The "Hammerklavier", which is considered the greatest of all piano pieces in the world, was finally "well okay". It took almost 7 months. I think the only other time it took this long was when I started to type in midi. Anyway, at over 40 minutes long, it is by far the longest piano sonata by Beethoven. Besides, the development is complicated, and I thought it was quite a feat in terms of piano playing skill. Even when I was typing in midi, there were many places where I wondered how I would play with only five fingers on each side. I think this kind of thing brings out a human touch that cannot be created by computerized "accurate" typing. At the time, Beethoven said, "In 50 years, there will be someone who can play it. So it is no wonder that you don't see it very often at concerts. To play this piece, I think it requires not only a high level of technical skill, but also a considerable amount of sustained tension. Therefore, I think there are many pianists who are hoping to play this piece someday.
Especially time-consuming were the third and fourth movements. The beautiful Adagio in the third movement, which is said to be the finest of Beethoven's piano sonatas, presented me with the problem of "how to express each note and the overall structure. In the fourth movement, I was puzzled by the notation of Largo and Allegro in the opening section without bar lines, and the subsequent "how to follow the three-voice Fuga" became an issue. As I followed the rapidly developing flow, I found myself wondering where I was going to end up. I wonder what was going on in Beethoven's head that he could design such complicated sounds even though he was almost deaf. However, I am happy that I finally managed to finish the hammering of the Hanmarklavier, which has been my goal for many years. I am going to make some modifications to it as I look back on 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 teacher'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