This is the second part of my century-long journey through 100 sonatas of the 1800s. Watch the first part here: ua-cam.com/video/8N-XtmTeTsM/v-deo.htmlsi=W_Z_qy-UwfhgdOz2
I performed each of these works on an 1812 Schöffstoss pianoforte by Pianoteq tuned to A=415 hz. See below for some additional comments on each sonata. The modulatory transitions are my own semi-improvisations created for this video. Each year represents either the composition year or date of first publication, as it was necessary to choose them selectively in order to create the best order.
00:00 Intro
00:13 1810 Kuhlau
PSA: Kuhlau wrote more than just sonatinas! There are several full-scale, grand sonatas with very interesting writing, and yet modern editions only seem to offer his sonatinas. This beautiful adagio hints at the kind of melismatic vocal runs later adopted by Chopin.
04:36 1811 Ries
Along with Czerny and to an extent Moscheles, Ries was one of Beethoven's closest pupils. His compositions usually aren't bad but rarely inspire profundity. This one is nice, and I'm intrigued by the sinking chromaticism that gives this work a unique flavor.
08:02 1812 Dussek
Dussek's last and greatest sonata is full of his characteristic proto-Romantic effects and note-spinning phrases (in the best way) that consistently charm with their salt-of-the-earth melodicism.
11:01 1813 Müller (Intro)
13:57 1813 Müller (Allegro)
Müller clearly admired his teacher and carried the torch of Bach before it was cool to do so (that is to say, after Mendelssohn). He actually wrote some other interesting keyboard works that are quite virtuosic, almost like proto-etudes. The introduction here is a well-developed fantasy, leading into a strong Allegro theme.
15:40 1814 Moscheles
I love this sonata and admire its composer. Moscheles' life crossed paths with nearly every notable musician of the early 1800s and his memoirs are full of fascinating stories (Beethoven's everyday antics, Salieri's deathbed refusal of the rumor that he poisoned Mozart, etc.). The music so perfectly captures the post-Goethe angst that the Romantic generations would later run with.
19:47 1815 Schubert
Not the Schubert we will come to know later, but still very much Schubert. The melody is simple, curiously unadorned in its repeat (typically the opposite occurs), and effective. Very Wanderer-like.
24:04 1816 Beethoven
This sonata movement appears so small on the page but is full of the spacious ideas for which we love Beethoven. As always, the effect of Beethoven's music on period pianos is so different from what we are used to that it can be shocking at times. I don't think one is better than the other, they are just different, and variety is always nice.
28:21 1817 Weber
I am not wild about Weber's piano sonatas and frankly wonder why they've been recorded several times by renowned pianists over so many other choices from this era. Still, here we have a stormy sonata that is fun to play and anticipates the bravura pianism of the 1820s.
32:22 1818 Beethoven
I've always thought that the Hammerklavier sonata, for all its reputation of being one of the most intimidating piano works in the repertoire, does not look very menacing on paper. When you start to play it, though, you realize that every measure is so full of ideas, expression markings, ritardandi, unique technical devices, and intense thematic development that there is really nothing that can totally prepare you for it. Of course, the fugal finale is the real nail in the coffin for pianists, but the first movement is no slouch.
35:13 1819 Hummel
Hummel's writing, at its most advanced, feels much more linked to the pianos of his era (see the passages in thirds and sixths), with their lighter Viennese actions and shallow keybeds allowing for rapid, agile movements that can be quite awkward on a modern instrument. The ideas are intricate, original, and well-crafted, but they don't "hit" quite as hard as Beethoven's better ones do. In my opinion, this sonata belongs to the same class of difficulty as Beethoven's Hammerklavier, but in such a totally different way that it's hard to compare them directly. You can't fault a musician as good as Hummel, who wrote many worthy hit pieces in his day, for not being able to stand the test of time. Some styles just don't carry over to other generations as well, but that does not mean that we can't enjoy them for what they are (or once were).