Like other classical artists of his era, Beethoven composed symphonies, concertos, and string quartets, but he wrote his most personal works for the piano. In a Sunday-afternoon concert justly titled "Immortal Beethoven Sonatas," pianist Fred Kronacher tackles two great Beethoven works for solo piano: the sonata in C minor, op. 13 "Pathétique," and the Sonata in F minor, op. 57 "Appassionata."
The nicknames are apt. The "Pathétique" earns its moniker with a doom-laden opening chord and its singing, sorrowful middle movement. "The opening C minor chord of the 'Pathétique' must have really jangled the strings of the light pianos of Beethoven's day, as well as jangling the nerves of many of his listeners," Kronacher explains. "It is a huge departure from the classical sound of Haydn or Mozart."
As you probably guessed, the "Appassionata" is just that, and seethes with manic passion. "The last movement of the 'Appassionata' is the most virtuosic, with a perpetual stream of sixteenth notes whirring along," says Kronacher. "I'm excited about pairing these sonatas together on this recital. The 'Pathétique' represents an early, ground-breaking look at Beethoven's elemental force and creativity, the 'Appassionata' is a perfect and passionate example of the complete master of the classical/romantic sonata form." CHRISTOPHER DeLAURENTI
Fred Kronacher performs Sun Oct 13 at 3 pm (Green Lake United Methodist Church, 6415 First Ave N, 368-9247), $12/$17.
