Downtown Concert Series Presents full week Of Beethoven Sonatas

“Which concert should I go to?”

I’ve been hearing this question a lot these past few weeks in anticipation of our upcoming presentation of the complete Beethoven sonatas. It’s a perfectly natural question. After all, there are eight recitals, so which one is the best one to go hear?

My first temptation is to say, “Go to all of them!” which I would still encourage people to do, if they’re able to make that happen. It’s not only great music, but it’s a rare opportunity to witness such a Herculean feat of a pianist performing not just one recital, but eight completely different recitals in a row.

However, I’ve come to think about this differently over these few weeks, in part by asking myself: Why do pianists perform all the Beethoven sonatas in concert but not say, all the Mozart sonatas? or all the Scarlatti sonatas? Well, the answer lies within these 32 works. Through them, you can experience the story of Beethoven’s life in a way that you can’t necessarily with the works of Mozart or Scarlatti.

In the early sonatas, Beethoven is emulating his predecessors, the great Haydn and Mozart. As a young composer, you can hear glimpses of who we will become, but also clearly hear the influences of his teachers.

Towards the middle of his life, Beethoven begins to lose his hearing and his beloved Vienna is trapped in the midst of the Napoleonic wars. These external factors reflect clearly in Beethoven’s famous middle sonatas (the ones with all the nicknames), and the heroic figure who struggles with destiny emerges. Gone are the classical influences of his teachers, now replaced with the fiery and dramatic artist who is battling the emotions of love, war, and increasing isolation from society due to his loss of hearing.

At the end of his life, the great composer is now completely cut off from the world, deaf to the sounds of his friends and beloved countryside. His late music reflects this change and isolation, replacing the fiery and stormy temperament of his middle age with a deeply spiritual and intimate approach. As such, his final works hearken to the intellectual and transcendental music of Bach, and end quietly, in an almost “searching” manner.

So it’s impossible to answer “Which concert is best?” because it’s almost like asking the question “Which part of a life is best?”. I’d encourage you to experience as much of it as you’re able. Come to an early concert and hear a youthful work, but then come back to a midweek concert and hear the mature Beethoven as he struggles against the world and himself. Then return for our final weekend to hear how Beethoven has moved past the struggles and taken his sonatas, and with them the direction of Western music, to an entirely new place.

I look forward to seeing you over this next week!

Warmly,


Mark Hyczko
Artistic Director, Downtown Concert Series

Stephan Möller, piano
Beethoven: The Complete Sonatas
7 Days, 8 Concerts, 32 Piano Sonatas, 1 Grand Finale Event
Saturday, May 16, 7:30 PM
Sunday, May 17, 3:00 PM
Monday, May 18, 7:30 PM
Tuesday, May 19, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, May 20, 7:30 PM
Thursday, May 21, 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 23, 3:00 PM
Saturday, May 23, 7:30 PM

Sponsor a Sonata $100 - Your sponsorship includes one complimentary ticket to all The Complete Sonatas - 8 concerts, 8 tickets - with reserved seating, sponsorship recognition in the concert program and during the concert, a Stephan Möller CD, as well as a Beethoven Sonata Sponsor certificate and the opening page of your Sonata.
The Complete Sonatas (8 concerts)
Adults $60 18 and younger $20
Individual tickets for each concert will be available at the door for $15.

Seating is limited, purchase your tickets now.

The Downtown Concert Series is committed to bringing extraordinary musical artists to the intimate and historic venue of St. Peter’s Church located in downtown Freehold at 33 Throckmorton Street, Freehold, New Jersey 07728. For additional information and to purchase tickets please visit our website at DowntownConcertSeries.org or call 732~431~8383.