🎼 Week 1: Pick Your Piece
Welcome to Week 1 of the Beethoven Challenge!
This week is all about choosing the piece you’ll work on for the month.
Here are a few ideas to help you land on a good fit:
Beginner Options
1. “Ode to Joy” (any simple solo arrangement)
2. Ecossaise in G major, WoO 23
3. Ecossaise in E-flat major, WoO 86
4. German Dance in C major, WoO 8 No. 1
5. Minuet in G major (attributed to Beethoven), WoO 10 No. 2
Intermediate Options
1. Bagatelle in G major, Op. 119 No. 1
2. Bagatelle in A minor, Op. 119 No. 9
3. Bagatelle in C major, Op. 33 No. 5
4. Six Variations on a Swiss Song, WoO 64
5. Bagatelle in E-flat major, Op. 126 No. 6 (first half only)
6. Sonatina in F major, Anh. 5 No. 2
7. Ecossaise in D major, WoO 83 No. 5 or No. 6
Feel free to pick any piece though -
When you’ve picked your piece, post it below so we can all see where everyone’s starting!
118 replies
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I have been working on the first movement of pathetique sonata for the last few months. This is definitely the most challenging piece I have ever done so it’s a big stretch. But it’s one of my dream pieces so I am going to keep plowing ahead. I haven’t finished the whole piece yet but I will share what I got so far. My goal is to complete the piece by the end of this challenge.
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Let me revisit Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor (Für Elise), my all-time favourite piece, and join the Beethoven Challenge! I first learned it when I was 4, and now that I’m 9, I’m excited to see how much I’ve grown. 🎹✨
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Hey everyone,
I'm going to learn the 1st movement of the Pastorale sonata, Op 28 in D. I've always loved this one. The challenge will make me commit to it! Looking forward to hearing everyone.
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Hello,
I think I will play 2nd movement of op. 10, no. 1 as it is not a large scale commitment but it is surprisingly challenging to play convincingly which will make for a good study in expression and tone control.
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Hello everyone! I am working on op.7. I will play the 2. or 3. movement. 🙋‍♀️
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I am planning to revise Sonata Op 49, No. 2 and work on better expression and a steadier tempo.
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Hi Everyone, I haven't done a Tonebase Challenge yet. Sounds fun. I am starting a new sonata (just performed Opus 78 for my Masters recital!). I am starting Opus 27, No. 1 in E-Flat. But for the challenge, I might work on a section of the last movement, since that's the hardest. Or, I might do Beethoven-Liszt "Mignon", if a Liszt transcription would be allowed?
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My approach to TB Challenges is to review everything relevant in the TB library during the course of the challenge. This may not be possible in just one month given that it's Beethoven. This challenge flows from the recent Schubert challenge when I played through the first page of the A major sonata, which then prompted me to delve into the TB library on Beethoven Sonatas, which I shall now pursue more deeply.
My choice(s) may change as the weeks progress but I am starting with the chromatic run at the end of the Grave section of the start of the Pathetique sonata into the first section of the Allegro di molto e con brio, i.e., up to where the LH hands crosses over the RH. Dominic mentioned in the livestream that there is a useful passage elsewhere for crossing hands so I shall do that too before moving farther into the Allegro...con brio.
I rely heavily on Penelope Roskell's 'The Art of Piano Fingering' so this is an opportunity to study her suggestions for different chromatic fingerings, as I am almost there with the speed of the last section of chromatic in Bar 10 of the Grave section.
Also, I have yet to finish Dominic's lesson on Schubert's G flat Impromptu so this will be an accompanying study for me.
Also, apologies about the livestream earlier this week. We were in a hotel in London and the Wifi was less than good and kept buffering so I intend to re-run the video over the coming weekend.
Good luck to all with this lovely challenge!