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Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas Part 2
  • Level Foundation
  • Course by Curtis Institute of Music
  • Offered by

About

Welcome to Part 2 of Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas! I'm delighted to launch another set of new lectures of this course as Part 2. As before, this class is meant for people of all levels of experience with Beethoven's music (including no experience at all!). Remember that you are able to watch the lectures as many times as you like, at whatever pace is comfortable for you. As I’ve done with the first set of Beethoven lectures, I look forward to meeting with students—online and in person, in various cities. The dates and locations will be posted in the Announcements and Events section, as part of the course content. So please remember to check back there for details. In these four new lectures, we will explore the following sonatas: • Sonata Op. 2, No. 3 • Sonata Op. 13 (“Pathetique”) • Sonata Op. 53 (“Waldstein”) • Sonata Op. 90 The Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation supports Curtis’s lifelong learning initiatives.

Modules

Note from the Instructor

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Welcome to this next phase of class!

Syllabus

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Syllabus

Getting to Know You

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Pre-Course Survey

Untitled Lesson

    • 9 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Op. 2 No. 3

9 Videos

  • Getting Under the Hood
  • Aiming for the Gallery
  • 1st mvt: Muscularity and Humor
  • 1st mvt: Athleticism as the Movement's "Glue"
  • 1st mvt: Cadenza!
  • 2nd mvt: The Music in the Silences
  • 2nd mvt: Sonic, Harmonic, and Emotional Variety
  • 3rd mvt: "Scherzo" means "Joke"!
  • 4th mvt: And Yet Again, The Curlicue

1 Readings

  • Key Terms/Concepts: Op. 2 No. 3

Untitled Lesson

    • 9 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Op. 13, "Pathetique"

9 Videos

  • A Groundbreaking, Overexposed Masterwork
  • 1st mvt: The Slow Introduction as a Major Addition to Sonata Form
  • 1st mvt: An Exposition in Constant Upward Motion
  • 1st mvt: The Introduction's Complex, Revolutionary Role
  • 1st mvt: Subverting Expectations until the Bitter End
  • 2nd mvt: Beethoven at his most Sublimely Lyrical
  • 2nd mvt: The Emotional Power of Structural Simplicity
  • 3rd mvt: Introducing an Element of Ambiguity
  • 3rd mvt: Tying the Movement to the Rest of the Work, Devastatingly

1 Readings

  • Key terms/concepts: Op. 13, "Pathetique"

Untitled Lesson

    • 15 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Op. 53, "Waldstein"

15 Videos

  • Rescuing a Masterpiece from Ubiquity
  • 1st mvt: Establishing the Character -- Immediately
  • 1st mvt: Using the Mediant -- and Changing Musical History
  • 1st mvt: Orchestrating on the Piano
  • 1st mvt: The Darkest of Beethoven's Developments, Part 1
  • 1st mvt: The Darkest of Beethoven's Developments, Part 2
  • 1st mvt Recapitulation: Restoring Harmonic Order
  • 1st mvt Coda: Hard-Earned Triumph
  • 2nd mvt Introduction: Pointing the Way to the Finale, and the Late Period
  • 2nd mvt Introduction: Accentuating the Sonata's "Misterioso" Nature
  • 2nd mvt. Introduction: Towards a Profound Simplicity
  • 2nd mvt: At Last, Harmonic Stability
  • 2nd mvt: Leaving the Reverie, and Returning
  • 2nd mvt: Going Briefly Off-Script
  • 2nd mvt Coda: Taking the Material to its Limit

1 Readings

  • Key terms/concepts: Op. 53, "Waldstein"

Untitled Lesson

    • 8 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Op. 90

8 Videos

  • No Rhetoric; No Third Movement
  • 1st mvt: Anger and Resignation, Juxtaposed
  • 1st mvt: Intensity and Nuance in a Highly Concentrated Form
  • 1st mvt: Using Harmonic Ambiguity to Create a Peculiar Power
  • 1st mvt: A Devastating Resolution
  • 2nd mvt: Rebirth; The Sonata's Movements as Yin and Yang
  • 2nd mvt: Repetitiveness as a Virtue
  • 2nd mvt: Paving the Road to the Late Period

1 Readings

  • Key Terms/Concepts: Op. 90

Listening to the Sonatas

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Jonathan Biss' Recordings

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Auto Summary

Dive into "Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas Part 2" on Coursera, led by expert instructors. This engaging course, supported by the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, delves into four iconic sonatas, perfect for all experience levels. Enjoy flexible learning with starter and professional subscription options.

Jonathan Biss
Instructor

Jonathan Biss