Beethoven composed lots of great music but i think that he was best at writing Piano sonatas&symphonies.
So which one of his 32 piano sonatas are your favorite ones?
My favorites are(not in particular order):
- Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor ("Pathétique")
- Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor 'Sonata quasi una fantasia' ("Moonlight")
- Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor ("Tempest")
- Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor ("Appassionata") (1805) Probably my favorite.
- Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major ("Hammerklavier") (1819)
I have never really gotten over the bias brought by Moonlight being my first favorite classical piece and the reason I bought my first digital keyboard. So I would have to say 14.
I happened to name most of my online usernames "clairdelune" and everyone always asks if I meant Debussy... No, I hate that "clair de lune" I just happened to be taking French at the time...
As with many pieces, I love Claudio Arrau's recording the best.
The Waldstein has always been a favorite. The first movement has a great drive to it and plays with your harmonic expectations. The second movement has some really wild chromatic progressions and the third is both dreamy and heroic. Wonderful piece of music.
I like his late sonatas best, the last four in particular. Of those, I'd probably pick no. 31 op. 110. The first movement seems so harmless. The second provides a stirring contrast. But the third is absolutely outstanding. The emotional and stylistic distances he traverses within just that one movement are incredible. Like a journey from one end of the universe to the other. Yet somehow it all fits together.
I am sure it varies time to time for many people. My current favorite would be Op. 111 No. 32. The second movement: starting with simple aria, and oh boy, does it become a huge symphony or something? Great summary of the composer's whole life and artistic achievement!
They are each special to me and among my favorites of all works; the e-flat sonata, no.18 always seems to pop up, however...and the 13,...I guess I must like e-flat a lot but seriously, those are two of my favs.
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