Lecture 7, Question 2: Popularity of Op. 78 vs. Op. 57

[Jill_Curtis Institute]

Beethoven’s two favorite sonatas—at least prior to the late period—were the “Appassionata,” and Op. 78, which was discussed in the “Crisis” lecture. The former has been perpetually popular for the past 200 years, whereas the latter is only rarely performed. What might account for this?

[bgaen...@gmail.com]

As an amateur pianist, I find F sharp major a really discouraging key to play ... but it's probably the most beautiful of the sonatas, start to finish. Great listen, but very tough for amateurs to pick up!

[elva.g...@gmail.com]

I think he enjoyed the "differentness" so much in this piece.

[hartma...@gmail.com]

Actually, I have read here or in some other lecture that at the time of Beethoven piano pieces were played prima vista. That is not so easy with opus 78 with its six sharps.
Then the Appassionata has this relationship to Beethoven 5th symphony. There are a lot of jokes about that.
Then the Appassionata displays virtuosity of the pianist much better than opus 78.

Personally I would mean that the beginning of the Appassionata is like the start of a racing car. It could be maybe related to the personality of Beethoven:)

[elva.g...@gmail.com]

Because the Appasionata is so wonderfully wild and so dark and so "out there".

[nschu...@gmail.com]

Probably overly simplified but the theme and development of Op. 57 are just too great to be ignored.

[jack....@gmail.com]

Perhaps the quieter Op. 78 that requires a more delicate touch does not appeal to publicly performing pianists and audiences as much as the "extreme" "Appassionata." The musical education of audiences may be a factor. Having heard the "Appassionata" frequently and expecting the great pianists to record it, audiences may think Op. 57 is a more important sonata. If memory serves me correctly, Ferrucio Busoni in the introduction to his analytical exposition of the last movement of Opus 106 lamented in his day that Op. 106 was quite unpopular although it was one of Beethoven's greatest works--he thought it just wasn't practiced and played enough for audiences to appreciate it, especially the fugue, in which Busoni saw Beethoven as perfecting Bach's unfinished work in the genre of fugue. I think he said the study of Das Wohltemperiertes Klavier would not be complete with study of the fugue of Opus 106. Opus 78 may similarly not be as popular because pianists don't perform it often and well to audiences and audiences don't know to demand it.

[evelyn...@gmail.com]

which comes first, the chicken or the egg? If pianists do not play op. 78 as often as the Appasionata for whatever reason, one cannot expect the audience to know and like it. Perhaps op. 78 is also Beethoven's favorite because he considers it as his tribute to the classical form with a "twist", all the markings/chops that he has put in it that makes this sonata his sonata.

[kmus...@gullotta.it]

L’opposta popolarità delle due Sonate va ricercata, secondo me, nel loro essere, per certi versi, agli antipodi l’una dall’altra. L’op.57 con la sua complessità strutturale, tecnica, interpretativa diventa “semplice” da comprendere, in quanto riassume in se quanto di più immediato è riferibile a Beethoven: furore, passione, rigore morale, sturm un drang, l’artista già proiettato verso il Romanticismo, ecc. L’op. 78 è invece destabilizzante perché alla relativa “semplicità” della costruzione melodico-ritmico-timbrico-armonico si contrappone un intimismo che non ci aspettiamo, un’apertura verso un privato che quasi ci sgomenta e quindi preferiamo relegare e non ascoltare

[Vivien Naomi Lee]

I have a rather lame answer which I think other than the musicality of both pieces, perhaps the name 'Appassionata' stuck more than the Op. 78 - so I would suggest maybe it was 'marketing' on top of the fact that it is just so musically beautiful and violent.

I think some friends here have also mentioned how the Op. 78 may be too quiet and boring and not showy enough for most amateur or public listeners. Which also boils down to public perception and performance, I guess.

Appearance sells.

[mikesm...@gmail.com]

The Appassionata seems to wear its heart on its sleeve, and its passion and virtuosity attract the casual listener, whereas Op.78 is much less extroverted and exciting to hear and to perform.

[Shannon Thomas]

I think maybe part of it has to do with the Appassionata's darkness. Not in a reductive "it's dark therefore it's deep and superior" way, but in how people often relate or interact with the dark emotions explored in it. It resonates so deeply because confronting one's own darkness or the tragedy of the world is difficult and art allows us to do that in a relatively safe, cathartic way.

[jack....@gmail.com]

It's certainly a great question. It's helped me appreciate both sonatas, and all the later Beethoven opus-numbered sonatas. Why were Op. 57 and Op. 78 special favorites of Beethoven? Both are masterpieces of economy, very original, focused, little or no flab. Strong. They exemplify some signature Beethoven thematic motives in minor and major keys, respectively--e.g. ascending chordal bombs, driving ascending and descending "diaulos" (reversing direction) broken chords (typically sixteeth notes, some quintuplet sixteenth notes in the first movement of Op. 57). -- A propos of Op. 57, I heard a lecture last week on the symphonies here in Houston in which the instructor, assistant conductor of the Houston Symphony Carlos Andrés Botero shared a lot of insights about the quartus paean ..._ rhythm of 5th symphony themes--Op. 67 premiered 1808, two years after the Op. 57 "Appassionata" was completed--, which figures prominently in the first movement. Maybe there are different, more and less friendly, versions of a dark quartus paean and the Op. 57 as a whole. After asking how a segment of symphony affected members of the audience and getting very diverse answers ("sad", "stately", etc.), Maestro Botero commented that everyone responds differently to Beethoven symphonies because Beethoven's style makes the performers and listeners supply so much from themselves to get it. Op. 57 is a complex dark and Op. 78 is a complex bright. It's not all sweet cantabile, but it's all very beautiful and magnificent, I think.

[kristinoh...@gmail.com]

I agree with some of the previous comments that a piece's popularity comes down to the frame of mind and preference in the listener. Often we are drawn to piece's that are either sweepingly romantic or energetic and full of life. While I cannot offhand recollect Op. 78 (I'll have to listen to it again!!), I would imagine that the same would hold true here. We see the same of other composers, for example Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto 2 is incredibly popular, but Piano Concertos 1 and 4 are far less so.
Having just listened to Op. 78 again, I would say of the two it would be my preference. I wonder if, like today's radio, certain classical pieces get overplayed and eventually fall from popularity? That said, I could listen to Rach's Piano Concerto 2 every day :)
Perhaps, like Mr. Biss alluded to, it is popular because it is deemed challenging and a way to highlight one's skill. I found his comment interesting that of the 120 students auditioning for the Curtis Institute, 34 chose to play the Appassionata.
I also agree with below statements regarding the importance of the audience's musical education when it comes to appreciating a piece. Symphony's would choose to highlight a popular work because they know it would fill the concert hall where a lesser known piece may not sell as many tickets. In this way we perpetuate the issue.

[womanwithabook]

People tend to prefer the romantic sense of tragedy to classicistic light-heartedness and see Beethoven as a tragic figure. Also, many classicist composers wrote light-hearted music and Beethoven's dark Appassionata was something quite new at the time and therefore more interesting.

[Phil Cartwright]

First, it seems important to note that Op. 78 was the immediate successor to the "Appassionata". Based on what we learned in the lectures, in the "Appassionata" Beethoven explores the "darkest corners" of humanity. In contrast, O; 78 is upbeat and has a spirited finale. Now as to why the Op. 78 is less frequently played, it might be that the enormity and relative complexity as well as the fact that the "Appassionata" has been, and is in the repertoire of every pianist of note biases pianists (including those that auditioned at the Curtis Institute) toward performance of the "Appassionata";

[robertg...@gmail.com]

A great and obvious distinction between Op. 57 and Op. 78 is its size. Op. 57 is gigantic, on the other hand Op. 78 is compact with 2 movements only. I would not dare to say that Op. 78 is less substantial or sophisticated than Op. 57. Each piece also has their own difficulty, with Op. 78's many sharps and Op. 57's enormous size. So, looking the consideration mentioned before, I would say both Sonata is equal in its ability to captivate people's heart. It is perhaps by chance that the Op. 57 wins great popularity. 

[Don Potter]

There could be a few reasons why the Beethoven Sonata Op. 78 is more popular and played more often than Opus 57.  The Appassionata (Op. 57) is a much more difficult piece to play.  It also contains three movements rather than the two movements of Op. 78. Finally the Opus 78 is a much lighter, dare I say, fun piece.

[Dalia King]

One reason that the Appassionata is more widely known might be because of it's terrifying yet breath-taking end. As the intensity builds through the piece, it reaches its nearly completely unrelated and shocking end. Op. 78 does not have anything nearly this memorable, although it was an excellent work.

[Gegege no Kitarou]

I guess the opus 78 sonata is a more delicate sonata which requires more care and touch when playing... which makes it more difficult in a way, than the Appassionata. The Appassionata sonata is already very difficult, portraying the anger, to a sudden peace, and back again to the 'dark' mode takes a lot of time, practice and care, I'm sure. However, I think the op.78 sonata takes this specific tone that makes the audience appalled, and overwhelmed.... and I can say that it's not something that can easily be done, even without playing the sonata myself. 

I think also for younger listeners who just begun learning music, will find that the Apassionata has more 'excitement', or thrill when listening... and this can also relate to the audience's personal preferences as well. 

[Holly Anderson]

Whilst I don't think I could pinpoint a specific reason, I think this could either be based on difficulty to play and therefore how many performers choose to expose audiences to each piece in their repertoires, or, which one is more suited to the market commercially. As the music industry is the intersection of art and commerce, its very important to remember that certain pieces will gain popularity because they have managed to fit the mould of what is sellable to the majority and whilst the majority do not understand technical complexities within musical study (because the majority aren't musicians) then it cannot be based on the pieces themselves, but how they have been presented and sold in the centuries since the two pieces have been written.