SATURDAY, August 29, 2020 – 9:33 AM
Beethoven: Sonata No. 8 in C minor, (Pathetique)
I’ll get back later to the history of this.
This has always been a hit.
The slow movement is one of the world’s really famous piano compositions. The rest of the sonata is far more difficult technically, but this movement is difficult to pull off because of its musical demands. Later I will come back here and finish this, showing the whole sonata, but for now I’ll start with this because I teach it. The other movements are almost impossible for students, although this is hardly easy.
Let’s start with Richter, whose playing is always deeply sensitive, with tremendous insight and quality.
It’s hard to beat this man. The recording is older, not the best for earphones, but the playing is as good as it gets.
Now Arrau, another giant, and this time stereo.
It’s also hard to top this. Both Arrau and Richter were astoundingly musical.
I don’t really have a preference…
But don’t get too spoiled, because if you listen to the average student play this, you will be in another world, and you won’t like the world.