Beethoven composed 32 sonatas for solo piano during his lifetime. Each one of them is a jewel in its own right. My personal favorite is the #31, and I repeatedly return to receive amazing plaesure from listening to it.
I have come to understand that it is totally crucial to play the very first chord in a very balanced way so that all voices are clearly present. Watch closely in the video below and you’ll see how Ms. Grimaud prepares herself for this opening task.
Composed in 1821, the sonata Opus 110 shares the same humanity and other-worldly atmosphere of its neighbors, and its first movement is a close cousin of Beethoven’s Op. 109: both display the warm lyricism and tenderness which endear these sounds to me.
Listen now to Ms. Grimaud, and enjoy her performance of the sonata #31 by Beethoven:
