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Book Review
Jan. 4th, 2018 09:25 pmBeethoven: The 'Moonlight' and other Sonatas, Op. 27 and Op. 31
by Timothy Jones
This short book on the op. 27 and op. 31 piano sonatas chiefly concerns the ways in which these five pieces loosen up the form of the sonata and introduce elements of the fantasy. Jones also touches on the compositional process and timeline, Beethoven's life and career at the time he wrote them, and their reception from the 19th century through the later 20th century.
While Jones is an engaging writer, and his explorations of the sonatas are very interesting, this book is best for those already familiar with the sonatas covered (or at least one or two of them). Thus, the parts of this book I got the most out of were those concerned with the Moonlight Sonata, as that is the only one of the five that I play at this point.
by Timothy Jones
This short book on the op. 27 and op. 31 piano sonatas chiefly concerns the ways in which these five pieces loosen up the form of the sonata and introduce elements of the fantasy. Jones also touches on the compositional process and timeline, Beethoven's life and career at the time he wrote them, and their reception from the 19th century through the later 20th century.
While Jones is an engaging writer, and his explorations of the sonatas are very interesting, this book is best for those already familiar with the sonatas covered (or at least one or two of them). Thus, the parts of this book I got the most out of were those concerned with the Moonlight Sonata, as that is the only one of the five that I play at this point.
