- Level Professional
- Duration 5 hours
- Course by Curtis Institute of Music
-
Offered by
About
Please join us for Part 4 of Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas course, taught by Curtis faculty member and extraordinary concert artist, Jonathan Biss. This course is new and contains separate sets of lectures and sonatas that we not previously discussed. Specifically, in Part 4, we will cover Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Op. 2, No. 2, Op. 10, No. 3, Op. 28 and Op. 110. As with the other three Beethoven courses, it is not necessary to have taken the previous Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas courses. We think you will be perfectly comfortable to start learning with Part 4, if you wish and go from here. There is always the option to go back to earlier parts at any time. Between these courses, there exists a large amount of additional resources and learning that might be helpful as you embark on Part 4. We certainly encourage you to take Parts 1, 2 and 3, if you have not yet. In the meantime, enjoy the class and Part 4 of Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas.Modules
Notes from the Instructor
3
Readings
- Welcome to Part 4 of Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas!
- Syllabus
- Getting to Know You
Op. 2, No. 2
1
Assignment
- Final Quiz – Op. 2 No. 2 Quiz
9
Videos
- Haydn and his Influence
- Haydn and Beethoven: Mixing the Sacred and the Profane
- 1st Movement: Wit and Graciousness
- 1st Movement: An Unexpected Emotional Range
- 1st Movement: Harmonic Adventures in the Service of Character
- 2nd Movement: Piety…
- 2nd Movement: …and Intensity
- 3rd Movement: Between Minuet and Scherzo
- 4th Movement: “Grazioso” but on a Grand Scale
Op. 10, No. 3
1
Assignment
- Final Quiz – Op. 10, No. 3
10
Videos
- 1st Movement: Ambition and Irrepressible Speed
- 1st Movement: Rhythmic Displacement and Inconclusive “Endings”
- 1st Movement: Complexity and Rhythmic Trickery
- 2nd Movement: Beethoven’s First Great Tragic Slow Movement
- 2nd Movement: Breadth and Lamentation
- 2nd Movement: Intensity and Melodrama
- 2nd Movement: Anticipating the “Ghost” Trio
- 3rd Movement: After the Storm, a Gentle Menuet
- 4th Movement: A Finale of Ambivalence and Mystery
- 4th Movement: Avoiding the Straightforward, and Anticipating the Future
Op. 28
1
Assignment
- Final Quiz – Op. 28 Quiz
7
Videos
- After Wild Adventures, a Return to Old Forms
- 1st Movement: Using Rhythm and Harmony to Create a Cyclical Quality
- 1st Movement: A Development of Sudden Drama
- 2nd Movement: A Stoic Nature and Orchestral Scoring
- 2nd Movement: Emotional Power without Histrionics
- 3rd Movement: A Laconic Scherzo with Sly Humor
- 4th Movement: A Cyclical Rondo to Cap a Cyclical Sonata
Op. 110
1
Assignment
- Final Quiz – Op. 110
13
Videos
- Unimaginable Profundity
- 1st Movement: Tremendous Warmth in a Conventional Structure
- 1st Movement: Ever-Rising Thematic Material
- 1st Movement: A Development of Extreme Concentration
- 1st Movement: A Visitation of E Major
- 2nd Movement: The Profane Amidst the Sacred
- 2nd Movement: A Trio of the Leash
- 3rd Movement: A Recitative in search of Emotional Clarity
- 3rd Movement: A Second Visitation of E Major – and Opus 109
- 3rd Movement: The Arioso and The End of Hope
- 3rd Movement: A Fugue as a Look Back and a Way Forward
- 3rd Movement: a Second Arioso, “Weary” and Devastated…
- 3rd Movement: …and the Triumph Born of that Devastation
Post Course Survey
1
Readings
- Stay in Touch with Curtis Institute
Auto Summary
Join renowned concert artist Jonathan Biss in Part 4 of Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas. This Arts & Humanities course delves into Beethoven's Op. 2, No. 2, Op. 10, No. 3, Op. 28, and Op. 110 sonatas. Ideal for new and returning students, it offers rich content over 300 minutes, with both Starter and Professional subscription options. Perfect for those seeking a professional-level understanding of Beethoven's work.

Jonathan Biss