Beethoven: Sonata No.13 in E-flat Major, "Quasi una fantasia" (Korstick, Lortie, Goode)
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- Even by his own genre-busting standards, B. went through something of an experimental phase in his Op.26 and Op.27 sonatas, and this one, the Op.27 No.1, represents the most striking product of that period. Everyone who’s ever played it loves it, but it’s otherwise slightly obscure, and does not appear immediately striking. But that’s really part of its design, where B. takes the archetypically argumentative form - the sonata - and gives in a basically narrative (fantasy-like, improvisatory, episodic) character.
So there’s no gaps between all the movements, which are arranged in fast-slow-fast-slow order. Motivic connections are sparse. Each movement fills in an expressive gap the previous one lacks. The first is graceful, the second restless/ominous/fidgety, the third inward, the last celebratory and a bit silly. Not a single movement is in sonata form. Moods change constantly.
The first movement begins with an absurdly simple, almost trivial melody. The only thing that undermines its total naivete is the careful articulation B. indicates and the constant changes in sonority which animate it. The C section is such a ridiculous contrast to this it almost seems like a new movement, though its C maj harmony has already been beautifully anticipated.
The second movement is, again, an exercise in articulation, with distinctly improvisatory chord sequences and some of B.’s most creative textural writing in the return of the scherzo. It’s one of those weird movements that can be interpreted a million ways and emerge unscathed.
The third movement barely deserves the name - a single melody in three parts. And yet it returns at the end of the dizzy and already-large final movement, a sudden injection of sincere feeling into an ingeniously wrought rondo (the development section is pretty awesome) full of orchestral timbres.
MVT I, Andante - Allegro - Andante. Eb Maj. ABACA (or ABA) form
00:00 - A SECTION. Extremely simple melody with two strains. Intricate articulation. Note short-short-long rhythm.
01:02 - B SECTION. New sonority (and in second strain, sudden bright new harmony in C maj which turns out to be dominant of (ii)), with same short-short-long rhythm.
02:08 - A SECTION, with very slight variation.
03:11 - C SECTION. Violently contrasting in C maj, with quick runs and arpeggios pausing eventually on the dominant of Eb.
03:50 - A SECTION. Identical to opening bars, but now with inversions in double counterpoint.
4:54 - CODA, using the same rhythm of the opening, now with its last beat missing.
MVT II, Allegro molto e vivace. C min. Scherzo and trio
05:27 - SCHERZO. Arpeggios with bass initially descending in semitones, eventually closing on a chain of suspensions. Note B.’s initially puzzling placement of the repeat sign “one bar late”, which actually indicates the first bar functions as a kind of upbeat.
06:04 - TRIO. Persistent LH iambic rhythm, with playful syncopation in RH
06:32 - SCHERZO. The repeat at 6:39 features some of B.’s most imaginative textural writing, with legato syncopations above staccato bass
06:56 - CODA.
MVT III, Adagio con espressione. Ab maj. Single melody with three parts, functioning as introduction to last movement.
07:12 - Melody, Strain I
08:09 - Melody, Strain II
08:59 - Melody, Strain III (repeat of I with variation in accompaniment and harmony). Closing on dominant of (V)
MVT IV, Allegro vivace. Eb maj. Sonata-Rondo (ABACABCoda*), with development as second episode.
10:26 - THEME, Strain I. Strain II at 10:35.
10:48 - Transition, based on Theme. Second bar of Strain I developed in sequence
10:58 - EPISODE 1, in (V), moving into unexpected territory such as the dominant of Ab. Note the B-C-A-Bb motif, which will recur. A new cadence-theme arises at 11:14.
11:36 - Theme
11:50 - EPISODE 2 / DEVELOPMENT. Repetition of Theme, Strain II in tonic minor, closing on dominant of Gb
11:57 - Theme, Strain I emerges in bass, with new closing continuation. This 3-bar group is heard 4 times in double counterpoint, with accompaniment suggesting original semiquaver running bass. Db maj, Gb maj, Bb min.
12:10 - The new closing continuation is reduced to 3 notes, descending in imitative sequence, then in 3-note groups cutting across 2/4 rhythm.
12:18 - 2-bar dramatic close in Bb min, then repeated in diminution.
12:24 - Repeated Bbs become accompaniment to the main chromatic idea of Episode 1(!). The Bbs (Eb min) become Gbs (Cb maj), then Ebs (Ab min) which rise again to Bb.
12:48 - THEME
13:07 - Transition, moving now to dominant
13:17 - EPISODE 1, in tonic
13:48 - CODA. Extension of Episode 1’s cadential theme, now in a more celebratory mood.
14:03 - The Adagio’s Strain III returns(!) in the tonic.
15:34 - The closing presto. Theme, Strain I is elaborated on in highly compressed form in a 4-bar phrase, which is then repeated an octave higher with added thirds. At 15:41 Episode 1’s main motif returns in both RH and LH, together with a very compressed version of Strain I. 
Видеоклипы
Korstick:
00:00 - Mvt 1
05:28 - Mvt 2
07:12 - Mvt 3
10:28 - Mvt 4
Lortie:
15:50 - Mvt 1
21:05 - Mvt 2
23:28 - Mvt 3
27:02 - Mvt 4
Goode:
33:01 - Mvt 1
38:18 - Mvt 2
40:05 - Mvt 3
42:53 - Mvt 4
Korstick’s performance is fantastic in the old sense of the word - full of fantasy, imagination, intensity. Even though he pays fanatical attention to the score (listen to the articulation in the opening, or the intensity of the scherzo at 6:39), there’s a real sense of fun to his playing. The contrasts are unabashedly huge, the dynamic shading is consistently exciting, and especially in the last movement the contrapuntal playing is near-perfect.
Lortie has a languid, lie-back-in-the-deckchair sort of approach, with slow tempi but lovely phrasing which yields some really surprising effects: the second movement ends up sounding almost sad, for instance. There’s a sense that you’re discovering the work as it slowly emerges, which I suppose is what improvisation should sound like.
Goode’s interpretation is dry, spry, and really compelling: listen to the beautifully clipped articulation right at the very beginning of the second movement, or the pearly scales in the last. Rather unexpectedly, his third movement is really moving, mostly on account of its being taken with a very classical kind of honestly. And in the first movement, even the opening melody is expressive, which you’d never expect from something so simple.
(Apropos of nothing, it strikes me that just comparing the three performers’ second movements gives you a very good idea of how they approach this sonata.)
just an edit Lortie's mvt 2 starts at 21:05
Otherwise, I've never really looked at this sonata but I will now!
Fixed!
The scherzos are my favorite parts.
Thank you so much for putting this out there. This has been one of my favorite Beethoven sonatas (if not THE favorite) for several years now and the first one I try to listen to when comparing different approaches between equally wonderful pianists. Your analysis it icing on the cake!
Yh but
The second movement of this sonata is one of my favorite of all Beethoven sonata movements. It's so ... odd. And breathtaking.
The whole second movement is very Schumann sounding. I know Schumann got lots of inspiration from Beethoven.
mee too🤦♂️❤️
Yes...incredible. i am working on it
Samething for me.
#metoo
I love Beethoven. What a gift to this world.
This is such a vastly underrated sonata.
Mainly because it’s overshadowed by its younger brother under the same opus number, No. 2 in C#minor
One of Beethoven’s most fantastic epics ever, but with a happy ending.
1st mvmt knocking theme between two voices, one knocks the other answers, but secretively with hidden passion.
2nd mvmt, still two voices, but now in anguish and despair, like two souls destined to be separate but desperate to be one. Among the most tragic of Beethoven moments ever, true sense of hopelessness.
3rd reflective reminiscing, an old nostalgic voice reminiscing past (notice there’s only one ‘voice/voices’ in unison), but with just a small hint of hope towards the end leading into the finale
4th, from the ashes, a sort of transcendence, full of hope, rising above mortality of some sorts. Notice two voices against one another, perhaps the same voices from the 1st mvmt? Abruptly ended by 3rd moment nostalgic voice...was all this just a dream? Hopeful fantasy?...maybe not! As two voices spirit on higher and higher in freedom and joy into eternity
lovely description
this is my favorite sonata from Beethoven!!! I love that so many of you too appreciate the work. RUclips is a beautiful place, eh?!
I also love this Sonata. So calm at some points and so terrifyingly beautiful at some points. My favorite sonata from B. though, is of course the 14th, Moonlight.
@@kolian8765 have you heard his last 5 sonatas?
@@Numberonesorabjifan of course i have, are you kidding! The 30th hits different. Also I have a new favorite now, the Appasionata.
Lortie's rendering of the second movement is just breathtaking.
Korstick rendition is absolutely phenomenal. Passionate, wild and yet delicate und well articulated.
9:14 - *Sees one hundred twenty-eighth note rest.*
"What the...is that...what I think it is? No... it...can't.......be! Why me?"
Lol I didn't know that it existed. Good to know
Rest is for the weak
LMAO why does that exists?
If you don't get that rest right you don't graduate conservatory.
I love the second movement, the one of korstick the most. Its so jumpy and fast paced.
Happy 250th birthday Beethoven!
8:59 I always think the second movement of the Pathetique sonata is about to begin
True LOL
As always, your selections are exquisite. Thank you for your time, effort and helpful insights in the description. Keep up the good work!
It is such a pleasure to read your insightful commentary while listening to this. You have introduced me to so much great music!
Ashish-thank you for doing your channel. I have benefited so much from it and gotten to know many new pianists’ interpretations. I’ve been following you for a year. Please keep it up!
It's noteworthy that the opening phrase of the melody in the third movement also opens the slow movement of the third piano concerto, composed around the same time.
This sonata seems to have a structure reminiscent of that of his 9th symphony. Especially with the inversion of the middle movements, the choice of a fast minor-key scherzo instead of a pleasant minuet, and some degree of recapitulation of previous movements in the finale, which ends in a furious presto...
Hi i would like to thank you for uploading those you really introduced me to Beethoven's sonatas thank you so much so much
this one is my favorite beethoven piano sonata.
The opening phrase of the 3rd Movement here recalls that of the second movement of the piano Concerto No. 3.
i wasn't sold listening to the first 3 movements, then the last movement came, and the adagio reappeared. Then I went backward to listen to the first three movements, my mind was blown.
That's really interesting. I remember that when I first heard this sonata a long time ago I thought the first movement was totally beneath Beethoven, but really liked the 2nd and 4th movements.
That's what listening to music should be like haha.
You’re finally getting it! This is is one of Beethoven’s most tragic epics ever, but it has a happy (fantastical ending)!
Also focus on the Goode version, he’s got this sonata down to the dot, and no distractive nasty tones.
I just took it as my favourite sonata! It's phenomenal.
Because a musician said that he thought about moonlight after listening to sonata no.14, it was named 'moonlight sonata', and no.13 was just forgotten.
now I'm waiting for sonata no. 12! Great job!
Michael Korstick is great Beethoven interpret and seemingly very underrated. Never ever heard of him (despite being German as himself).
2nd mvmt is sooo..artistic! 3rd mvmt very very Beethovenian slow mvmt. Last mvmt such fun to play!
Korstick's performance of the 4th movement is superb!!
Gould's version is worth to listen to. Unique sound as you expected, especially in the second mov.
I feel that Lortie captured my feeling about this great work-not so fast that we could appreciate the texture of the right hand legato and left hand ‘pizzicato’ beginning in measure 85. A dizzying blur is not the point here as well as in the B theme of the first movement.
But what a gift to have 3 interpretations with the sheet music. Many thanks!!
I feel like a survivor after practicing this Sonata from November 2020 up to March 2022 due to Covid and Final Exams at school.
And the 4th one after a whole year still had some imperfections. The most difficult thing in that movement is the coordination along with the technique.
But also the incredible strength you need to arrive until the end without fainting 😅 cause the resistence asked in this piece can make it really tough. Btw beautiful and hard sonata, the first movement so pleasent with those hidden voices and the second one gave me happiness while studying it cause of it's melody so tricky yet so gorgeous, the final part of this movement is fire tho 😅😅😅
An extraordinary piece of music
Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I like Lortie’s second movement the best. Yes, it’s not the rollicking scherzo we might want, but taking the edge off the tempo really allows the textures of the phased-out syncopations in mm 88-end to shine through.
The first section of the first movement is usually played a bit faster. This interpretation gives it a potential of lyrism that we did not suspec - and also an expectation for the much faster episod which follows it.
Wow, amazing for learning to read music, thanks a million, regards from Colombia, South America.
First Movement A and B Section : "Uh, I could play this".
C Section: NO, you can´t
I certainly enjoyed playing it after my fashion, and grew very fond of it in my limited way.
11:18 this is just great. No other pianist can reach that
This sonata is sooooo underrated
The first rendition is by far the most fascinating.
A minute of silence for people who are practicing from 6:39 to the end of II movement
Thank you, your moment of silence is very much appreciated 😂
Amen. It’s awful!! What was he thinking??
@@archiemcmorran6976 that moment of silence is also for me 😂 😭
Robert Schumann It’s fine slow but the minute you bring it up to that kind of tempo, your hands just don’t compute and it all falls apart 😂
And me too and have got to preform it in November.😦
Les deux reflexions concernant les parentes thematiques avec le concerto 3 et la sonate 8 m apparaissent vraies , mais je n y avais jamais pensé.
C est tout a la gloire de Beethoven , qui a TOUJOURS eu le courage de sacrifier le detail a l ensemble ! C est une des plus nobles et plus courageuses de ses grandeurs !
The second movement is a gift from God!
Fabulous playing! Thank you. Alison
People only hype the fiery, tempestuous sonatas and then say Beethoven never wrote beautiful light music :/ I mean, look at this beauty!! Sonatas like these and most of the second movements of any of his sonatas are so underrated.
I just would like to draw attention on an harmonic advance by Beethoven: the direst third (minor or major) relationshio p). At the beginning, of his carreer, he elucidates it. But then, he uses it as a "natural" progression. In this sontat, the slox antiphonal section in Eb is followad by an allegretto in C amjor. The explaation is the C minor of the secherzo. Consider the G major sonat op; 31: the second "tehme" is in H major (amlor third), which is explicited by a ransition section in H minor. Bur t in the so-called "Waldstein' sonata op 57, the first theme is centered to C majoe, the 'second" one to E major, without éexplainaing section". Schbert does the same un his "Wanderee r fantasie", and makes use of even more complex situation for instance in his last sonata in Bb D 960.
I liked it from the first, but It took me a couple of years and multiple hearings to be enlightened by it.
Thanks for uploading!
Only Lortie seems to like and comprehend the beauty and depth of the second moviment
Thank you very much for your work Ashish
Increíble como están marcadas los minutos de las secciones y los compases. 👏🏿👏🏿
fantastic. I hear mozart’s requiem in the 2nd movement
Louis Lortie is the great discovery for me in this series. Indeed, in this sonata he is playing quite slow. But doesn't the allegro in the first movement sound much better than with Korstick (who is trying to catch a train of plane and is almost breaking his legs in doing so)? The interesting difference between Lortie and Korstick is also in the second movement. As Andras Schiff once said (in his Wigmore lectures), before you decide the tempo of a piece you need to look at the whole piece and see whether every part can be played with sufficient clarity and transparency. How can you really play the staccato notes with the tempo of Korstick? And from bar 90 it really becomes "mud" with Korstick.
Anyway thank you very much for the whole series and making me acquainted with the Lortie interpretations!
I really wish I’d had these analyses when I was in music school!! 😅
00:43 i felt it
lol
*bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum chords with the left hand intensifies*
there's something about lortie. he speaks to me and i hear him so clearly
This sounds a bit like the pastorale and the moonlight sonata had a baby, if that makes sense
Pepijn Streng show me exact parts
Considering the 3 sonatas followed directly after each other that shouldn't be suprising.
I feel No 13 is closer to No 12 than the Pastoral, especially the vibe of 4th movement. Maybe that's just me
This sounds a bit like shit
@@johngade9084 shut
I tried to learn this sonata in college, and just struggled with the finale, which is pretty daunting technically. I'd say of all the early sonatas it's behind only op. 2/3 and op. 7 in difficulty. Also the end of the scherzo, with the offset legato/staccato, is unforgiving and takes a *lot* of practice to get right.
IMO, Op 2 no 2, op 10 no 3 and op 22 are harder than op 2 no 3.
@@joshuaslater7858 You might be right on op. 2/2 (especially that gnarly triplet-16th octave passage in the opener) and op. 22, but I disagree on op. 10/3. I've played it, and I didn't think it was nearly as hard as either op. 2/3 or op. 27/1. Harder than the Pathetique or Moonlight, to be sure, but easier than those (or the op. 7).
2:55 Choral Fantasia
also:
13:51 Sonata op. 90 2nd movement
7:12 Piano Concerto n. 3 2nd movement
This piece is really a source of future themes
How you can tell a story with a piano:
Not this. Ask Chopin.
@@segmentsAndCurves wtf
@@segmentsAndCurves nah, just listen to Beethoven's Les Adieux or his pastoral Symphony
@@miguelisaurusbruh1158 Noice, I was wrong.
I have listened to Les Adieux, actually.
@@segmentsAndCurves wake up! Chopin is overrated! He is a garbage composer.
extremely difficult sonata to play but certainly one of my favorites.... I like to think it has the neglected sister of the MOON LIGHT
Meh, I don't think its extremely difficult compared to many other middle to later period sonatas.....I'd play this before I would attempt sonata #3
Just a little thing I noticed about mvt 1 section C. In the second half of strain 1 (with the runs down) it dips from C Major in the relative harmonic minor and then briefly, for just a bar, into G Major (in fact resolving in G Major). Which creates a symmetry in the second strain where it changes to the key of F major, similarly for just a bar, but then resolving in the key of C Major. Just consider the efficiency which which this harmonic information is conveyed and all disguised as a repetitive and superfluous episode.
14:05 the cyclic moment: the opening theme from the thrid movement appears again.
Korstick, BRAVISSIMO second mov
The 2nd movement's opening reminds me somewhat of his 32 Variations
That's because it uses the same chord progression.
I like Lortie's recording, but maybe some intensity is lacking in movements 2 and 4 (mostly in the second one)
i really like the scherzo hay.
It's strange that Korstick's recordings are restricted on music streaming services but can be listened on youtube
7:12 has similarity of his piano sonata no. 8 “Pathetic” and his piano concerto no. 3 second movement.
piano sonata no. 8
“Pathetic”
5:28 Found it!
What is that?
Btw it's appeared right when I saw your comment.
Ebourriffante sonate !!!
The first melody is hilarious in retrospect
?
At 3:23 the score looks a lot like the Appasionata.
I really don't know which interpretation of the second movement to pick, Korstick or Lortie,
¡¡Gracias por semejante aporte!!
Goode really inspires
5:28
5:27 ❤
It's more moonlight than the Moonlight sonata
The harmony in the beginning of the 2. movement is very familiar. B. used it in another piece, right?
Is it "32 Variations" ?
10:58 and 13:17 sound deceptively easy until you realise you need to interlock the hands
Then listen to this sonata in "LV Beethoven Sonatas OP 13,26,27 on Walter 1790 Piano" , for me, nothing is the same
Hi, Ashish - in the liner notes of Korstick's recording of this sonata (and maybe on Jando's and a few other Central European pianists' recordings of op. 27, no. 1), it's called "Der Vampyr." Do you know why this is? I assume this wasn't a decision by Beethoven, but I can't find any information about why this is the case (and occasionally the case, not across the board). Thanks! Keep up the great work!
4악장 경희대 피아노과 입시곡이어서 보러 온 사람?
다 같이 화이팅해요 ㅎㅎㅎ핳하핳ㅎ하
I love this piece. I was told by a former teacher that this was the only Beethoven sonata Chopin assigned to his students. I wonder if it's true...anyway thank you for posting!
its not, thats op 26
No, it is this one. The 13th Sonata was one Chopin greatly admired (also op 111 if I recall). Both 13 and 14 have the same opus number, so it is 27 indeed
@@jordidewaard2937 no....its definetly not this sonata, chopin assigned the op 26 funeral march sonata to his students, and it is this sonata that inspired his own funeral march in his 2nd sonata. Even on wikipedia for the op 26 sonata it quotes:
"This sonata was greatly admired by Chopin, who repeated its basic sequence of scherzo, funeral march with trio, and perpetuum mobile finale in his own Piano Sonata in B♭ minor.[3] His first movement, however, is also animated and in sonata form, unlike Beethoven's Andante con variazioni."
its definitely op 26, there is zero indication that chopin specifically liked the op 27 no 1 sonata.
All the movements: (are linked together with an attacca).
Separate recordings of each individual movement: Am I a joke to you?
(no offence).
Haha nice channel bruh
@@JoshuavanderVeen You mean this joke as well?
@@gamingmusicandjokesandabit1240 Ya LOL I liked the comment
@@JoshuavanderVeen :-)
@@JoshuavanderVeen Little did Josh know, he's about to explode.
Not to nitpick, but in your description you've said the movements are in fast-slow-fast-slow, which seems to be an error.
(And I could argue that the last movement is in Sonata-Rondo form, but that's interpretation, I guess :P)
The 2nd movement kinda sound like his c minor variations theme WoO 80
14:15 Piano Concerto No.3 Second Movement huh
how do I enable the comments that accompany the score at the bottom of the screen? thank you
The 4th movement is HELL!!!
ik wat u mean lol
A flat major 8:50 7:29 7:30 7:30 7:31 7:32 7:32 7:33 7:33 Pure heaven after the stormy 2nd mvt 7:58
9:00 9:01 9:02 9:03 9:04 9:05
11:49 11:50 E flat minor to G flat major to B flat minor to C flat major to A flat minor 12:48 12:49 12:49 12:50 12:50
13:11 13:11 13:12 13:13
Can you tell me what print edition is that?
47:58
I feel like the fourth movement is the best one. It’s like horse racing music. Appropriate for a horse race since the melody almost sounds like the horse race theme.
10:27
If you bother to read the title, the piece is a "sonata like (in the manner of) a fantasia." The piece develops a simple song (probably not by the composer) through variations, in the manner of a fantasia. Also according to the title, the piece is dedicated to the (reigning) princess of Liechtenstein. A commissioned work with specific requirements?
Heresy perhaps, but why not go down to the low C in the 2nd movement like Gulda does? Yeah, at the time Beethoven wrote the sonata that low C wasn't yet available, but why not use it now? Hard to imagine Beethoven wouldn't have relished it. That said, all three performances here are TOPS.
10:28
27:02
42:53
Lortie is quite slow
07:12
15:30