Beethoven: Sonata No.2 in A Major, Op.2 No.2 (Korstick, Levit, Pletnev)

The general impression of the Op.2 No.2 is that it is a lithe, graceful thing. This belies, however, its radical (even parodic) tendencies.
For a start, the sonata is fiendishly difficult. Stock classical-era devices (arpeggios, scales) are pushed here to silly extremes (and lovely effect). The most infamous example is the impossibly-fingered RH descents at mm.84 and 89, but you also have the treacherously exposed triplet semiquaver runs in the first movement and the ever-expanding - and increasingly ridiculous - arpeggio that opens the last movement.
The sonata also modulates in unexpected and extremely modern-sounding ways: see the second theme group at m.58, where it moves in intervals of a minor third (an interpolated omnibus sequence!), the use of C and (extended) F major in the development of the 1st movement, Bb in the 2nd, G# min in the 3rd, and F + Bb major at the end of the 4th. It’s pretty striking that something that sounds so graceful modulates with such aggressiveness.
There’s also the textures B. deploys here, which were more or less unheard of in his time. In the opening movement, there’s a spectacular triple stretto of the rising scale motif elaborating a circle of 5ths (m.182); in the second, gorgeous Brahmsian textures (m.17) and pizzicato plucking in the lowest registers against sustained middle tones; and in the last, an opening featuring an absurd operatic downward leap, alongside deliberately overinvolved mimicry of the first movement’s rising A arpeggio motif.
MVT I, Allegro vivace
EXPOSITION
00:00 [m.1] - Theme Group 1, Theme 1. Note Motif (A), the opening descending 4th, the related long octave descent starting in m.4 (A*), and Motif (B), the quick downward run in m.1.
00:07 [m.9] - Theme Group 1, Theme 2. A rising scale (C), followed by a lovely three-part chamber texture. Has a ritornello function.
00:26 [m.32] - Theme Group 1, Theme 3. Containing a much faster version of (C), and slower descent (D).
00:34 [m.42] - Dominant preparation, leading deceptively to
00:48 [m.58] - E minor. Theme Group 2, Theme 1. An incredibly modern-sounding series of enharmonic modulations, each raising the tonality by a minor 3rd.
01:03 [m.76] - (B) returns. (Also (A)’s rhythm interspersed). At m.84, cadence-theme 1.
01:18 [m.92] - (C)+(D) return (ritornello!)
01:28 [m.104] - Cadence-theme 2
DEVELOPMENT
03:23 [m.122] - After closing chords in E min, TG1, T1 in C
03:30 [m.131] - In Ab, (A)+(B)+(A*), moving into dominant of Fm
03:50 [m.162] - TG1, T2 in F. Repeats itself, led by LH. Moves into Dm.
04:13 [m.182] - Motif (C) developed in close 3-part imitation moving around the circle of fifths, borrowing the arpeggio that opens TG1, T2. At m.189 (4:19) (A) appears, together with fragment of (C). Process repeated twice.
04:30 [m.203] - Dominant preparation, extensively using (C) and TG1, T2’s opening arpeggio (in LH).
RECAPITULATION
04:50 [m.225] - TG1. The counter-statement of TG1, T1 is absent. Instead, T2’s closing bars are repeatet in D (m.245) and A.
05:34 [m.278] - TG2 in Am, leading straight into closing cadence without coda.
MVT II, Largo appassionato
09:38 [m.1] - Theme, in D. The 20 seconds after 11:14 (m.16) contain some of the most moving music B. ever wrote.
11:37 [m.19] - Episode 1, in Bm.
12:59 [m.32] - Theme
14:53 [m.50] - Episode 2, beginning like a coda (alternatively, the start of a genuine and massive coda). At m.58 theme returns suddenly in Dm in ff, moving into Bb and home dominant
16:39 [m.68] - Theme, in higher register, with delicately articulated accompaniment
17:11 [m.75] - Coda
MVT III, Scherzo
18:08 [m.1] - Scherzo. At m.19, second melody in G#m(!)
19:33 [m.45] - Trio, in A min
20:18 - Scherzo
MVT IV, Rondo
21:04 [m.1] - Theme (Note the opening arpeggio extends the arpeggio figure from TG1 T2)
21:35 [m.16] - Transition, moving to E
21:53 [m.26] - Episode 1
22:22 [m.41] - Theme
22:54 [m.57] - Episode 2, in Am. A shocking, even ugly contrast.
24:40 [m.100] - Theme
25:12 [m.115] - Transition, staying in A
25:29 [m.124] - Episode 1, in D
25:51 [m.135] - Theme/Coda (can also be read as Theme + Episode 2 + Theme, giving the movement an ABACABACA structure). At m.140 - sudden diversion into F, where the theme stays for 5 bars. At m.148 (16:17) the theme is developed into the bass into tonic-dominant swing. At m.154 (26:28) the portamento from the theme is deployed in what looks like a final cadence that suddenly moves using an enharmonic switch (D#=Eb) into Bb.
26:41 [m.161] - Episode 2’s theme recurs in Bb before the theme returns one last time, richly ornamented and diverted at m.180 into the final tonic-dominant swing.

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

Korstick 00:00 - Mvt I, Allegro vivace 09:38 - Mvt II, Largo appassionato 18:07 - Mvt III, Scherzo: Allegretto 21:04 - Mvt IV, Rondo: Grazioso Levit 27:45 - Mvt I, Allegro vivace 33:01 - Mvt II, Largo appassionato 41:36 - Mvt III, Scherzo: Allegretto 44:48 - Mvt IV, Rondo: Grazioso Pletnev 50:33 - Mvt I, Allegro vivace 58:19 - Mvt II, Largo appassionato 1:05:15 - Mvt III, Scherzo: Allegretto 1:08:49 - Mvt IV, Rondo: Grazioso Korstick is as he always is - taut, punchy, uncompromising in his treatment of contrasts. He’s especially effective in the chamber-like sections of the first and last movements, where the way he lets accented notes ring helps to enliven the contrapuntal interplay (see e.g., m.172 [4:06]). The second movement is devastatingly slow, so much so that it’s almost impossible to hear anything in it but grief. It’s remarkable how massive and orchestral Korstick can make relatively thin textures sound, not only in the Dm section (15:42) here, but also in the trio of the scherzo (19:34) and the second episode of the last movement (22:54). He’s also got a good eye for detail: see for instance the crisply articulated downward run that opens the piece (played with slightly detached 64th notes despite B.’s slur), or the meticulously observed staccato of the inner voice at 16:39. Levit’s playing is stuffed full of lovely and playful detail. There’s the way he lets the slurred figures in Mvt 1 due out (m.79 28:50), the feather-light, ultra-fast semiquaver sprays of the scherzo (41:36), which he achieves by very slightly delaying their entrance before speeding through them, or the last movement’s staccato LH and deliciously exaggerated slurs (m.182, 50:16). And for sheer gilded smoothness I don’t know of any recordings in which the arpeggios and scales in this sonata’s last movement equal Levit’s - they are a total joy to listen to. When I bought the Pletnev I was told that this recording only existed because someone in the studio left the mikes on while Pletnev was fooling around in between takes for another recording. It’s no surprise that his rendition of the sonata is intimate, hyper-expressive, even a bit flippant. There’s loads of rubato everywhere: the opening downward octave arpeggio, the cadence-theme of the exposition, the little rhythmic tugs of the scherzo’s main theme (where Pletnev coyly lingers on the quarter notes). There’s also the improvisatory approach to the Rondo’s first episode and the unexpected piano inserted into the otherwise stormy second episode. I find this kind of playing irresistible: its spontaneity and warmth is just so compelling. Which is not to say there isn’t a lot of logic to it: the lengthened chords at mm.86-87 (51:58) are stretched taut in order to launch the rapid triplet semiquavers which follow, for instance. And there’s real emotion here, too; the moment when the pace quickens at the second movement’s quasi-coda (1:02:29) is incredibly moving, as is the colour change at m.26 (36:38) to highlight the (local) Neapolitan harmony.

[@handledav]

so

[@JamesBadFantasy]

Shouldn't the timestamp of Korstick's rondo be 21:04 (as in the description) instead of 20:03?

[@timothyfitch2912]

​@@handledavb bjcvug c oxx a a9😊

[@timothyfitch2912]

​@@handledavb bjcvug c oxx a a9😊

[@user-mt5yw2it7u]

Спасибо за такой чудесный анализ игры!😊

[@apianoguy-wx3ch]

This piece has been ‘a major’ part of my life lol

[@enochwong654]

did you miss out the second movt? lol

[@johnphillips5993]

tryna strike a chord and its probably ‘A Minor’

[@some2l9]

Love Korstick's rhythm, and thank you for the curational work you do!

[@traviswichtendahl5648]

If someone had played for me the tenuto section in the middle movement starting at measure 68, and asked me which period of Beethoven's career had produced those measures, I would have very confidently assured them that they were written in the late part of his career had I not listened to this today. This sonata is full of surprises!

[@johnchessant3012]

I love the sequence at 0:48. This sonata has some incredible modulations, including the false recap in F major (a major third down from A) compared with the false recap in the Op. 10, No. 2, which is in D major (a _minor_ third down from F). Also wanted to point out the effect of simple chords in first inversion when used at the right time: 1:10 and 4:38

[@willene58]

Excellent pianists! Wonderful to see all of you!

[@nickroosh9407]

Great! Now it's also the perfect opportunity to reupload chopin's 2nd sonata as well!

[@MissMareeTempest]

Thank you! I have missed this

[@fredvacher3998]

Genius at work ❤

[@steveegallo3384]

A very special Treasure......Thanks from Acapulco!

[@user-rb1jp4hh5j]

Magnífico, extraordinario, único !!!!

[@hannesdewinter1458]

Such a sunny sonata

[@raymondhummel5211]

Beethoven, such a genius of music composition!

[@H1meno_]

1:14:33 this is really beautiful

[@riccardo9274]

Will you reupload Chopin's second sonata? The video is gone 😓

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

Yes

[@pianiman]

Edit, a few months later: I happened upon the original recording of the Bach 4th Paritita that I loved. It was Benjamin Grosvenor (because of COURSE it was). The whole performance is wonderful, his interpretation of the Aria is Magic, and the album to which the recording belongs (Dances) is full of gems. Highly recommend :D @@AshishXiangyiKumar I noticed just last week the 3rd and 4th Bach Keyboard Partitas are missing as well. I was wondering who you chose as the performers for the 4th specficially. I've never found a performance of the Aria as playful and satisfying as what you had uploaded, but I've forgotten the name of the pianists you featured; it had been a couple years since I had last listened. Silly me to think YT would let any of your contributions here be permanent fixtures. Happy to see Andersewski's performance of the 6th is still around. His interpretation of the sarabande is unparalleled imo. I went and bought a copy of his rendition as soon as I noticed the others missing. Losing both performances would've been too much to bear :P

[@benharmonics]

Maybe also Debussy Suite Bergamasque...?

[@jacobhebbel6448]

@@pianiman If the 4th one is the G major, then the performers were Goode and Levit.

[@pianiman]

@@jacobhebbel6448 Thanks for responding - the 4th is in D Major! I have a good recording by Goode (lol) but it's not the one I'm thinking of from Ashish's original submission

[@user-ec2os9jv4j]

Красота 🎉

[@easeandcomposure657]

There is a very old recording from a (very different looking) Igor Levit from 2005 on KZbin where he plays this sonata, and that he discusses in his podcast series on the Beethoven sonatas.

[@shibamusique]

27:45 version is My fav❤

[@Alejandrorisin]

Why is this sonata so underrated

[@margauxpiano_08]

It is not that it is underestimated, it is simply that it is less known than the other sonatas.

[@yeunguyen80603]

​@@margauxpiano_08 yeah this piece is worthy to become even more famous

[@larryprimeau5885]

It's not underrated.

[@Alejandrorisin]

@@larryprimeau5885 it is. I know many piano students and noone wants to learn it

[@brandonmacey964]

It is because this is one of the most difficult sonatas to play, most pianists are in agreement, Andras schiff literally said in his lecture about this sonata “I see why nobody performs this sonata” while demonstrating its difficulty.. Hans Von bullow rated every Beethoven sonata by difficulty and this one was surprisingly high on the list, not the most difficult but near the top

[@leot7]

Is this a reupload to include Levit's recording? I'd be curious which other recordings from his cycle you'd deem worthy to include in your Beethoven sonata series. Certainly the Waldstein?

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

There was a copyright issue with the Kovacevich recording in the previous version, so that got taken down. But since Korstick and Kovacevich are quite similar, and I thought Levit's recording was much better than Blechacz's, I took the opportunity to redo the video (swapping Kova for Korstick, and Blechacz and Levit). Happy accident, in a way!

[@Lipton_tea21]

I have Transcendental etudes (Clidat and Ovchinnikov) downloaded on my phone, but why this video is no longer on the channel. I would like to see it again😢

[@federicoferretti1030]

Pletnev always deliveres insane clarity doesn't he?

[@shibamusique]

Comeback!!!!❤❤😢😢

[@miquelsola828]

How do you make these videos? Could you explain please? Thanks!

[@EdmundHeng80]

What fingering do people use for Bars 84-89? My gosh. I break my fingers just thinking about how to play this part lol.

[@Stickbeef]

People are almost always cheating with left hand in videos i've seen. Still isn't super clean in many recordings. Just a tough passage

[@ms-dosguy6630]

2:53 ( read the editor's note at the top left for the fingerings ) im like 90% sure they did not have narrower keys back then.

[@AshishXiangyiKumar]

Yep, that's pretty much bs

[@donaldaxel]

One wonders if Beethoven put fingerings at bar 84 ff. It is an easy figure if played with both hands. Beethoven always chose to jump over the lowest fence, never using difficulties as a badge of nobility. Can it be a publisher who added fingering?

[@BRNRDNCK]

Ashish, how would you rank Beethoven’s Opus 109 compared to the other sonatas?

[@dpetrov32]

The general impression of Op. 109 is that it exudes a sense of introspection and profound emotional depth. However, beneath its serene façade lies a composition that showcases Beethoven's daring and innovative spirit. To begin with, the sonata presents technical challenges that require great skill and control from the pianist. Notably, the composition features intricate passages that demand precision and agility, such as the challenging runs and arpeggios found throughout the work. In addition to its technical demands, Op. 109 demonstrates Beethoven's adventurous approach to harmonic progression. The sonata explores unconventional and strikingly modern modulations, defying the conventions of its time. Beethoven employs unexpected key relationships, such as the use of E minor in the second movement, which creates a sense of emotional tension and unpredictability. Furthermore, the sonata displays Beethoven's ability to juxtapose contrasting keys, introducing moments of brightness and intensity, as exemplified by the incorporation of C major towards the conclusion of the third movement. Furthermore, Beethoven's exploration of textures in Op. 109 is truly remarkable and ahead of its time. The composition incorporates innovative and daring textural elements that were groundbreaking for its era. For instance, the sonata features passages with intricate and intricate interweaving of voices, creating a rich and complex tapestry of sound. Additionally, Beethoven employs contrasting textures, such as the juxtaposition of delicate and intimate passages with bold and assertive sections, heightening the expressive power of the composition. In summary, Op. 109 not only captivates with its introspective and emotionally profound nature, but it also reveals Beethoven's daring and forward-thinking compositional techniques. The technical challenges, unconventional harmonic progressions, and innovative textures all contribute to the unique and captivating character of this remarkable sonata. So I would say it is a narrow fifth place compared to the other sonatas.

[@BRNRDNCK]

@@dpetrov32 This is a good write up. I’m not sure if it’s by ChatGPT. Regardless, what sonatas are ahead of 109 if it’s fifth? The 109 should be first.

[@dpetrov32]

@@BRNRDNCK haha yea bro i was experimenting with chatgpt. I fed it Ashish's description of this sonata (as in - the description of this video) and asked it to make it relevant to op. 109. the last sentence was added by me and I didn't think about it too much. I'd say the opera 111, 110, 106 go before it. So now that I think about it, I wasn't that far from my actual opinion. I'd say it's 4th or 5th, tied with the 2nd sonata of op. 31, but you could argue the Tempest doesn't have the emotional depth of the 109.

[@satosmi9408]

@@dpetrov32​you can arbitrarily attach emotional depth to virtually any piece if you like..

[@chwu04-ne2df]

In my opinion it is the 5th hardest after 106, 111, 101, and 57 in that order.

[@Robert…Schrey]

in bars 212-214 of the first movement a whole quaver gets lost. 4:35 7:35 and in bar 130 a semi wuaver is lost 3:25

[@kaylieyi4532]

7:00

[@baitanghulu88]

I inspire to be like you so bad your literally the second beethovan. The amount of hard work is mad like me annotating one movement is so tiring and confusing. The detailed analysis and the complication of description you get through a hard to infer piece is just bewildering. Are you a music professor or something?

[@dpetrov32]

if this is your greatest inspiration, you will be content in your life homie

[@user-ty6tg5cr8h]

3:15

[@jamessebastianliauw6959]

Doesnt the finale begin in somewhat like mozart's facile sonata?

[@handledav]

ashish

[@Alejandrorisin]

so why did he reupload?

[@themobiusfunction]

Because the original video was blocked

[@aidanstrong1061]

Not a fan of this sonata in general, but I feel like I'm missing something with the 2nd movement? For me that theme is just incredibly dull...

[@howardchasnoff208]

Just listen to measures 50 to 57 especially 53 and 54. The golden mean is at M49 . This section is one of the most tender spots in all of Beethoven piano sonatas.

[@themobiusfunction]

"Episode 1, in D" I think you meant A instead of D

[@whenthingsfly4283]

I tried playing this and it sounded like garbage. My version sounds even worse after listening to these recordings lmao

[@Bruce.-Wayne]

It is not an easy sonata to perform correctly

[@PieInTheSky9]

The scales kick my ass

[@whenthingsfly4283]

@@Bruce.-Wayne In all fairness last time I tried was almost 10 years ago but the technicalities, still give me nightmares. The recording's so clean it gives me shivers.

[@brandonmacey964]

Hans Von Bulow rated every Beethoven sonata according to difficulty from easiest to hardest, this sonata came in at number 20, more difficult than both tempest and moonlight according to Bulow

[@bilimtv791]

Nonsense

[@brandonmacey964]

@@bilimtv791 andras schiff agrees, listen to his lecture about this sonata on youtube

[@chwu04-ne2df]

I learned the first movement of this sonata with a teacher (which just about everyone agrees is the hardest movement) years ago and it is absolutely not one of the hardest sonatas unless one didn't practice scales when they were younger. Out of just the early sonatas, I would consider op. 2/3, 7, 22, 27/1, and possibly even 10/3 to be harder. I can agree that it is more difficult than moonlight, but I found tempest to be more difficult. As for the hans von bulow list it is utterly laughable with op. 110 being listed as more difficult than op. 101 and 111, op. 7 and op. 2/3 being easier than moonlight, and op. 90 being in the top 10.

[@chwu04-ne2df]

@@bilimtv791 I agree. Even out of the early sonatas there are several that are harder. This sonata is a mid-difficulty beethoven sonata but not among the hardest. And yes I have studied the 1st movement of this sonata with a teacher and it is not that difficult if one practiced scales when they were younger. Harder for me out of the ones I've performed were the 1st and 4th movements of op. 2/3, the 3rd movement of moonlight, the 1st movement of tempest, and the 1st and 3rd movements of op. 81a. It is child's play compared to op. 101.

[@reyesramos3419]

Zu schnell. Too fast. Demasiado rápido.

[@eggman43]

i hear bach

[@bertuspieters4154]

The something must be wrong with you :)