Beethoven: Sonata No.25 in G Major, "Cuckoo" (Goode, Lewis, Kovacevich)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- I’ve got a real soft spot for this sonata: it’s the shortest of the three-movement sonatas and contains no emotional extremities, no bravura, no structural extravagance, no demonstrations of new technique or sonority (despite coming after the radically new Appassionata). And yet this sonata is beautiful, because what it is is a completely spontaneous and unforced expression of joy (listen to 23:52 - the whole coda is wonderful). It’s the kind of thing you enjoy from the first listen and love from the second, and which you never have to struggle with at any point. In that way it’s like Mozart at his best.
This sonata is also one of those rare things that’s more or less interpretively bulletproof: it works at all kinds of tempi, with all kinds of dynamic additions and articulations: it’ll end up sounding gently humorous, or lyrical, or even dramatic, but whatever it is it’ll sound pretty good.
The nickname “Cuckoo” comes from the second and third notes of the first movement (a descending third), whose harmonic elaboration in the development and use in the coda have the feel of the eponymous bird-call (see 1:14 for a lithe Haydn-esque treatment, 10:46 for a lyrical treatment, and 20:41 for a motoric, dry treatment). Interestingly the “Cuckoo” motif (well, a third) is also important to the second movement (it is the decisive interval of not just the G min theme but also the Eb maj middle section of the Andante) and the third (all those thirds in the beginning of the Vivace).
Another point of interest is the modulatory sequence in the first movement’s development: usually key changes in sonatas are spoken of in structural terms which are very hard to intuitively hear, but the development is a textbook-perfect example of how modulation can be used to generate real “wow” moments.
And one last thing: the A theme of the Rondo uses exactly the same harmony as the opening of the Op.109 [see • Beethoven: Sonata No.3... ], though in character it couldn’t be more different from it: the Op.109 is adventitious, expansive, even mysterious, but the Rondo here is taut and perky. It’s hard not to smile at the opening of the Vivace once you hear the similarity.
MVT I
EXPOSITION
00:00 - Theme 1, G maj
00:15 - Theme 2, D maj
DEVELOPMENT
01:09 - Theme 1, E maj
01:14 - “Cuckoo”, E maj
01:19 - “Cuckoo”, now with pedal and without sforzandi, in C maj
01:12 - Theme 1 (second half), C maj
01:31 - “Cuckoo”, C min
01:37 - “Cuckoo”, Eb maj
01:43 - Theme 1 (second half), Eb maj
01:51 - “Cuckoo”, D maj
01:59 - RECAPITULATION (Note that the development and recapitulation are repeated)
04:00 - CODA. Theme is repeated in G in bass, in A in treble, and then with acciaccaturas
MVT II
04:26 - A section, G min
05:13 - B section, Eb maj (A key introduced in the first movement)
06:21 - A section, G min
MVT III
07:33 - A theme, G maj
07:58 - B theme, E min
08:12 - A theme, now with triplet accompaniment
08:23 - C theme, C maj
08:35 - A theme, with an almost-invisible false beginning, and then with the LH triplets replaced by semiquavers, and then with the triplets migrating to the RH
09:05 - Coda 
Видеоклипы
Goode:
00:00 - Mvt 1
04:26 - Mvt 2
07:33 - Mvt 3
Lewis:
09:15 - Mvt 1
14:43 - Mvt 2
17:16 - Mvt 3
Kovacevich:
19:17 - Mvt 1
24:19 - Mvt 2
26:28 - Mvt 3
From quite literally the first 3 seconds of each performance you can tell how distinctive its approach is. Goode has an essentially classical approach: the outer movements are taken at quick tempi (the 3rd is especially good), full of life and air -- and there’s quite a lot of Haydneqsue humour in the playing. Lewis has an interpretation so big-hearted and lyrical it becomes, improbably, a little bit sad. He’s got a gift for phrasing: at 9:17, for example, he puts a dynamic swell (credscendo and de-) right in the middle of the first phrase, and it’s extraordinarily beautiful. And at 11:40 the buildup to the recapitulation is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve heard: the sense of homecoming which is so important to sonata-allegro form is captured perfectly. Kovacevich is richly textured, with an outsize sensitivity to dynamic contrasts. He absolutely nails the slightly motoric, rustic “cuckoo” motif at 20:42, with all the sforzandi dutifully observed. And when Beethoven instructs that the next instance of the motif should be played with pedal, the contrast in both key and texture is quite lovely. The andante is taken fasted than you’d expect, and turns out sounding like a model gondoliera.
Ashish Xiangyi Kumar Шуберт соната двадцать пятая
Thank you so much for your comments !
you seem to claim every minor piano work of beethoven, "it's like Mozart at his best." yet the fact is Sonatas K310 A minor, K333 B flat major, K457 C minor, K533 F major, K545 C major, K576 D major all have melodies, balanced structure, harmony like Beethoven's best (look at counterpoint in K533, K576 in particular) and Fantasies K394 and Fugue C major, K396 C minor, K397 D minor, K475 C minor are on par with Beethoven and Chopin. Organ works (or 4-handed piano) such as Overture K399 C major, Fantasy K594 F minor, K608 F minor have contrapuntal complexity like Beethoven late sonatas + better melody. Rondo K511 A minor Adagio K540 B minor are on par with Chopin, Schubert.
Bro, are you indian?
Второе исполнение гораздо лучше первого.
Human Beethoven. I love this sonata 'cause I could feel Beethoven's humour while lots of people suddenly think of his seriousness in front of his name!
Wonderful insight. There seems to have been a movement to portray Beethoven as stern or even grim. In reality, he was known in his time to be a great storyteller and had an ability to sprinkle his conversations with quips and clever funny insights. Much of the genius of his works is due to his inherent playfulness. We need to revise performance practices to reflect this. One thing I love about Beethoven (a trait he has in common with Saint-Saenz--he was often called the French Beethoven for this reason) is his near-perfect sense of timing -- something very hard to accomplish. Of course, his polishing and revision are the reason for this.
The whole coda is the best part of the entire first movement, it made me cry, is so simple, happy and yet so beautiful
His playing was extremely GOODE.
hehe
As Goode as its editing ;)
As Goode as it gets, in my humble opinion.
Lol
my head hurts
My daughter was born on Beethoven’s birthday.
He gave the world a great gift!
I wrote some sonatas on my channel. Beethoven's great but I am working to overtake his writing to keep music from turning into recitalism. 21st century musicians should leave a meaningful contribution
Your daughter is 250 years old?
The theme to Mvt. III kinda reminds me of Chopin's Op 25 No.9
8bitcarrot Chopin based that etude off of this I do believe
mw11stuff it is
Yup
Only a serious musician could say such a thing ... LOL!
U alive?
Absolutely delightful and beautiful!
Perhaps it's the sonata equivalent to Beethoven's 8th symphony. He seems to have had these creative over-spills, in which, right after a major, heavyweight work, and having some creative impulse left, he would come up with something much lighter, harking back to Haydn.
That's the kind of things i want to listen
I used to dislike Beethoven; I thought his style was much too heavy-handed and not subtle enough. After listening to this, symphonies 3 and 9, and a number of others, I understand why he is considered by many to be the greatest composer of all time.
I think that everybody should listen to the 9th before dropping their opinion about Beethoven.
@@everab1209 I think that everyone should listen to the 9th regardless.
@@granttherock9121 Well said
I think that people should listen to beethoven.
no thats it
There is subtle beethoven: just listen to moonlight sonata
Thank you for all the videos that you put out! This is all very interesting to me and I have always loved classical music!
I never thought I'd feel the taste of something too sweet while listening to a piece of music, and it's likely for the other Beethoven sonatas being so serious. I'm overwhelmed with joy!
thank you for all you're video ,i'm a french pianist , i would like to thank you for all you'r work in the different description, really usefull , sorry for my english !
My fav Andante movement. So pretty. Like floating on a lake.
FAX!!
thank you for posting such beautiful piece,i never did appreciate this,and the way you explain it i can see you know music.yet I have learned that one form of art cannot be explain in an intelectual way.One loves classical music or not and in between.One needs to sit down and turn off the world and just listen,the music speaks for itself.But i doe appreciate a lot you commentaries because you did study music and you know a lot,one can always learn from the masters.I studied music and did sculptures abstract,whenever somebody asked me what did the sculpture meant,i had no words to explain it.
This is so addictive sonata, i Kinda overlooked it, But since i decided i want to give every sonata a detailed look (Or listen Lol) this one was the easiest to fall in love with, just like your description says 😂
I love your descriptions!
I think we can agree that his Sonate is basiclly "Innocence and loviness" but just in musicform
Happy 250th birthday Beethoven!
love your analysis!
Learning to play this now. Agree with everything you said; it's Beethoven channeling Mozart into something that somehow transcends them both. And that coda is sublime.
Удивительно, но мне раньше не доводилось слышать эту сонату. Спасибо, что поместили.
Amazing! I love this piece so much!
Your idea of comparing and contrasting these three interpretations helps me so much as an amateur player. In other youtube videos, I hear this sonata played by master professionals in a way I might never achieve, and in this video I see that---at least for this opus---I can play it effectively at different tempi and with wide latitude for affective choice. I don't have to attempt to sound like the pro with this piece. I have lots of space to play with how it might sound for me. Thank you for this revealing this to musicians like me who play for enjoyment.
作ってくれて、君に感謝。Thank you for making me.
Mendelssohn's Venetian boat song in F# minor seems to be directly inspired by the opening melody in the slow movement of this sonata.
Thank you
We often associate Beethoven as being a deaf grumpy old man.... but his music is so jolly, vibrant, and full of life. I often visualize Beethoven as a toddler dancing at parts of 9th Symphony. With this Sonata 1st mvt... he's probably running around as a teenager.
Andrew Marcus this is actually from the early stages of his musical career... it was very Mozart-like, probably cuz Mozart was Beethoven’s no. 1 role model. As he got older, Beethoven lost his hearing, and his music started to take off his mood and therefore became darker and less jolly. (Like moonlight sonata)
Yunah Kwon This sonata was written after the Moonlight (no. 14)
@@yunahkwon6204 How do you explain Mozart's Fantasy and Sonata in C minor K475, 457 and Sonata in A minor K310, Rondo in A minor K511 being dark then?
Sami Faheem oh whoops nvm then... I thought it was very classical-era sounding, with its structure and happiness. Thanks for correcting
But he was grumpy
And that's not a problem
Mmmm Kovacevich's first movement is so tender. Love the key changes!
Thanks for uploading!
An insane performance!
Классный инструмент.👍♥️
Such a light and cheerful piece
According to Henle Verlag, this piece is not a sonata, it's a "Sonatina"(a small sonata).
A 28 min Sonatina? 🤨 The longest I've heard/played have been about ten minutes.
Emma Nelson There are 3 performances.
@@thakill100 Are you referring to the movements? If so, yes there are, but they are still much shorter than this.
@@emmanelson5363 You don't get it, right? The sonata/sonatina is about 9 minutes long end every movement is between 3 and 5 minutes long. The uploader uploaded 3 performances (each performance including all 3 movements). Understood now? Listen to the whole 28-minutes-video, than you will get it.
@@Luca-yg5qx Ok that makes more sense.😂 Thank you for clarifying. I don't actually watch the videos, I just listen to them while I study. That's why I was so confused.
VERY Haydnesque 1st and 3rd movements. The 2nd movement Venetian boat song is quite nice. A weirdly easy sonata for a late Beethoven work. No major technical difficulties to speak of. Sounds more like a sonatina than a sonata.
I'm so pleased that I found this -- and everyone's insightful comments, especially Ashish's.
Even following the Julliard's qualifications, therefore kudos to the applicants that are striving to impress to the utmost, I cannot but hear one of the Maestro's signature jewels, and when I think one will present this to me as a gift, I'll always hope to hear LvB's great humanity...whatever I mean by that.
Beautiful. I grew up with this piece, played by Sviatoslav Richter, great rich version also.
Such a lively Sonata! I reckon that the first couple notes from the A theme of the 3rd movement sounds in many ways like the first couple notes from Chopin's Etude Op 25 No 9 'Butterfly'. Thank you for the post!
Well, the initial harmonic progression is identical in the 3rd movement of this sonata and the 25.9, so it's not really a surprise!
Very interesting to figure out the musical resemblance between Beethoven and Chopin. Listening to this Sonata and the 25.9 marks the highlight of my day today Ashish!!!!
Was trying to figure out just now why the 3rd movement was quite familiar! Haha this one's why!
Beethoven must have been a source of inspiration for Mendelssohn
And chopin
I am pleasantly surprised by this performance. The lyrical parts were fleshed out beautifully
5:16 to 7:30 (my favorite lyrical part, not exaggerating but felt like sunlight streaming through cathedral glass)
7:30 to 8:30 (joyful, humorous, with an eccentric or odd beauty)
He is really Goode!
Beethoven Metaleiro underrated 🤣🤣
Why is it these puns on pianist's names never get old...
xd
@@nadiaboulanger9323 it's Gould. Anyways, want some Kissin?
Sorry.
입시곡에 지쳐있다가 이 곡을 들으니 너무좋다...
テンポが好きだ。
I find the first theme particularly sentimental
I love this sonata... Emil Gilels recording is wonderful... as these that you have posted.
Lewis interpretation is my fav one
Lewis is my favorite. Seems the most lyrical and least rushed.
THANK YOU
I never heard this music before and I like it because of its vivacity in the play and also some melody's make me think of Haydn - my favorite. Very nice upload. Thanks a lot!
The first mouvement sounds like the 3rd mouvement from Clementi sonatina op 36 n 1.
고맙습니다
No. 25 is and always will be a crowd favorite.
it sounds nice and it is short so its definitely a crowd favorite
I played this in one of my ABRSM piano exams as a official piece (B piece I think) And its absolutely brilliant
First mvt
Interpretively, my "gold standard" is Schroder from the Peanuts, and in that regard Kovacevich's performance comes the closest to what I "grew up" with.
goode is, well.. pretty fukkin good
4:26 Reminds me of Smetana's Vltava....
The slow movement Gondolier-song is lovely and dark and mysterious. I just can't get enough of it. The octave-melody coda is a moment of pure transcendence! Of the many Beethoven-moods, I think of this sonata as "weird" Beethoven (like the op.54 two movement sonata, or some of the late bagatelles). Not always bursting with the deep Weltwoll or bitterness he's most famous for, but totally captivating nonetheless. Great upload!
So what's your goal? Are you shooting to eventually have all the Beethoven sonatas up?
Thanks! I've actually finished the videos for all the Beethoven Sonatas, so they'll all be up before the end of the year.
Re the comparison to the Op.54: well, it's an interesting comparison; I find the Op.54 much odder than this. The Op.54's first movement has ABABA(!) form, plus the B theme is really weird, containing neither real melody or harmony. And the second movement is quite schizoid, despite having (admittedly unorthodox) perpetuum mobile figuration. The Op.79 has much more "correct" structure, and the themes are pretty classical, if anything.
Hey dude, this is Nathaniel! By some amazing coincidence, I clicked on this video and stumbled onto your message! What are the odds?
Omg! Divine providence brought you here... you'll be converted to a full on Beethoven fan in no time ;)
I'm the REAL Nathaniel. Do not listen to this preposterous fraud for he is some weirdo in his mother's basement.
I'll have you know you're only right about one of those things... lol
I still do not understand how can somebody xxdy love classical music and the arts in general,maybe some one can tell meI had the fortune that both my parents loved all the arts specially my mom,and took piano for several years and had the priviledge to go to recitals and concerts and listened as i was a child adolescent and all my life almost daily
Get cultured 😏
4:03 🖤
Brièvement employée ( mouvement 2) dans le film où est , a ma connaissance , le mieux employée la musique de Beethoven :" the barber" des frères Cohen ( avec les opus 13 , 57 , 97 , 109 )
The andante would definitely affected Mendelsshon in writing 'songs without words'. I think this sonata is such a significant piece and should be more highly evaluated cause this flows in perfect combination of Mozart, Mendelssohn and Btv himselfs.
Ludwig Beethoven Songs without words op. 19 no. 6... And the tonality is the same!
EXACTLY! Just what I thought. Highly reminiscent of the Venetian Boat Songs,
he seems to claim every minor piano work of beethoven, "it's like Mozart at his best." yet the fact is Sonatas K310 A minor, K333 B flat major, K457 C minor, K533 F major, K545 C major, K576 D major all have melodies, balanced structure, harmony like Beethoven's best (look at counterpoint in K533, K576 in particular) and Fantasies K394 and Fugue C major, K396 C minor, K397 D minor, K475 C minor are on par with Beethoven and Chopin. Organ works (or 4-handed piano) such as Overture K399 C major, Fantasy K594 F minor, K608 F minor have contrapuntal complexity like Beethoven late sonatas + better melody. Rondo K511 A minor Adagio K540 B minor are on par with Chopin, Schubert.
1:09
6:19 The genius from nowhere
We don't really know, but this one could be an another hommage to Haydn, 'back to basics', along with symphony op.93.
샤로 Beethoven took ideas from Haydn probably more than all other composers put together; he then did his own thing with them. There is very little that could be described as ‘back to basics’ in either composer.
This sonata was written in specific response to Clementi (wearing his publisher’s hat), asking Beethoven for an easier, more straightforward sonata.
Does anyone notice lewis plays bar 89 of the first movement differently?
I would love to hear the MT of mov. 1 in minor.
Wow
I often think that this would have been better as a four movement sonata, with the finale of Op. 31 No. 1 appended to the end of this one instead. The Vivace third movement would stay as a sort of scherzo in double time.
ok ig idk tbh lol
4:20
@00:23 Measures 35-43 sounds like he's quoting an earlier sonata. Not a direct quote, but it sounds so similar.
ruclips.net/video/aBupTI59nq4/видео.html
measures 42-48 from his Sonata No.18, Mvt II. ♪♪♫
Very minor detail, but on the first couple bars, the lower octave feels more strongly voiced, which confused me cos I expected the quavers to come in an octave lower than they did.
Not even really a nitpick, just an experience I just had! :P
@SADOTAKU 23 Subscribe to whoever you want. Ashish uploads much more regularly than I do, though
22:16 22:17 22:17 22:18 22:18 22:19
Drug ad smack in the middle with no option to skip it< I am sure Beethoven would have love that!, when it halppened the second time I had to stop listening, as there is no option to sip the ad
download an ad blocker. they are free and you can enjoy all the music you want
The third movement sounds like Chopin's Butterfly etude.
Isn't the harmonies Beethoven uses both in the Op. 79 sonata's finale and in the Op. 109 a romanesca sequence?
2nd movement is a bit „Mendelssohn-like“
מנדלסון פדופיל.
20:14 20:14 20:15 20:15 20:16
Mvt 2 is so cool
no it's hot
Piano's LAW IS GOODE!
第1楽章の第1主題が、ラヴェルのスペイン狂詩曲第2楽章マラゲーニャのテーマと似ているのは偶然でしょう
'I’ve got a real soft spot for this sonata' I used to have one 7 months ago :)
Good
6:12
try playing this @ 0.5x
5:31
alguem lembro do anime shigatsu?
Me likey
Isn't the op. 10 no 2 the shortest 3mov Sonata? 🤔
No way.
Who plays this from you in comments?
12:34
❤
His playing was so good!
How the hell do you play the rhythm at 8:12? Those triplets in the left hand are very hard to play under the right hand.
It's actually not too terrible once you get everything flowing well (and, oddly enough, it's a little easier to do at a faster than slower tempo). It's a basic four-against-three type division, pianists can usually handle it well once they've practiced enough.
if you work on that , take the rhytle with a very slow tempo ,enter 40 and 50 bpm for the beginnig ,its boring i know but it's a grat way too play a lot of piece with perfection , and then , up slowly the tempothe tempo, 40-42-44-46 ... 70 and when you are at 70 bpm work the color of the piece , and up the tempo at 80,82... as you want, but work in lightness
and sorry for my english , i hope you can play that rhythm now :)
Just try to ignore the triplets and just try to even the Lh notes out. Focus more on the RH
Goode first place
Kovacevich third place
Lewis second place
Goode has a lot of added emotion
Kovacevich is ok but not enough emotion variations.
Lewis is almost as "Goode" as goode but he staccatos some parts and I don't like that. No offence Lewis, I still love your music!
The first theme of the third movement is the beginning of the sonata No. 30.
Andras Schiff is pointing that
Et dans le mouvement 3 de la sonate op 69 , on entend la variation 4 de l andante de l op 109
@@olivierdrouin2701 if you want to look past this work, there are many more examples. I was focusing on the similarity related to the video.
Je réagissais par association d idées , qui aurait été certes moins gratuite en marge de la sonate 30 , mais puisque la technologie nous offre le moyen d intervenir sur la réalité presque aussi vite que nous pensons , pourquoi se priver ?
@@olivierdrouin2701 בסדר אבל צריך שיהיה הגיון וסדר בתגובות אחרת תקשורת כבר לא ממוקדת, דבר שמוביל לבלבול וחוסר מידע משמעותי.
אתה קודם חושב ואז מדבר נכון?
אז למה שבכתיבה יהיה אחרת?
10:08 10:08 10:09 10:10 10:10
Is this acceptable for a college audition? Or is it too easy?
Empty Box way too easy
Op. 79, Sonata Number 25?
its an odd one for sure, the slow movement has a lovely tune but for me its one of Beethoven's lulls - you can see this also before the onset of his so called middle period too (sonatas 9 and 10 maybe), as well as here before the start of his late great pieces (sonatas until op.106 included in this lull) sorry :/
I think Chopin was born at about 5:30.
Ah that first movement! I find it harder to play than anything in the Appassionata. :/
You gotta be kidding! This whole sonata is basically sight-readable, especially if you're familiar with how it sounds.
Oh I don't mean just playing the "notes" - yes they're simple. But the whole movement is so "sketch-like" (as Tovey phrased it) that getting the nuances, balance and expression right is - to me - extremely difficult.
@@AshishXiangyiKumar Those jumps aren't too pleasant especially at the speeds these guys are taking, and there is some awkward fingering with the runs. I mean, I'm not making an argument about this versus the Appassionata, but it has its tricky spots.
Excluding this charming and playful sonata from audition repetoire is a great shame. So much can be learned from a pianist's interpretation- as illustrated by these three pianists.