Beethoven Moonlight Sonata - Petra Somlai, fortepiano

Рет қаралды 145,341

3 жыл бұрын

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 ‘Sonata quasi una fantasia’ (Moonlight)
Artist: Petra Somlai, fortepiano
Producer: Daniël Brüggen/MusicFrame Films
Instrument: Fortepiano after Anton Walter, 1795, made by Chris Maene, Ruiselede
Filmed on 2 June 2020 at Oud-Katholieke Parochie (Old Catholic Church), ‘t Huis te Poort, Schiedam, The Netherlands
©2020 The American Classical Orchestra, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
American Classical Orchestra is New York City's premier period instrument orchestra, specializing in Classical and early Romantic repertoire. In 2019, ACO launched The Sfzp Fortepiano Project to spotlight the fortepiano and provide performance and professional development opportunities to early keyboardists in New York City and beyond. Featuring an international roster of artists, the 2020-2021 season of The Sfzp Project will focus on Beethoven and culminate in a week-long festival May 11-15, with symphonic and chamber concerts, a recital "marathon" of all 32 piano sonatas, as well as masterclasses and an international competition for young pianists (age 20-36). As part of the festival, ACO plans to present Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, with Petra Somlai on fortepiano. Somlai will also perform on the Sonata Marathon.
Since winning the 2010 International Fortepiano Competition in Bruges, Hungarian-born pianist Petra Somlai has appeared across Europe, the USA, and Japan as a soloist on concert series and major international early music festivals. With degrees in fortepiano and harpsichord as well as conducting and piano, she has also performed as a conducting soloist with various orchestras. Petra Somlai is currently professor of fortepiano at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where she also teaches the historical development of the fortepiano and the classical piano.

Пікірлер: 345

@dtag7129 Жыл бұрын

everyone in the comments has already said everything there is to be said about this performance, but i would like to add that it's very cool that she laid out all 3 movements flawlessly in a leather jacket

@troyself 5 ай бұрын

😂apparently, it was "old-Europe dank"

@nikolt2000 5 ай бұрын

lol so european

@waynesmith3767 5 ай бұрын

It was Beethoven’s.

@karakamen 2 ай бұрын

I think Beethoven would totally rock a leather jacket 😂

@adampepin9944 2 ай бұрын

Mozart AND Joey Ramone would be proud!

@JustSomeGermanGuy Жыл бұрын

I don’t know why but moonlight sonata just hits different on a fortepiano

@Pinkblobperson Жыл бұрын

Moonlight sonata was basically made for fortepianos

@clavichord Жыл бұрын

@@Pinkblobperson The moonlight sonata was primarily written for Beethoven's fortepiano, but the title page of the original does say for fortepiano or harpsichord... which was also common with Haydn and Mozart's keyboard works at that time. There was no clear transition between harpsichord and fortepiano use between the 1750s and early 1800s... and increasingly composers used more keyboard effects which could only be reproduced on fortepiano and not on the harpsichord. This was primarily done for economic reasons, so as not to exclude those who commonly had a harpsichord, and also because early fortepianos were not yet perfected and had mechanical and production issues, being a relatively new instrument.

@PinkPanther4958 Жыл бұрын

i agree

@jimbuxton2187 Жыл бұрын

Because...it has more intimacy in the sound......

@japancountryball2000 Жыл бұрын

Because, the sound is been like the Beethoven's piano played

@Wolfganger Жыл бұрын

1st Movement: 0:04 2nd Movement: 5:07 3rd Movement: 7:18

@sundancer7381 9 ай бұрын

Revelation. The depth of sound in the 1st movement .....and the raucous bass in the third movement......brings Beethoven's ideas to life. Thanks.

@arvindiyer1649 3 жыл бұрын

3rd movement sounds like rage on the forte piano which is what I think beethoven intended it to be.

@nic123ification 25 күн бұрын

I love the rage on a fortepiano, it's completely lost on a modern grand.

@davisatdavis1 Жыл бұрын

Never have I heard a recording anything like this before. It's like I'm listening 200 years in the past.

@joshwinfree6057 Жыл бұрын

Why does this piano sound so much more alive than new ones🥹

@MegaMech 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It's extremely important to have good quality recordings on historical instruments. It seems many believe historical pianoforte's didn't sound good at all. Thankfully, this proves otherwise. It's not an inferior piano to the modern grand. It's simply a different piano made with older technology with unique features, sounds, and approaches to playing. Some pianoforte's such as this one may even be more expressive than the modern grand.

@voteforno.6155 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, I find this sonata played on modern grand pianos sounds bland and flat (in the expressive sense, not pitch frequency) by comparison.

@americanclassicalorchestra 3 жыл бұрын

We couldn't agree more. For the very reason you articulated, it is our goal to elevate the stature of the fortepiano. Expect more content from us this spring.

@baxterdown 3 жыл бұрын

BRAVO!

@babygottbach2679 3 жыл бұрын

@@americanclassicalorchestra Is it possible to have a pianist play the first movement according to the explicit instructions that Beethoven gave: semper senza sordini? Always without the dampers?

@cangjie12 3 жыл бұрын

Historical pianos are called fortepianos, not pianofortes.

@karlmatsumoto9281 Жыл бұрын

If Beethoven could come back from the grave he would thank Petra Somlai for giving life to the true expression of his piano music in the 21st century.

@geiryvindeskeland7208 Жыл бұрын

Karl, I am totally disagree with you. Petra Somlai doesn’t need a visit from Beethoven because she knows she is doing it right. On the other hand, Beethoven should have visited Wim Winters and Alberto Sanna and given them both a thorough beating! It is tragic that they are both tricking thousands of knowlegdeless people into believing in the theory! And think, Wim Winters has a fine performance of this sonata from 2014, but that was before he got a metronome in his hands. And since then, W. Winters and A. Sanna have resigned from reality.

@geiryvindeskeland5985 Жыл бұрын

You are wrong Mr. Eskeland. The recording from 2014 is sonata pathetique, not Moonlight.

@colineadesyeux Жыл бұрын

Well, I mean, even undead he'd still be kinda deaf right ?

@KiranThomas-dt35 2 ай бұрын

@colineadesyeux Who's to say maybe the one who comes back could be Beethoven before being deaf.

@typo1345 2 жыл бұрын

this is how it was supposed to sound. Not on a grand. It was written for a fortepiano. And that is fairly obvious here. if I were to choose which, moonlight on grand or moonlight on fortepiano, I take fortepiano. It has a rustic, archaic charm to it and it's sound.

@saltyandrawwilson6590 3 жыл бұрын

Please, keep them coming. In my modest opinion, nobody plays fortepiano like you do. Thank you.

@xbqchm 3 жыл бұрын

I can listen to this 1000 times in a row without getting tired of it. I would happily help fund a project of Ms Somlai recording the complete sonatas of Beethoven.

@ks1700ks 2 жыл бұрын

2nd movement 5:05 3rd movement 7:17

@menialharpsichordist553 2 жыл бұрын

ah yes the sound of fortepiano in the morning

@MelsCrazyWorld 3 ай бұрын

This right here, is hands down the best version of Quasi una fantasia I have ever heard. Not only is it played on a fortepiano, but you can see that Petra FEELS the music. Her slightly slumped pose during the first movement, her melancoly, almost sad facial expression as she looks on the keys, just her whole body language throughout the entire sonate makes it so much more effektive for me. Bravo. This is a masterpiece

@sabinamartinez 3 жыл бұрын

I can hear Beethoven alive on a fortepiano, not the same impresssion on a modern piano!

@moritlh 2 жыл бұрын

Bullshit lol. Even Beethoven didn't like the fortepiano and looked for something more like the modern Piano.

@sabinamartinez 2 жыл бұрын

Don't think so, he liked Broadwood fortepiano but all pianos were in constant evolution. There is a big distance from the pianos of his time untill the modern piano, so I don't think he was imagining exactly today's piano

@davidglynn3101 2 жыл бұрын

@@moritlh Well, no actually.

@viangallifrancois2568 2 жыл бұрын

@@moritlh Did you meet Ludwig Van ?

@yakinthebox Жыл бұрын

its a different listening experience when its played on the composers own instruments (I love it), you should listen to mozart/bach on clavichord too

@itamarbar9580 2 жыл бұрын

This performance of the last movement feels like Beethoven himself played it, and it would have rocked vienna.

@ArthurSeeClarke 10 ай бұрын

I'm not crying, you're crying.

@kidmohair8151 Жыл бұрын

there is something about the pianoforte that makes it more clear, less bombastic more intimate, and approachable than the modern grand

@newenglandartiste 11 күн бұрын

Excellent interpretation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. One of the best I've heard. Great hearing it on the forte piano. The timbre is more revealing, clear and haunting than a modern piano. The acoustics in the church setting sound fantastic. So, rich and full sounding.

@reeflizzard71 9 ай бұрын

Unbelievable! A revelation!! I cannot think how there could be a more revealing and fabulous performance, and what a sound from that fortepiano. Thank you with my whole soul. It really seems a shame somehow that all across the globe we, thousands of us, daily listen to and/or play the music of Beethoven (and so many others) on our heavy modern pianos and never get to hear that sound. Such an instrument seems like more than a piano, and under Petra's stunning touch, really almost a whole colorful orchestra in a box! Unreal, unreal....pure magic!

@HenrikBergpianorganist 2 жыл бұрын

VERY touching. So many fine details in last movement - one that gets slaughtered by so many.

@paolotramannoni7445 Жыл бұрын

I love how the internal voices can sing so clearly. Love it.

@LoverOFhopeANDcompassion 19 күн бұрын

The way Beethoven played it. Phenomenal accompllishment

@elizabethmiller3384 Жыл бұрын

This is a stunning epiphany for me, a pianist for fifty years. This is what it should sound like, proving that newer is not always better. This instrument is a completely different animal than those I have always played, this is how the piece should sound. I’m overcome in the best possible way

@pamzanon6599 Ай бұрын

I totally agree with you

@elisearmer8306 Жыл бұрын

Beethoven comes ALIVE on Fortepiano

@fergusbyett8088 3 ай бұрын

That 3rd mvt is just too good

@japancountryball2000 Жыл бұрын

Petra Somlai is the master if Moonlight sonata 3rd movement, because, the P and sf are correct!

@andrewwilliams9580 Жыл бұрын

Like a hybrid of a piano and a harpsichord. Pretty sounds!

@nic123ification 9 ай бұрын

So much more emotion than the Steinway and so much more authentic.

@ronwalker4849 9 ай бұрын

THIS IS PRACTICALLY THE ONLY BEAUTIFUL 19TH CENTURY PIANO WHICH I HAVE EVER HEARD WITH IT´S ETHERIAL AND BEAUTIFUL SOUND.

@ronwalker4849 9 ай бұрын

WHAT A BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE CONTAINING ALL THE NUANCE OF SENSATIVE EXPRESSION. THANKYOU.

@tastogiusto 3 жыл бұрын

Sonata quasi una Fantasia, literally !

@Glenn-vl9qf 3 жыл бұрын

The goosebumps I had from hearing this piece…wow

@-peyat Жыл бұрын

I love this! the first movement sounds 100x more mournful on a fortepiano compared to a modern one

@P0PG03S Жыл бұрын

I lack such words to describe this sublime sound, this pristine execution. Simply outstanding! Maestro Beethoven himself would applaud.

@cletedavis5849 2 жыл бұрын

What a lovely instrument, and wonderful playing! It is so pleasant to hear this done on a true Beethoven instrument, instead of the blasting and roaring of a nine foot Steinway! The Steinway is fine in post-1900 music, but Beethoven and Mozart et al, deserve something better!

@michaelaurelius8507 Жыл бұрын

MY. GOD! I am literally in tears listening to this! I have never heard this piece sound this way before! I am speechlessly in awe of this!

@1olafh 3 жыл бұрын

A divine Mondschein by one of the best pianoforte players of our times. The differences between the dreamy Beethoven and the angry Beethoven are asthonishing, a fabulous technic, a refined taste and the ability to use all the possibilities of the pianoforte. All this combined with a subtile rubato that never is too much, makes this Mondschein the best I ever heard !

@renaatlowagie86 3 жыл бұрын

Ik kan niet anders, Olaf, dan daar heel erg overtuigd en heel erg geraakt, volledig mee akkoord te gaan. Wat een muziek, wat een instrument en wat een muzikante. Muziek voor mijn ganse lijf, mijn verstand en mijn hart. Ik ben Petra zo dankbaar.

@cangjie12 3 жыл бұрын

It’s called a fortepiano, not a pianoforte. ‘Pianoforte’ is just a general term for piano that is almost never used nowadays. ‘Fortepiano’, in English, refers to the kind of piano used in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

@1olafh 3 жыл бұрын

In the pianoforte restoration world we still use the word pianoforte, as in square pianoforte. In the Early Music world the word pianoforte is frequently used too. It is the correct name, after the name the inventor Christofori gave it : "Uno gravicembalo per piano e forte".

@davidklein5007 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, the rubato is the best I've heard in a period instrument performance, I think.

@josephhapp9 Жыл бұрын

@@cangjie12 go back to bed!

@user-wq7pc4bq8v 2 жыл бұрын

너무 완벽해서 감탄밖에 안나오는 연주

@777rogerf Жыл бұрын

Petra Somlai was born in Hungary where she graduated in conducting and piano performance from the Bela Bartok Conservatory (Budapest) and completed her modern piano degree at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music (Budapest) in 2007. Somlai is currently a professor of fortepiano at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.

@fokkebaarda 3 жыл бұрын

Again amazing. The drama, the colours. Petra, all that Sturm und Drang! Thanks! I cherish your video's.

@user-ep6fe8dx9h 4 ай бұрын

This has got to be hands down the best I’ve heard someone play this piece so well and full of movement and emotion such detail to every single note 🎵 it’s just perfect thank you for playing this ❤

@folkeholmberg3519 4 ай бұрын

This is my absolute favourite of performance of this piece, mostly because of Petra Somlais' not only excellent but also sensitive playing. And furthermore for that brilliant instrument, every tone comes out so clear, I can really feel LvBs' intentions and feelings in every note.

@aemilpeters5644 2 жыл бұрын

WOW - SUPERB SYNCOPATION & DYNAMICS; A TRUE FRESH AND NEW INTERPRETATION - THX PETRA - SO WELCOME - NOW (AND HERE TO STAY)!

@karlthomas2360 8 ай бұрын

by min 7, she is on a whole new level

@jasonhurd4379 9 ай бұрын

Over the past twenty years, it has become increasingly difficult for me to get satisfaction out of hearing Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven on anything but fortepiano. The clarity of timbre and delicacy of touch are addicting. In Beethoven's case, particularly, the clarity of the extreme bass register is so far superior to the modern grand that it's like hearing some works, like the 'Waldstein' and the 'Moonlight', for the first time. Thank you for posting this!

@wblynch 3 жыл бұрын

Amazing! I loved her interpretation of the third movement. The dynamics and timings were tremendous! Brava!

@brentmeistergeneral2813 Жыл бұрын

Oh my worlds. Cant believe I have come across this. Stunning. Mozart is my hero but this is sublime

@Cadenm1223 Жыл бұрын

This is one of the best performances of the moonlight sonata. At first, I thought that the sound of a fortepiano wasn’t good, but after listening to someone who can really play… all I can say is wow.

@777rogerf 10 ай бұрын

Petra Somlai chose the right instrument to artfully sculpt each phrase and sub-phrase, bringing new life and musical meaning to a work that one might expect to be already "used and abused" by the masses and beyond resuscitation. This recording is real triumph.

@eottoe2001 2 ай бұрын

LOVE THIS! "We're not worthy!"

@jochanaan58 2 жыл бұрын

Magnificent playing! And the recording captures the edge in an instrument pushed to its limits, as Ms. Somlai does.

@maribelfarnsworth4565 9 ай бұрын

Listening to this performance gives me the feeling that I'm experiencing something of the stunning (and in places shocking) impact this sonata must have had to the first hearers to whom Beethoven played it. Especially in the last movement, right from the opening shock after the suavity of the middlle movement....

@derekaaron6745 Жыл бұрын

What an awesome job she does! Her timing is perfect. The voicing and volume control is outstanding.❤

@jasonmichaelmorgan6207 10 ай бұрын

one of the best interpretations i've ever heard, and that is even aside from it being on an historical instrument. brilliant and articulate while being nonetheless full of thoughtful and deliberate emotion. wonderful!

@DanielFitzgeraldPiano 4 ай бұрын

The performance on the proper piano transplants us to 1801 - as Beethoven heard, and it as he composed it. I wish for a time machine...

@JoseManuelLegardaGalarza 8 ай бұрын

Amazing, it's like if the maestro was playing it back in those days.

@1963mathetes 2 жыл бұрын

Extraordinary. The performance is superlative, the colors and transparency of the fortepiano bring out the inner voices in a way that would be lost on a modern instrument, and having the microphones set back in the room adds a wonderful luster to the overall sound.

@RobertHorton1975 Жыл бұрын

What a thrill! Listen to that guttural roar in the bass. Thanks so much for posting this.

@hansfijlstra5932 Ай бұрын

Wow, wow, wow. Again! If anybody would tell me that you were a great-great…-great-grandchild of Beethoven himself I would absolutely believe it! Never heard a more convincing performance of this sonate! I will try to attent a live performance of you. You are an amazing piano (forte!) performer!

@Fernwald84 Жыл бұрын

It is plainly obvious that the sound Beethoven had in his mind was that of the fortepiano. The modern grand, with its much greater resonance and sustain, blurs some of the detail and does not allow sufficient space between staccato notes. Petra Somlai's performance is finely nuanced with well-chosen tempos. The allegro finale is especially notable for its electric fluidity.

@erichturk2774 3 жыл бұрын

Fantasztikus! Nagyon gratulálok!! Ilyen kifejező, drámai fortepianojátekot nem halottam mástól!!!

@jimmyhygaard2252 9 ай бұрын

Must say,I've watched this over and over,still rings so sweet a sound,can never lose the joy of hearing this,I'm a music fanatic,thanks Petra.

@ernestdayne6711 3 жыл бұрын

That was the most beautiful pianoforte playing I have ever heard! Simply incredible, and nothing short of amazing!!

@telee19 3 жыл бұрын

It actually is a fortepiano, not pianoforte. But yes amazing playing!

@ernestdayne6711 3 жыл бұрын

You’re right lol I guess I was so excited to tell her how beautiful her piano playing was that my mind was a bit jumbled 😆

@terlis3423 2 жыл бұрын

@@telee19 It's confusing a little bit because in some languages piano is fortepiano(in the language) and fortepiano is pianoforte (or something sounding similar; anyway)

@menialharpsichordist553 2 жыл бұрын

@@telee19 in English no, it;'s fortepiano, the modern piano is pianoforte

@telee19 2 жыл бұрын

@@menialharpsichordist553 yep, that is what I said

@kelvinyearwood8212 9 ай бұрын

The last movement particularly is exciting and a revelation on its instrument. I must listen to a live version fortepiano of the misnamed 'Moonlight' sonata, especially the first movement which should have lots of imaginative sustain and darkness.

@thibomeurkens2296 2 жыл бұрын

This performance is flawless.. I’m speechless!

@DJStefandeJong 4 ай бұрын

Best recording of this work on a period instrument I've heard to date. Recording is a bit soft but for that we have the volume knob (just remember to turn it down after :P)

@austinsavage4390 Жыл бұрын

It sounded so cool on the fortepiano! You played it so well that I can imagine Beethoven himself playing this the way you played it. 😁😳😱 thank you

@karlhaan3494 3 ай бұрын

Magnificent playing. Wonderful sonorities. Superb technique!❤️

@ZeldaVerde 3 ай бұрын

She plays so smoothly tho

@williamdrake9864 8 ай бұрын

I am so thankful I sat here and listened to this magnificent recording. I could not take my eyes or my ears off of the performance. The pianoforte truly is remarkable and to hear this on it is special indeed.

@OneOddPerson 7 ай бұрын

This comment goes out to all the homies that be in a trance state during this performance then suddenly woken up quicker than seeing god once the third movement began.

@derekc2547 3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely incredible, I could listen to this a thousand times and still be in awe!

@c.g.marseille4510 3 жыл бұрын

very nice on the fortepiano and beautiful played ! Thank you

@johnpaterson6112 6 ай бұрын

This deserves a standing ovation.

@davidklein5007 2 жыл бұрын

This is just great! Such control of rhythm and dynamics!

@YsAbTones 3 ай бұрын

the depth of her perfomances is ... well done Petra this is music to me

@EduardQualls 9 ай бұрын

The amazing thing, for me, was just how much more "alive" and less forced the quick note-runs of the third movement (over the repeating bass figure) feel as opposed to when played on a modern piano. This applies throughout the piece: it just _feels_ less ponderous, more alive. It is obviously partly due to Ms Somlai's wonderful technique, but part must surely be accredited to the fortepiano, in that its touch is so much lighter (therefore free and subtle) than later instruments. (It takes 10 to 15g of force to depress a fortepiano key, whereas a modern piano's touch can require up to 50g.)

@emilypeppers748 Жыл бұрын

Such a beautiful and dramatic rendition by Petra, the playing, dynamic contrast and energy highlights the power of the fortepiano. What a fantastic vehicle for the genius of Beethoven!

@hansfijlstra5932 Ай бұрын

Exceptional and beautiful performance!! Love it!

@SaraG6270 Жыл бұрын

Awesome performance! Brava!

@howard5992 3 жыл бұрын

Stunning. Thank you.

@sir_Foxspianos Жыл бұрын

wow it sounds so diffrent on these old pianos

@jimmyhygaard2252 9 ай бұрын

Truly an achievement of extra ordinary proportion,so much soul and spirit driven ability,you lack nothing,excluding a massive audience,and surely you'd dazzle them with intricacies beyond the narrow expectancy that most require,after hearing you I'm inspired more than ever,my appreciation to you is 100 percent,thanks.

@pabloperez6005 2 жыл бұрын

Excelente!!!!! Muchas gracias por llevarnos en una máquina del tiempo a como se escuchaba en la época que fue compuesto.

@Rasmus_Schweden 6 ай бұрын

Sie ist einfach genial. Wir hören die Musik wie sie früher war. Da mussten die Besucher noch persönlich in einem konzertsaal erscheinen um die Musik zu hören. Die Musik von Mozart,Bach,und anderen Komponisten sollten ebenfalls auf alten Instrumenten neue eingespielt werden.🎹🎹🎹🎼🎼🎼🎵 Rasmus aus Schweden 😉

@davidroux7987 Жыл бұрын

A masterful performance!! I understand why Beethoven always wanted more power from the instrument. Nevertheless it's wonderful to hear him on a period instrument...

@nic123ification Жыл бұрын

Beethoven composed his works on a forte piano, it has a charm all of its own with a hint of harpsichord .... It's sublime.

@normal3058 Жыл бұрын

Moonlight sonata first movement: sounds like an epic ending of a game Moonlight sonata second movement: forgotten Moonlight sonata third movement: boss music

@profsjp 6 ай бұрын

Sublime! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@harczymarczy Жыл бұрын

Yet another good Hungarian musician :))).

@keithclifton392 3 жыл бұрын

Terrific!!

@palmaiattila3288 2 жыл бұрын

Ez káprázatosan gyönyörű, Petra hatalmas művész! Ez az alla breve kezdés... nekem mindig fanyalogva nyavalyogtak, hogy nem vagyok elég "szentimentális", mert ebben a tempóban játszottam. Hammerklavier-on annyira autentikusan hangzik, hogy azóta direkt keresem a fortepiano felvételeket, amióta Pozsonyban hallottam egy koncerten három McNulty replikát is. This is amazingly beautiful, Petra is a huge artist! This alla breve start ... they always whimpered to me that I’m not “sentimental enough” because I played at this pace. It sounds so authentic on Hammerklavier that I’ve been looking directly for fortepiano audio-recordings since I heard the sound of three McNulty replicas at a concert in Bratislava.