Playing the Beethoven Piano Sonatas

by Robert Taub

Overview

(Amadeus). Acclaimed pianist Robert Taub offers the insights of a passionate musician who performs all 32 of Beethoven's well-loved piano sonatas in concert worldwide, bringing a "fresh perspective on Beethoven," as the New York Times put it. In this book, he shares his intimate understanding of these works with listeners and players alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781574671780
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/01/2009
Series:	Amadeus
Pages:	258
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Pianist Robert Taub has performed throughout the United States, Europe, the Far East and Latin America. From Merkin Concert Hall in New York and Kingston University in London to other venues worldwide, he continues to present the Beethoven piano sonata cycle regularly. His recordings of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas have been critically acclaimed, and Taub is renowned for his interpretations of contemporary music as well. Taub's Beethoven studies eventually resulted in his first performing all the sonatas as a cycle in Wolfensohn Hall at Princeton. Taub performs with leading orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic and Hong Kong Philharmonic.

Table of Contents

	Preface	9
Part 1	Preparation
Chapter 1	The Basics	15
Chapter 2	Beethoven, His Hands, and His Feet	23
Chapter 3	Tempo	44
Chapter 4	Improvisation	58
Chapter 5	Trills, Pirouettes, and Good Humor	66
Chapter 6	Publishers and Editions	79
Chapter 7	The Myth of the Authentic Pianoforte	89
Part 2	Concert Programs
	Planning the Programs	97
Program 1	Sonata in F minor, Op. 2 no. 1 (1795)	99
	Sonata quasi una fantasia in E-flat major, Op. 27 no. 1 (1800-01)
	Sonata in F-sharp major, Op. 78 (1809)
	Sonata in C major, Op. 53 ("Waldstein") (1803-04)
Program 2	Sonata in A major, Op. 2 no. 2 (1795)	117
	Sonata in E major, Op. 14 no. 1 (1798-99)
	Sonata in G major, Op. 14 no. 2 (1798-99)
	Sonata quasi una fantasia in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 no. 2 ("Moonlight") (1801)
Program 3	Sonata in C minor, Op. 10 no. 1 (1796-98)	129
	Sonata in F major, Op. 10 no. 2 (1796-98)
	Sonata in D major, Op. 10 no. 3 (1796-98)
	Sonata in A major, Op. 101 (1816)
Program 4	Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 7 (1797)	143
	Sonata in G major, Op. 31 no. 1 (1802)
	Sonata in E minor, Op. 90 (1814)
	Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 ("Pathetique") (1798-99)
Program 5	Sonata in G minor, Op. 49 no. 1 (1798)	162
	Sonata in G major, Op. 49 no. 2 (1796)
	Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 31 no. 3 (1801-02)
	Sonata in F major, Op. 54 (1804)
	Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 ("Appassionata") (1804-05)
Program 6	Sonata in A-flat major, Op. 26 (1800-01)	176
	Sonata in C major, Op. 2 no. 3 (1795)
	Sonata in E major, Op. 109 (1820)
Program 7	Sonata in D minor, Op. 31 no. 2 ("Tempest") (1801-02)	194
	Sonata in B-flat major, Op. 106 ("Hammerklavier") (1817-18)
Program 8	Sonata in B-flat major, Op. 22 (1800)	213
	Sonata in G major, Op. 79 (1809)
	Sonata in A-flat major, Op. 110 (1821)
Program 9	Sonata in D major, Op. 28 ("Pastoral") (1801)	229
	Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 81a ("Das Lebewohl") (1809)
	Sonata in C minor, Op. 111 (1822)
	Glossary	249
	Bibliography	251
	Index of Beethoven Piano Sonatas	255

Editorial Reviews

For anyone who plays the piano, Beethoven's 32 sonatas loom as the mighty peak of the repertoire. Taub, a concert pianist who has played them all, gives a performer's-eye view of the experience. Taub sets the tone on the first page by declaring that pianists enter into "an implied moral contract" with the composer to understand and respect his intentions. What follows is a close, careful reading of every aspect of performance from fingering to tempo. Like Rosen, Taub does not follow the standard division of the sonatas, opting instead to describe them as "Epitomizing Classical Styles" (Op. 2-49), "Experimentation" (Op. 26-31), "Post-Heiligenstadt, Crossing the Rubicon" (Op. 53-57), "Compression, Homogeneity" (Op. 78-81a), and "Summation, Transcendence" (Op. 90-111). These are thoughtfully construed categories, but Taub is more persuasive when arguing that each sonata is unique, and the most fascinating part of the book for any performer is the division of the sonatas into nine distinctive programs (this reviewer finds the Tempest/Hammerklavier combination especially intriguing). Throughout, Taub is intelligent, informed, exhaustive (74 musical examples grace the text), and genial if sometimes a bit dry. Definitely a performer's guide (Rosen's study will probably work better for larger audiences), this is highly recommended for any library serving pianists, amateur or professional, who want to play Beethoven better. Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal" Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Taub, a noted concert pianist who has played and recorded the entire cycle of Beethoven piano sonatas, offers his wealth of knowledge about this body of music that many musicians consider the composer's greatest works. First, he discusses what he has learned from Beethoven's own writing and autograph scores. He then presents a detailed consideration of each of the 32 sonatas grouped into nine programs, revealing how he gets beyond the notes to convey the essence of each work and to understand its place in the evolution of Beethoven's revolutionary artistry. Although he points out that the works can be appreciated by the first time listener as well as to the seasoned performer, this study is analytic in a manner that would not be accessible to the non-musician. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews