The first movement of the sonata #18 is a total delight to listen to, from the surprising harmony that opens the piece, to the richly textured chord response and thematic group that emerges from it.
The second movement is one of my all-time favorites – it’s hilarious and addictive to the ear.
The third movement is the last minuet movement Beethoven ever wrote. After this sonata it looked like the form didn’t quite have enough dramatic potential for him, although what we have here is a real nice example of Beethoven’s ability to write a beautiful piece when he really wanted to.
The last movement is full of rhythmic material: from the first tarantella-like idea, to the vigorously funny second, to the insistent third, and the sudden textures that emerge perfectly in a natural expression of pure joy.
Here is Yuja Wang to play this music for you:
