András Schiff - Sonata No.21 in C, Op.53 "Waldstein" - Beethoven Lecture-Recitals

András Schiff - Beethoven Lecture-Recitals
Wigmore Hall (London, UK), 2004-06
András Schiff last performed the complete Beethoven piano sonatas at Wigmore Hall from 2004-06 to overwhelming critical acclaim, with the editor of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, describing one particular performance as ‘a riveting mixture of erudition, analysis, passion, wit and memory’.
On the day before each of the eight recitals in the series, the world-renowned pianist, pedagogue and lecturer gave a lecture-recital in which he explored the works to be performed. Deeply engaging and insightful, these thought-provoking lecture-recitals, recorded live at the Hall, are available below as eight audio lecture-recitals.
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[@nicholasadams1283]

These lectures are an education in music. I have listened multiple times. And with profit and pleasure.

[@haydencalvin7237]

Instablaster

[@tinkerchel]

LECTURE NOTES: --------------1st movt: sonata--------------- 1. @5:16 unorthodox beginning: starting on the tonic: C major, but with a rhythmic motif of repeated knocking quavers 2. @6:02 question motif 3. @6:11 varied answer 4. @6:29 a variation of the knocking motif: tremolando, a new pianistic effect, but common with string instruments 5. @7:26 new with this sonata is how the second/heavenly theme is in E major: mediant, which is modeled on Op.31, No.1 in G major. A harmonic relationship often employed by Schubert. 6. @8:32 the choral-like 2nd theme has the same rhythmic pattern(a dactyl & a spondee) as the 7th symphony, 2nd movt. 7. Beethoven has very specific instructions for this sonata. In his time, the sustaining pedal on a piano is often divided into 2 by having a cut in the middle. So that you could pedal for the base, or the upper part. 8. @12:22 second theme: the choral goes to the left hand, with a counterpoint in triplets. The triplets become more and more important and is now the main theme, against which is this horn syncopation 9. @13:47 last theme: dactylic rhythm 10. @15:46 Beethoven's original F flat in the bass really IS a touch of genius 11. @17:10 we are home in C major but there's no home feeling. 12. @17:39 from a previous theme comes a very intricate polyphonic contrapuntal section 13. @19:07 pianissimo from a distance comes a murmur..like in Haydn's creation when the light comes out 14. @20:47 coda: starts on the Neapolitan key. For the first time "the answer" comes dramatically. All sforzandos on the second beat. 15. @22:12 like a big cadenza in a piano concerto 16. @22:46 doesn't give you the last note😉, then in minor, 3rd time in major again, then Beethoven releases it in a fury --------------2nd movt: intermezzo------------ 17. This replaced an earlier, longer middle movement, later published as the Andante favori, WoO 57, in D major same as this movement. But it's ambiguous that you don't notice that you are in F major until about the 10th bar, despite it stars in F. Should always follow the progression of the bass. 18. @27:46 up until now we had speaking. Now comes the singer, echoed by other voices --------------3rd movt: rondo------------ 19. @32:05 the last note of the 2nd movement is a G with a sforzando marking. The theme of the last movement starts with the first bass note. They belong together. 20. @32:44 enormous long passages where C major & C minor are washed together 21. @34:59 first episode like a symphonic Russian country dance🌞 22. @36:36 second episode in minor: 3rd, 5th symphony Beethoven 23. the French refer to this Sonata as “L'aurore”, dawn 24. @38:55 transitional passage of looking for the exit, with syncopations 25. @39:20 the bass calls back the beginning of this movement 26. @40:18 isn't the treble the end of the first movement?? 27. @42:10 HP=main rhythm 28. @43:03 coda: prestissimo 29. @44:16 don't cheat the glissando!!

[@gerardlewin8552]

dactyl and spondee

[@tinkerchel]

@@gerardlewin8552 enlightened..thank you so much ｡ﾟ+.ﾗﾌﾟ(●′ω`人′ω`●)ﾗﾌﾟ｡ﾟ+

[@spinhalflight8153]

One of the great contributions to understanding this most profound work -- one of the most beautiful gifts among the many Beethoven gave the world. Schiff is such a master in his discussion, his playing, and his insights into Beethoven. A profound thanks to Mr. Schiff.

[@srothbardt]

This is a great lecture. He explains things I wondered about for years.

[@vittoriomarano8230]

Superbravissimo Schiff 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@kingpinproductions5701]

I love to hear Master Schiff lecture. It's very Interesting to hear all of the moving pieces disected and explained.

[@DirkdeZwijger]

I totally agree, these lectures are incredible gems on this website with less views then they deserve

[@tommasomelandri3323]

Please don't remove it!!! It is precious and when i was studying this sonata someone remove it!

[@helloitismetomato]

You can always download a copy of each lecture from the link in the description. Sometimes KZbin falsely copyright claims the video and takes it down and then it takes some time to fight the copyright claim, but I will try to always keep them up.

[@lagathy]

wonderful,thankyou.

[@madalinadanila_piano]

Great lesson!

[@mansouryahyaey]

@16:40 Schiff finally said something about one of his colleagues :D The above is just a joke, dont take it seriously. What a wonderful resource these lectures has been! Thank you!

[@theresechristiansen9769]

I thought I only noticed.....:)

[@theresechristiansen9769]

and again, right near the very end of the coda, final mvt, regarding the gliss octaves

[@radovanlorkovic3562]

Wunderbare Darstellung der besonderen Inhalte dieser Sonate! Wie steht es aber mit der Verbindung des Rondothemas mit dem angeblichen Volkslied. “Seht ihr da die Sau im Garten?”, die dem Satz einen schmunzelnden Charakter gäbe? Ist das authentisch?

[@doktorbell7110]

Wo sehen Sie eine entsprechende Verbindung?

[@richs6926]

At 44:09 in your video, you illustrate and discuss the glissando octaves. Your online Iessons do have an impact. Here's Ying Li at the Curtis Institute doing so beautifully: Student Recital: BEETHOVEN - Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53, "Waldstein" KZbin (kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYHXg4tsrJhqY5o). She studied with Jonathan Bliss and Seymour Lipkin.

[@jeffsmith1798]

Thanks, tomato!

[@adyshih]

Thank you so much @helloitismetomato , this playlist of the biggest discovery of my youtube listening ever..!

[@kevinmaestroful]

Anyone know what the 'russian' piece he plays at 35:43 is?

[@Mrmmm88]

No but it sounds cool. It's definitely in a minor whatever it is.

[@avivdor1454]

It's literally the same piece. He just played the Waldstein with a different accompaniment.

[@jackko90MI]

i think Maestro Schiff just improvised

[@johnb6723]

Do not chop beefsteaks for us! (Franz Liszt).

[@user-ev2ho9qu3h]

Sounds like a Bösendorfer

[@bernardwastiaux1920]

But the desk says Pleyel!

[@samuelmusic4836]

Schiff analyzes this sonata to death, but I am quite sure Beethoven is not a mathematician. The reason he was able to write such wonderful and beautiful sonata is he is a genius.

[@sooyoungmoon1530]

I think someone’s confused about what it takes to hear and enjoy music and what it takes to understand it by means of analysis. Obviously one does not exclude the other. As you might have intended to say, a beautiful music piece such as this Sonata can be appreciated without ye conceptual analysis, but the latter could also add to its appreciation in another perspective. And I don’t get your argument in saying Beethoven was not a mathematician but a genius. Of course we can say it was his genius that produced a kind of music that is unprecedented and original in many ways, but Beethoven didn’t just write down the whole sonata unconsciously that came from the heaven or something. As the revisions in the manuscripts tell us, it’s quite obvious that he deliberately experimented with the structure, the right sound, etc., which requires an ability to analyze and synthesize, to finally come up with such masterpiece. And I think Master Schiff‘s lecture gives us a good glimpse of Beethoven‘s hard work by interpreting the piece in a compositional perspective. I think your judgment is not justified.

[@jackko90MI]

damn you got downvoted to hell

[@theresechristiansen9769]

What the hell? A lot is harmonic analysis. For good reason. How do you think beethoven wrote this? Who were his teachers? How did he know to use the Neapolitan chord, the ii with flattened 6th? Obviously there must be analysis but if you listen to Andras his understanding is about the spirituality, the sturm und drang and the spectacular quality of the light vs the dark in Beethoven's most impt works for piano. Andras discusses it all.