Moonlight sonata

[North Star]

jochanaan@ could you be tad more specific ? I have no idea what Opus means and youtube isnt helping much either.



Also im still trying to get time to listen to all of these. I'l be back with a review, someday

Opus 27/2 is the so-called 'Moonlight Sonata'.

[Jo498]

opus (work) refers to a numbering of musical works according to order of publication. The Moonlight sonata is Beethoven's op.27 Nr.2 (because there were two sonatas published together in that opus). In Beethoven's case sonatas are often also referred to by their number within the 32 sonatas but opus numbers are sometimes more common.

Jochanaan mentioned three famous Beethoven sonatas, namely op.57 "Appassionata (Nr. 23), op. 106 (Nr. 29) and the last one op.111 (Nr. 32). All should be easily findable at youtube or streaming providers.

[Holden]

For a dark and slow version of the the first movement you can't go past Solomon Cutner. You have to have a reason for playing it slow and the way he brings the left hand into a bit more prominence changes the feeling of the whole movement which you can't really do at speed. It makes you focus on the bass  where most of the melodic line actually is. This creates a brooding feeling and it fits in so well with what follows, especially in terms of tempo and mood of the next two movements. I have not heard this played more effectively and to me is the ideal performance of this work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laMyjP97H3M  (sorry, forgot how to load the Youtube clip)

[PerfectWagnerite]

Everyone really ought to listen to this Schiff lecture on the piece, and not only for his singing of Schubert.

https://www.youtube.com/v/fW_Dv_GNQAo

Not just on this piece. Schiff's lectures on the 32 PS is must-listen material for anyone interested in music and performance:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/classical/page/0,,1943867,00.html

I downloaded them all and listen to them in my car for years and years.

[Jo498]

I listened to those lectures shortly after they were made available and can support the recommendation.
Actually, except for the great op.27/2 (my favorite after Schnabel) I was slightly disappointed by the 2 discs I bought afterwards. For some reason his explaining was more illuminating than his playing for me.

[SKYIO]

Iv listened to all the suggestions, but it just doesn't come close to the last 'movement' (or what I call bit), of moonlight, you know, the bit that goes DUNIAFIDSJFKDJOK PKDPAKDOKSDAS like some kind of computer hacker that types 20 letters a second. Just on a piano.

Being 'good' is mostly subjective, however the amount of skill that is used to construct such a piece is not something anyone can deny. Its objective PERFECTION !!
And no piano piece seems to have come close to it ..

[North Star]

Iv listened to all the suggestions, but it just doesn't come close to the last 'movement' (or what I call bit), of moonlight, you know, the bit that goes DUNIAFIDSJFKDJOK PKDPAKDOKSDAS like some kind of computer hacker that types 20 letters a second. Just on a piano.

Being 'good' is mostly subjective, however the amount of skill that is used to construct such a piece is not something anyone can deny. Its objective PERFECTION !!
And no piano piece seems to have come close to it ..

There is quite a good amount of piano literature out there to explore, though, e.g. this small handful of pieces:

http://www.youtube.com/v/hKgcHjq1xKQ  http://www.youtube.com/v/JP-F7kej1u0   http://www.youtube.com/v/yweyB8lI7kY

http://www.youtube.com/v/S91cK2Z3z2I   http://www.youtube.com/v/eL6DAKBiHUU  http://www.youtube.com/v/A0nrg7Lqfak

http://www.youtube.com/v/XYFpfFsbshk   http://www.youtube.com/v/deDOEqha8hg  http://www.youtube.com/v/BMg_A8eYweY

http://www.youtube.com/v/GkYxV1FriOA   http://www.youtube.com/v/OvVXgov6y2w

[SKYIO]

Thank you very much North Star@. Il be sure to listen to all of those tracks, and again come back with my feedback.

[EigenUser]

Thank you very much North Star@. Il be sure to listen to all of those tracks, and again come back with my feedback.

The Ravel and Bartok works posted by North Star are two of my favorite solo piano pieces. Out of Doors is a bit strange at first, so I'd suggest reading about it if you are unfamiliar with 20th-century music. A brilliant piece.

If you ever have two hours to yourself, you should try Morton Feldman's Triadic Memories. I've been listening to it recently. It isn't I can sit through and "listen" -- I have to be doing some other work or something. The amazing thing is how it changes your perception of your environment. For instance, I was walking to class while playing it (headphones). A beautiful, sunny day never seemed so melancholic. It may as well have been overcast, foggy, and cool. It isn't sad or anything -- it just seems to slow down time.
https://www.youtube.com/v/7dSPJ2PbyYU

[SKYIO]

Im only liking the Jien Sibulus, Martha, Bela, videos. The rest is just background music for me, no worth for me to be concentrating on it

[North Star]

Im only liking the Jien Sibulus, Martha, Bela, videos. The rest is just background music for me, no worth for me to be concentrating on it

Well keep on listening to those composers' (Sibelius, Schumann, Bartók) you liked other works, and have an open mind when listening - but if something doesn't please interest you at that time, you can try something else and return to it later.