Beethoven’s Beautiful Violin Sonatas
I have played violin since age 7. And my father was an excellent violinist, much more skilled than I ever was. As such, violin music was quite prominent in oir home when I was a …
Beethoven Archive
Music for Spring
It has been raining in California today, Saturday, March 3rd. However, Sunday is predicted to be a lovely, sunny day. All sorts of bulbs are flowering outdoors. And my orchids are actively growing many new …
Beethoven’s Hammerklavier and Moonlight Sonatas
Beethoven’s Hammerklavier sonata is considered one of the major challenges of the piano repertoire: not only is it arguably one of his most technically challenging works, but its sheer length means that the physical demands …
Brahms in the Shadow of Beethoven
It occurs to me frequently how difficult it must have been for Johannes Brahms to achieve success as a composer. First of all, he began as a pianist, then as a choral director. He toured …
Sokolov Plays Beethoven
Last night, as the last event of the day, I listened to a recording of pianist Grigory Sokolv as he played at a concert in Paris. The first selection on the program was the Sonata …