Beethoven's Complete Works for Piano: The Sonatas
Is Beethoven’s music great? How do we know? Piano department chair Bruce Brubaker encourages curious concertgoers to celebrate and reconsider Beethoven’s music and legacy.
75 NEC pianists present every work for piano that Beethoven ever wrote over the course of 13 recitals in spring and fall 2020. Hear well-known favorites like the “Moonlight” Sonata and “Für Elise” alongside rarely-performed works and decide for yourself: what does Beethoven mean today?
A virtuoso pianist himself, Beethoven composed dozens of works for the fortepiano, often making use of the new musical resources of the instrument as it developed rapidly throughout the composer’s lifetime. Approximately 1/3 of each concert program will feature rarely performed sets of variations that may offer insight into Beethoven’s own performances as an improviser.
This concert will begin at 11:00 am ET and will run throughout the day in six parts. Each part lasts just under 2 hours. The premiere schedule will be as follows:
Part 1: 11:00 am ET
Part 2: 1:00 pm ET
Part 3: 3:00 pm ET
Part 4: 5:00 pm ET
Part 5: 7:00 pm ET
Part 6: 9:00 pm ET
WATCH PARTS 1–6 of CONCERT STREAM:
PROGRAM THIRTEEN
Sonata in E-flat Major, WoO 47 no. 1 ("Kurfürstensonate" no. 1)
I. Allegro cantabile
II. Andante
III. Rondo vivaceArtists- Grace Yue Yu, piano
Sonata in F Minor, WoO 47 no. 2 ("Kurfürstensonate" no. 2)
I. Larghetto maestoso - Allegro assai
II. Andante
III. PrestoArtists- Alice Chenyang Xu, piano
Sonata in D Major, WoO 47 no. 3 ("Kurfürstensonate" no. 3)
I. Allegro
II. Minuet, 6 variations
III. Scherzando: Allegro, ma non troppoArtists- Rachel Nayeon Gu, piano
Piano Sonatina in F Major, WoO 50 (1790-92)
I.
II. AllegrettoArtists- Ling Zhou, piano
Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, op. 2 no. 1 (1795)
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Menuetto and Trio (Allegretto)
IV. PrestissimoArtists- Sean Yu, piano
Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, op. 2 no. 2 (1795)
I. Allegro vivace
II. Largo appassionato
III. Scherzo: Allegretto
IV. Rondo: GraziosoArtists- Nan Ni, piano
Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, op. 2 no. 3 (1795)
I. Allegro con brio
II. Adagio
III. Scherzo: Allegro
IV. Allegro assaiArtists- Jiyoun Li, piano
Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major ("Grand Sonata"), op. 7
I. Allegro molto e con brio
II. Largo, con gran espressione
III. Allegro
IV. Rondo: Poco allegretto e graziosoArtists- Andrew Li, Piano
Piano Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, op. 10 no. 1 (1798)
Allegro molto e con brio
II. Adagio molto
III. Finale: PrestissimoArtists- Miu Ishikawa, piano
Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, op. 10 no. 2 (1798)
I. Allegro
II. Menuetto: Allegretto
III. PrestoArtists- Felicia He, piano
Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10 no. 3 (1798)
I. Presto
II. Largo e mesto
III. Menuetto: Allegro
IV. Rondo: AllegroArtists- Bairun Liu, piano
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor ("Pathétique"), op. 13 (1798)
I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
II. Adagio cantabile
III. Rondo: AllegroArtists- Hongjian Yan, piano
Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, op. 14 no. 1
I. Allegro
II. Allegretto
III. Rondo: Allegro comodo
Artists- Jingyi Jeannie Huang, piano
Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, op. 14 no. 2
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Scherzo: Allegro assaiArtists- TanNi Wang, piano
Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, op. 22 (1800)
I. Allegro con brio
II. Adagio con molto espressione
III. Menuetto
IV. Rondo: AllegrettoArtists- Sunmin Kim, piano
Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major ("Funeral March"), op. 26 (1801)
I. Andante con variazione
II. Scherzo: Allegro molto
III. Maestoso andante, marcia funbre sulla morte d'un eroe
IV. AllegroArtists- Yandi Chen, piano
Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat major, op. 27, no. 1, 'Quasi una fantasia'
I. Andante. Allegro
II. Allegro molto e vivace
III. Adagio con espressione
IV. Allegro vivaceArtists- Hanwen Shi, piano
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, op. 27, no. 2, 'Moonlight'
I. Adagio sostenuto
II. Allegretto
III. Presto agitatoArtists- Songhyeon Kim, piano
Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, op. 28, 'Pastoral'
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
IV. Rondo: Allegro ma non troppoArtists- Ariel Mo, piano
Piano Sonata No. 16 in G Major, op 31, no. 1
I. Allegro vivace
II. Adagio grazioso
III. Rondo: AllegrettoArtists- Teng Cao, piano
Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Minor, op.31, no. 2 'Tempest'
I. Largo - Allegro
II. Adagio
III. AllegrettoArtists- Jiawen Eric Guan, piano
Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3, 'The Hunt'
I. Allegro
II. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
III. Menuetto: Moderato e grazioso
IV. Presto con fuocoArtists- Lucas Thomazinho, piano
Piano Sonata No. 19 in G Minor, op. 49, no. 1
I. Andante
II. Rondo: AllegroArtists- Ziang Yin, piano
Piano Sonata No. 20 in G Major, op. 49, no. 2
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Tempo di menuettoArtists- Tracy Tang, piano
Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, op. 53, 'Waldstein'
I. Allegro con brio
II. Introduzione: Molto adagio
III. Rondo: Allegro moderatoArtists- Hsin-Hao Yang, piano
Piano Sonata No. 22 in F Major, op. 54
I. In tempo d'un menuetto
II. AllegrettoArtists- Shalun Li, piano
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, op. 57, 'Appassionata'
I. Allegro assai
II. Andante con moto
III. Allegro ma non troppoArtists- Yike Tony Yang, piano
Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp Major, op. 78, "À Thérèse"
I. Adagio cantabile - Allegro ma non tropop
II. Allegro vivaceArtists- Boyi Fa, piano
Piano Sonata No. 25 in G major, op. 79, 'Cuckoo'
I. Presto alla tedesca
II. Andante
III. VivaceArtists- Zhuoya Zhu, piano
Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat major. op. 81a, "Das Lebewohl'
I. Das Lebewohl: Adagio - Allegro
II. Abweswenheit: Andante espressivo. In gehender Bewegung, doch mit viel Ausdruck
III. Das Wiedersehn: Vivacissimamente. Im lebhafsten ZeitmasseArtists- Yuhang Li, piano
Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, op. 90
I. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchhaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck
II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragenArtists- Feiyi Liao, piano
Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, op. 101
I. Etwas lebhaft und mit der innigsten Empfindung (Allegretto ma non troppo)
II. Lebhaft, marschmäßig (Vivace alla marcia)
III. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll (Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto)
IV. Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr, und mit Entschlossenheit (Allegro)Artists- Brian Le, piano
Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, op. 106, 'Hammerklavier'
I. Allegro
II. Scherzo: Assai vivace
III. Adagio sostenuto
IV. Largo: Allegro risolutoArtists- Ziang Xu, piano
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, op. 109
I. Vivace, ma non troppo
II. Prestissimo
III. Andante con molto cantabile ed espressivoArtists- Evren Ozel, piano
Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, op. 110
I. Moderato cantabile, molto espressivo
II. Allegro molto
III. Adagio ma non troppo: Arioso dolente
IV. Fuga: Allegro ma non troppoArtists- Yu-Ting Christine Huang, piano
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, op. 111
I. Maestoso: Allegro con brio ed appassionato
II. Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile (Theme and Variations)Artists- George Li, piano