Beethoven Sonatas/1 Presented by Liszt Academy

The New Testament of piano literature. This is how Hans von Bülow characterized Beethoven’s piano sonatas, and drawing a sacred parallel was extremely perceptive, defining the place and role of these 32 opuses in the history of music. The sonatas written between 1795 and 1822, which, according to Charles Rosen, act as a bridge from the microcosmos of salons to the world of concert halls, are essential for all young keyboard instrumentalists: they are now fixed exam pieces even if formally there is no need to prove technical skill and performance maturity with one or other of the Beethoven sonatas at an examination concert. Which, of course, is not so surprising since even with experienced pianists – who are long past studying for a diploma or even a doctorate – the situation is the same.  Four sonatas are performed in both of the concerts by keyboard students of the Doctoral School.