Brendel plays Beethoven Piano Sonata No.20, Op.49 No.2

[@inmaculadacruzaguilar14]

My God, what a cute piece and he plays it sooo well 😆 I'm playing it in my class and I hope I get to play it like this 😝😝😝 I don't like how I play it now that it's sooooo bad😭😭 Thanks Brendel!!🥰

[@timpyle7452]

This is why we practice scales !!!

[@peterzhang773]

great piece by beethoven, simply lovely

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Peter zhang Beethoven’s piano sonatas are one of the greatest achievements in the history of western classical music; Opus 49 - along with the three juvenile works WoO 47 - are not normally included in this description. This sonata is not a great piece; it is facile, perfunctory and to use Beethoven’s own words: ‘…trivial’, ‘…unworthy of my name’, and ‘…should not have been published’.

[@metteholm4833]

THE top rendition. Thank you Mr. Brendel!

[@francoriva55]

Thank you mr Brendel ! You are a fantastic pianist !!! We love you

[@deveets4869]

I love that he has every thing perfect:)

[@lingzhou3481]

Everything is great and musical and it sounds amazing!!!!!!!!

[@jsdeangelis]

Love the tempo on this.

[@jameshandaja1536]

I can imagine Mr. Brendel investing his time, attention, and energy to perform this work at the highest level. He turned something simple into something special...

[@williambunter3311]

The cystal-clear scale runs up and down in the first movement are a delight. They are played semi-staccato, which requires great technique.

[@brucesavell8843]

Another excellent piece by the master- Beethoven. Thanks for posting

[@velocityagar1355]

Bruce Savell posting would be like on Facebook It's called uploading

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Bruce Savell I feel a little bit like the child in the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes; this is a facile, perfunctory and uncharacteristically empty piece that has no right to be part of the canon of Beethoven sonatas. Apart from Opus 49 - and the three juvenile works WoO 47 - the other thirty sonatas are one of the pinnacles of western classical music.

[@magicmulder]

@@elaineblackhurst1509 Geez what axe do you have to grind with this sonata, did you fail your first recital as a child with it and never recovered?

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

@@magicmulder No, but around Grade 5 time I was offered this piece of nonsense; I declined and said I’d prefer to do the Beethoven g minor bagatelle Opus 119 No 1. My views on Opus 49 No 2 are too well known to need repeating here, but if as a 13 year old, I could already make a proper judgement of worth between these two Beethoven works, then it’s a little piece of wisdom worth passing on to any young pianist today who might be taken in by this siren voice and then be tempted to offer this facile work as a vehicle to show off their technical and musical skills. The result for the young pianist would be as the bones of the sailors lured to their destruction by the Siren song; my role is that of Circe, advising Odysseus to stop up his ears with wax.

[@binwang7673]

Mr. Brendel is just simply the best at playing Beethoven!

[@DanielRobertspiano]

I love these shorter sonatas by Beethoven. After playing longer ones such as the Tempest, I feel like playing these for a change. They´re a great way to introduce audiences to the later Sonatas, who aren´t so familiar with Beethoven´s greatest works too.

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Daniel Roberts Piano A fascinating comment; unlike Bach for example where I am quite happy to go back to something like the 2-part Inventions, or 3-part Sinfonias, I really struggle to go back to Beethoven’s Opus 49. These two ugly duckling sonatas contain some of the most trivial, empty and uncharacteristic music Beethoven ever wrote - No 2 in particular - and unlike the simpler Bach, they have very little to offer either technically or musically.

[@AngeloDamon-ye1dp]

@@elaineblackhurst1509 I just feel sorry for you honestly. This is Beethoven at his most endearing

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

@@AngeloDamon-ye1dp Well that’s certainly one word for it.

[@carolynzhu5430]

My daughter is playing it. She loves it so much she wants to be a star at it

[@lienl3420]

super, les nuances, le phrasé, tout!!!!

[@carlosbashuertas]

This is a lovely and comparatively simple classical sonata by Beethoven!

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Carlos Bas Not sure it’s fair to label this facile work a ‘classical sonata’ thereby implying a link with the great works of Mozart and Haydn with which this perfunctory little piece has very little in common.

[@magicmulder]

@@elaineblackhurst1509 Yeah we get it, you don't like them. Apparently neither Beethoven nor his contemporaries took issue with him labeling this among his sonatas (and he did get open criticism, such as the original Waldstein being too long), so who are you to judge?

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

@@magicmulder Beethoven *did* take serious issue and was furious with his brother for selling the two Opus 49* sonatas behind his back; he called them ‘trivial’, ‘unworthy of my name’, and was adamant that they should not have been published. When they were published, they were done so as ‘Sonates faciles’ (French plural) which pretty much says it all; for what it’s worth I’m not a fan of Mozart’s sonata K545 either; this Sonata facile (Italian singular) shares many of the qualities of Opus 49 No 2. PS. Even given that the bar is set so low with Opus 49 No 2, Opus 49 No 1 is superior in my view in every respect; both however should be excluded from the Beethoven canon which is otherwise - the thirty genuine sonatas - one of the greatest contributions to the keyboard literature by any single composer. Really not sure where your ‘Apparently…’ came from, but it’s not correct. Who am I to judge ? Just following Beethoven’s own judgement, and what any basic musical common sense would suggest. * In Beethoven’s opinion, Opus numbers were to be reserved solely for his greatest works, ie those he deemed worthy of his name.

[@sarahbatouche6427]

Help me I cant play this 😭😭😭😭😭

[@HE-hr2nl]

Sarah Batouche L

[@i.benedetti]

I know it's very difficult but you can

[@ЕрмаковичСветлана-ь3к]

Изящная, филигранная техника, прекрасное исполнение! Браво исполнителю!!!

[@marinera6764]

I’ve studied it and so far the story of this piece is pretty innocent.

[@magentuspriest]

The story I heard is that Beethoven wrote it about him and his brother when they were little, but never published it because it was way to elementary compared to the other sonatas. His brother eventually published it I think

[@bartpotters4496]

Started learning it on Beethoven 250th birthday.

[@isadoreladuca1112]

I've always felt that Beethoven wanted his piano music played the way Brendel does. No one will ever know of course, but to me Brendel seems to capture that sound between Classicism and Romanticism that Beethoven created.

[@timothythorne9464]

isadore laduca Beethoven is somewhere listening to Brendel's interpretation of his sublime compositions, with sheer delight.

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

isadore laduca It is almost impossible to make any meaningful judgements about either pianist or composer based on this dreadful little ‘sonate facile’ that is arguably the most empty and meaningless piece ever written by Beethoven. Apart from that, you’re right; Brendel’s Mozart and Haydn, then Beethoven and Schubert in the next generation are always worth listening to.

[@Rossplanet]

I agree. His interpretation is likely how Beethoven would play it.

[@Rossplanet]

I agree. His interpretation is likely how Beethoven would play it.

[@Rossplanet]

I agree. His interpretation is likely how Beethoven would play it.

[@andresfelipeveleztabares1473]

Excelente interpretación, entiende muy bien la pieza.

[@nordcobalt]

Glorious!

[@MicholMINECRAFT]

This is the best!

[@foratjazy8713]

Ricardo Santato is very right because you have to be so so good to play it. Brendel you are so fantastic, your playing is amazing.

[@francoriva55]

From Bellagio, Como lake

[@joshthio00]

I am playing this song on the piano. This is the best cover on KZbin

[@carolynzhu5430]

Lovely sounds, full of anticipation and movement! Not so easy to play!

[@carolynzhu5430]

Yes I agree with you

[@timvermeerr]

Carolyn Zhu I played this too when I was 10 . I have my own piano channel. Can you check it out.

[@carolynzhu5430]

thanks for the reply. I will be totally check it out

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Opus 49 No 2 is absolutely as easy to play as it looks, both technically and interpretively; if you want to play Beethoven at something like this technical level, learn the Bagatelle Opus 119 No 1 which is musically far superior to the absolutely empty, perfunctory, and facile Opus 49 No 2.

[@jordidewaard2937]

0:25 So far only Barenboim and Brendel play this part the way I enjoy hearing it, kind of interesting

[@charlottewhyte9804]

Jordi ,try Radu Lupu

[@godofhogs2162]

Love both of them!

[@あめんぼ-f6d]

Wonderful!

[@chloe-qy6ml]

0:00 1st movement 4:49 2nd movement

[@whitneychen3709]

Amazing piece!! I am working on it right now...

[@karinatergerson2996]

Me too!!

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Whitney Chen Pause for thought: if you use the word ‘amazing’ for this facile and ‘trivial’ work, ‘unworthy of my name’ (Beethoven’s own words), then it leaves you nowhere to go to describe the 30 sonatas from Opus 2 No 1 onwards, which are (excepting Opus 49) quite simply one of the greatest achievements in the history of western classical keyboard music. Put another way: Using a scoring system of 1 to 100, I would rate the 30 great sonatas between about 75 up to 99 - nothing is perfect but Beethoven gets about as close as is possible. I would rate Opus 49 No 1 as about 30, and Opus 49 No 2 as about 12. You can say truthfully that you can play a Beethoven sonata when you can manage both technically and musically Opus 2 No 1 - with the very different Opus 79 perhaps as a second one, or either of the Opus 14 sonatas. Until then, try some of Beethoven’s Bagatelles (Opus 119 No 1 is around this technical standard but musically far superior), or work up to it, or some of the better sonatas of Mozart or Haydn. Regarding Opus 49 No 2: *learn to play it if you must; then don’t.*

[@paulmorris1227]

Elaine Blackhurst . What nonsense from a self important ‘expert’. Listen to real musical experts like Richter, Fischer, Barenboim, Levit & many other talented musicians playing this delightful piece. You have put out so many negative comments on this piece I wonder if there is a personal reason. Perhaps you are unable to perform this ‘facile’ piece in any way resembling the pianists mentioned hence the resentment. The pianists mentioned would not spend their time on a piece they considered worthless. That’s your opinion. Fortunately many world class musicians don’t share that view & take a piece of music for what it is & don’t need to make meaningless comparisons.

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Paul Morris Your comments would be rather more useful if you offered some constructive points to answer my critique of this sonata which is rather more widely held than you suggest, rather than dismissing it as ‘nonsense from a self important ‘expert’. My comment above is, in contrast to your comment, full of useful tips for a pianist at this level; displays infinitely more knowledge and understanding of the piece than your reply, which does little more than attack me and my pretty uncontroversial mainstream opinion of this trivial, empty, and facile sonata.

[@giselelacroix7218]

Une sonate et 2 génies ! Le compositeur et l'interprète !

[@ks5643]

面白い演奏ですね。 簡単な曲ですが、簡単に弾かずに上手く味付けしてあると思います。 中々聞かせてくれる演奏ですね。

[@jerrywang3637]

How does anyone know if this was Brendel's recording? The description of this video clearly states that the Artist is Giampaolo Stuani, not Alfred Bendel. Despite the title says "Brendel plays ..."

[@johnb1012]

I think you are correct.

[@civan984]

Nice Perform! :D

[@Shadow-kv1cl]

This is the sond Ive been learning with my piano teacher P.S im a kid

[@DestinyzRandomVlogz]

Cool, so am I. 💫

[@albertom.f.5465]

I imagine you wanted to write "This is the song..." and not "...the sond..." I also have been practicing this nice piece but it is better We call it "work" instead "song" because it is not a song but a Sonata for solo piano atipically in 2 parts (also called movements) First Fast and Second not so fast. Greetings from REFUGIO BARTOK in Mexico city

[@Bobowobo]

Learning this right now trills are tricky!

[@tessduraz2671]

Menuet 4:49

[@RiccardoSantato]

For those who say they can play this sonata: getting to the end of the score it's quite easy. MASTERING it it's not.

[@anniehlchang]

Riccardo Santato Fuck

[@itsdaeyonglim]

Everytime I think I mastered it, more experienced players will give me pointers and I gotta go back to the beginning and practice all over. Knowing the notes is never enough indeed.

[@maulcs]

What's your point? You could say that about anything.

[@maulcs]

Maybe you're trying to tear down someone's accomplishment, because you are jealous that you can't do it yourself?

[@ayhamatsi5550]

Very true. Gettin to the end of this piece is quite easy. Mastering this is not too easy

[@ClassicalMusicAndSoundtracks]

I. Allegro ma non troppo (00:00) II. Tempo di Minuetto (04:47)

[@anniehlchang]

I am a ten year old boy and I can play this, the song is not hard but the way you play with happiness is the hard part

[@jerryweng8712]

Best ever!!!!

[@jerwingiagonia5146]

Excellent

[@justinkim_]

4:49

[@deetjetunstill9091]

Learned this piece but never as good as Brendel

[@paulhendrijanto7269]

Very elegant

[@anavatsayan6548]

You can tell he feels the music

[@vanyailieva7821]

And I

[@ars7n9]

Me too

[@eternalclassicsbrothers9636]

You can do it your way! I just uploaded this piece too :)

[@davelee1039]

Amazing! I already learned this piece. But not as good as Brendel, though.

[@humamghassib2685]

"To be simple or not to be" is not the question! The question is: "How can he (Beethoven) be so (relatively) simple; yet maintain his unique originality?" Just look at it in the context of his stunning corpus of 32 piano sonatas. It is a complete world!

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Humam Ghassib Re: ‘...stunning corpus of 32 (recte 30) piano sonatas’. These two vapid Opus 49 ugly ducklings were never intended by Beethoven to be counted amongst his published works, and they cannot be included in any part of your description above except for the unqualified word ‘simple’. Opus 49 should be excluded from the canon of Beethoven sonatas as are the three juvenile sonatas WoO 47.

[@lisztspinky]

Brendel retired, right? I will always regret never having seen him play live.

[@clt242fg]

yes, his hearing has suffered sadly. But he still plays for himself, and also writes fine poetry.

[@herbertloscher514]

I have heard him. He was fantastic, unforgettable...

[@alvaropuchadesmartinez2221]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@tellmehowtoblow]

He is crooning some notes sometimes in the background. Very hard to hear

[@rubenseam]

+ill ness not unlike mr. glenn gould :D if you get the chance, listen to glenn gould's interpretation of the pathétique sonate! it's very sweet! someone uploaded it in youtube once, but now it's gone due to copyrights. the only place i could find it was on spotify.

[@miltonleung2850]

很好！

[@HE-hr2nl]

你好

[@alisawu264]

playing this right now and still can't get the trills right

[@johnzhang2481]

The trills are quite difficult.

[@sophiagoodiebag2299]

Alisa Wu the trills aren't that hard u just need to keep practicing

[@MisguidedKerbal]

not really no

[@jordidewaard2937]

The trills are probably the easiest part of the piece ;/

[@jasonchen2674]

Very good piece, I'm playing it. I recommend Schnabell or Rubin

[@jerryweng8712]

You are the best

[@eternalclassicsbrothers9636]

It was great fun to upload this too:)

[@classicalmusic1175]

This is supposedly Beethoven's least challenging piano sonata.

[@pablosorbara2280]

Classical Music11 The sonata every great pianist start with (?

[@ckl5590]

Classical Music11 It's still beautiful. The truth is lots of piano students never even make it to the level of a Beethoven Sonata at all.

[@classicalmusic1175]

Cindy Kiser I'm not saying it isn't beautiful, it's a lovely piece, but it is said to be Beethoven's least challenging sonata overall.

[@classicalmusic1175]

Pablo Sorbara How do you know that?

[@ckl5590]

Classical Music11 I'm sorry. My comment wasn't meant to sound antagonistic.

[@NINI-ti9oy]

Bueno el pianista; la melodía es muy parecida a la original. Es sencilla esta obra de Beethoven como un ejercicio de escalas, y confusa como los "etudes" de Chopin.

[@NINI-ti9oy]

Beautiful!

[@vanyailieva7821]

NINI

[@dianapreuss9505]

Its super cool

[@marinera6764]

This piano is on level 3 of piano difficulty. I do consider it to be from that level to level 4. But it is relatively easy to learn considering that it’s the most classical piece I’ve come across, especially by Beethoven.

[@elizabethli3443]

Im playing this piece and im 12. Ive listened to this recording so many times, and i find it hard to make my 'own' interpritation of this piece. Any tips?

[@riccardamoretta1406]

@@ryousenketsu6053 credo che tu sia malato per rivolgerti così ad una ragazza, poi ad una ragazza di 12 anni...curati!

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

elizabeth Li Yes, just two tips: 1. Learn to play it - if you must… 2. …then don’t.

[@robertallen2832]

This is better than Barenboim's version, which is a little too fast.

[@velocityagar1355]

Robert Allen Barenboim always play fast

[@lylialm8254]

Wahouuu je suis en train de l’apprendre (Cycle 2, 2) et je me demande si j’arriverai un jour à jouer comme cela!

[@raphaelb8671]

Non, je vous rassure, il n y a strictement aucune chance. Déjà le fait que vous vous posiez la question, c'est mal barré. Quant à moi ayant débuté le piano sur le tard et ma prof m'ayant fait ce petit cadeau pour les vacances, autant aller me pendre tout de suite. Vous voyez, l'essentiel est de toujours garder espoir... Bon piano (on ne sait jamais) !

[@lylialm8254]

Raphael B mdrr

[@alejandramadrigales9300]

Everyone in the comments bragging about how they played this piece when they were 10 and how it’s so “easy” yes it is easy to get through the song but that’s not the point. You should master it and then see if it’s so easy.

[@karinatergerson2996]

I am 13 and it is actually fairly easy.. haven't quite mastered it but I'm close

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Karina Tergerson I really wouldn’t waste too much of your time on this facile, perfunctory, and uncharacteristically empty piece. Learn to play Opus 49 No 2 if you must - then don’t.

[@shuyigao1016]

very good!

[@francoriva55]

Near to the home of your beloved Liszt !! 1837

[@hoons5798]

Hello. I'm Korean Elemantary School student. I like this music and do this now but I'm curious that who did well like this, That I mean, Who Played this?

[@hsjuanito]

알프레드 브렌델 아저씨 아니니. 써 있잖아.

[@unereveuse7070]

Its Alfred brendel !

[@ayhamatsi5550]

Maestro Brendel

[@林志賢-m2n]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊😊😊

[@MisguidedKerbal]

newFFL13 nice work on this piece

[@MICProd-je4xs]

very good

[@dv8881]

Totally!

[@williambunter3311]

oops- I meant 'crystal-clear'.

[@largoallegrorisoluto]

4:48 te menuetto is the least challenging.

[@zarlitoz]

+Eric Zhang I tried to play that and had wrong notes in each measure...

[@largoallegrorisoluto]

+zarlitoz Well, compared to the first movement and the other Beethoven sonatas, this is the least challenging and is one of the easiest sonata movements of all time.

[@largoallegrorisoluto]

+zarlitoz Keep practicing, you'll eventually get it. I learned it in 3 days. Memorized in a week. Still, if you play the other sonatas, it will take much longer,

[@zarlitoz]

Eric Zhang Compared with hammerklavier it is very easy, but it is beautiful. I love Beethoven. I'll try for 7 days and I'll tell you...

[@largoallegrorisoluto]

+zarlitoz this made me fall asleep when i was laying down on my couch.

[@col2142]

I'm playing this. im 8 yrs old

[@aiyer917]

I played this when I was 10.. First sonata every played.

[@carolynzhu5430]

Same!!!!

[@timvermeerr]

I also did

[@alvin5007]

Same here！I played it when I was almost 9.

[@MisguidedKerbal]

same here

[@예성-r1h]

Good

[@aiyer917]

First sonata that I ever played

[@erinchen8121]

well, Riccardo santato, l mastered this piece, going to play it at Carnegie Hall, and I'm only 13. If you practice a lot, you can master any piece.

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Erin Chen Could I suggest that this is not really a particularly effective audition/competition/performance piece; it very difficult to show many musical, interpretive, or technical skills with such a facile and uncharacteristically empty piece that is known by almost every lower grade pianist. A better alternative would be a contrasting pair of Beethoven’s bagatelles, or Scarlatti sonatas; this would allow you to demonstrate a far wider range of technique and interpretative skills in works that would be far more interesting because they would be of a much higher musical quality and much less well known. If you insist on Beethoven, Opus 49 No 1 is a far better choice than No 2; but much better, perhaps a pair of the Bagatelles - for example Opus 119 No 1, plus a contrasting one of your choice.

[@anniehlchang]

Unspeakable gaming

[@jasonchen2674]

Rubinstein not Rubin

[@ludan68]

SUBLIME !!!

[@miahansford]

I love this piece. easy or hard -who cares. the clarity is that of a morning one wishes to know. again.

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Daniel Hernández Using the adjective ‘sublime’ for this simple little piece leaves you virtually nowhere to go for almost every other work Beethoven ever wrote; almost everything else Beethoven wrote is so superior to this piece, it is as if written by a different composer. Facile, trivial, and banal; Beethoven never intended either of the Opus 49 sonatas to be included in his list of published works and the empty and perfunctory Opus 49 No 2 in particular is far from ‘sublime’ - it is arguably the most empty and perfunctory piece Beethoven ever wrote. That said, Brendel is usually sublime in the Mozart/Haydn/Beethoven repertoire and makes about as much as any pianist ever could with this piece. Suggest you read Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes’; this sonata is the Emperor’s fine new clothes, and I am the little child.

[@marinera6764]

I would have loved this piece had Brendel not stretched the chords!!

[@itsquitegood]

Mari Nera I love him too, but can’t quite agree. I often prefer Buchbinder and Arrau.

[@dianapreuss9505]

I play this song. Its ver y long but its cool

[@gabrielgomez1891]

Its not a song though

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Diana Preuss Which words are you using in your ‘song’ ? (By the way, it’s neither a ‘song’, ‘long’ nor ‘cool’).

[@ИвианаБързакпва]

Аз го свиря, защото съм в музикалното в Пловдив

[@Mayoneisa]

4:50 Erase una vez el hombre

[@Alix777.]

first movement is nice, but the second is so dull

[@ttlevrai6492]

met un come si c'est un prof de music qui ta donner ce lien ;)

[@toohardtoofind]

Mozart 2.0

[@ИвианаБързакпва]

This is beathiful!!?!?!?!?!!?

[@kevinzhang3313]

prefer mary had a little lamb?

[@tiarasetyandri12]

💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘

[@pikamemmedova2240]

Mende oyrenirem bunu

[@shazamregsx8406]

E os BR

[@frankliu8213]

Some confusing notes and sharps at the last part

[@bach5861]

listen to Richter.

[@robertclayton8278]

A bit of a lacklustre performance. Peter Katin plays this with more passion.

[@Hirisley]

Para dar dislike num vídeo desse, só sendo mal-amado!

[@andreeamg34]

I played it. Not very hard.

[@kevinzhang3313]

everyone whos ever learned piano agrees fyi lol.

[@johnzhang2481]

I bet you can't get the interpretation, articulation, dynamics, etc. controlled nearly as perfectly as him. Music is never easy. Comparatively longer pieces like this causes you to not pay as much attention whilst playing the whole thing. Just getting the notes right is only 20% of the job done when trying to perfect a piece. Don't call pieces easy.

[@cloudburstdb]

I can play this song too...

[@cloudburstdb]

😀

[@nerimanusdozart8902]

Burak Fenercioğlu İlk devre ikide mi gardeş? :D

[@cloudburstdb]

şu an orta devre 1 geçen yıl ilk devre 3 tüm

[@antoniosilva7083]

Burak Fenercioğlu, what????!!!!

[@MisguidedKerbal]

yeah totally

[@HE-hr2nl]

Why no one do this 👎

[@anniehlchang]

This is tooooo fast

[@melaniefeng5283]

I am playing it now

[@pozlock1997]

I can play this song...not that hard...

[@wonderwoman6058]

doesn't sound hard

[@pozlock1997]

+Wonder Woman It was a little hard...Im 10 years old

[@wonderwoman6058]

Rouge the witch bat I'm 12, and I can't take lessons don't have enough time

[@anavatsayan6548]

Lol guys stop showing off....it's Beethoven its gonna be hard

[@ckl5590]

+xoxrabbitsrule 123 yeah, anyone on KZbin can SAY they can play anything .