on it all summer, and now it's coming together. The first movement is tough because it moves so rapidly. The Largo is astonishing, and it's unlike anything else Beethoven wrote, especially in its coda (which lasts for 1/3 of the piece!). And the last movement-- beautiful, graceful, a little rambling-- is a lot of fun to lose yourself in.

-Jason

That's great (I'm jealous)! You should add Op. 7 to your Beethoven journey... it's very rewarding to play. The last movement is a bit similar in some ways to that of 2/2 - grazioso, charming, and utterly delightful!

Yes, op.7 is awesome. I was thinking of including it, and I talked about it with my teacher... but I finally decided that the last movement was, indeed, a little too much like 2/2's, and I wanted more overall opus number variety (instead of doing large-scale sonatas from "opera" 2 and 4)

-J

Ah, well that's a good plan. Impossible to go wrong choosing any of the Beethoven sonatas!

Jason - you've some really wonderful sonatas. I wish I had the energy to learn lots of Beethoven: for me, at least, it's absolutely excruciating to wrap my hands around his music, and polishing it? nightmarish! I suppose it's like Bach or Schoenberg: the deeper you explore, the more beauties you see - and the more clearly you perceive your flaws.