The Hammerklavier, regarded as one of the greatest piano pieces of all time, has finally reached a point where I can say, "Well, I guess this will do." It took me nearly seven months. The last time I spent this long on a piece was probably when I first started sequencing MIDI.
At over 40 minutes in length, this sonata is by far the longest among Beethoven's piano sonatas. On top of that, its structure is highly complex, and from a technical standpoint, it is an incredibly demanding piece to play. Even while working on the MIDI sequencing, I often found myself wondering, How on earth is this supposed to be played with just ten fingers—five on each hand?
This is where the human element comes into play—something that cannot be fully captured by the mechanical accuracy of computer-generated MIDI. It is said that Beethoven himself remarked, "Perhaps in 50 years, someone will be able to play it." Given this, it’s no surprise that this piece is rarely performed in concert.
To play the Hammerklavier in its entirety, a pianist needs not only an exceptionally high level of technical skill but also the ability to maintain intense concentration throughout. That’s probably why many pianists see it as a piece to aspire to “someday.”
The parts that took the most time were the third and fourth movements.
The beautiful Adagio of the third movement, often considered the greatest among Beethoven’s piano sonatas, posed the challenge of how to express each individual note and the overall structure. Meanwhile, in the fourth movement, I struggled with the Largo in the introduction, as well as the unconventional notation of Allegro, which lacks bar lines. Then came the challenge of following the three-voice fugue, which constantly shifts and develops. As I tried to keep up with its dizzying flow, I often found myself wondering, Where is this even going?
It’s incredible to think that Beethoven, who was nearly completely deaf by this time, could conceive such a complex musical structure. What must have been going on inside his mind?
That being said, I’m thrilled to have finally completed the MIDI sequencing of Hammerklavier, a long-time goal of mine. Of course, for now, it’s just a "Well, I guess this will do" version, so I plan to revisit and refine it from time to time.
The history of Beethoven's piano sonatas is so much like the history of the piano that the most advanced models of the time were used. In other words, piano makers made improvements according to Beethoven's orders. In particular, in the compositions by Hammerklavier, the low register was extended (F1→C1), and Broadwood pianos were used from the third and fourth movements, leading to the later No. 30, 31, and 32.
Therefore, when Beethoven's piano sonatas are played on a modern piano according to the score, which is close to the original, some of them sound muddy or too resonant. On the other hand, there are some pieces that Beethoven wanted to play but was unable to do so on modern pianos. Here, too, with the musical advisoe's suggestion, I have played some of the piano sonatas with the bass part lowered to reflect Beethoven's thoughts (though No. 29 remains the same). （I have left the 29th as it is.)
Title: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major OP.101 "Hammerklavier"
Sound Source: Vienna Synchron Concert D-274
Audio file format: mp3
YouTube:Piano Sonata No.29