# Beethoven's Piano Sonatas And Repeats



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

How do you feel about Beethoven's Piano Sonatas and taking the Repeats? 

It seems a lot of people don't take the repeats especially in the early sonatas like Op. 2/1. 

In the case of Op. 2/1 (Or Piano Sonata #1) quite frequently they will take the repeat in the 1st movement but not in the 4th movement. I honestly thought the reverse sounded better.

Do you think all the repeats should be observed? 
Do you think it just depends on the movement?
Do you feel they shouldn't be observed at all?

Just kind of curious how some others around here feel about this...

I don't know that I've ever read how Beethoven felt about it so if anyone else has, please feel free to comment. I know many conductors cut the repeats from his Symphonies as well. As a side note it seems like I did read once that Dvorak wrote repeats but never took them himself and didn't care for them.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

First off, here's the thing about me and repeats: I notice them when they are there, don't miss them when they ain't. I read somewhere that Brahms liked repeats for audiences new to the music, not so much after that. Not clear to me how the director would determine the condition of the audience except for new music, so I could be misremembering. I've probably done that before - but I don't remember.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

It seems even in the day sometimes repeats were omitted, timing of a particular recital affecting that more than anything.

Generally, they were there for specific reasons: it might be the first and only time you heard that piece, so repetition prior the development put the basic materials to be developed more firmly in listener memory. Considering that, the balance of that movement, and the entire piece, are proportionate in running length, that overall length considered with that repeat very much part of the whole.

Sure, there are historic documents showing this movement, that, were abbreviated and dropped in a particular performance, so while we know that was done -- often due to the lengthy and sundry olio sort of programming which went on at the time -- why are those repeats in those movements other than to set the motif(s) in the listener's memory and as a well-thought out part of the proportion of the overall duration of the piece.

Ergo, I'm for'em -- always. Ditto the repeats in the slow movement of Mozart's 40th G minor symphony, or where repeats show up in any classical common practice era piece -- whether it is the Scarlatti Sonatas or later musi8c -- because _that is the way they usually were _


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## Alydon (May 16, 2012)

I'm never happy with a performance of a Beethoven sonata if the repeat isn't played - I bought a particular recording of the pastoral sonata and I was surprised that the 1st movement repeat wasn't played and for me ruined what was otherwise a great performance. In the days of 78's it was understandable that space was of an essence, but now that isn't an issue. S Richter said that the audience is robbed if the repeat isn't played and it has also been mentioned that repeat lets the audience become more aware of the music. I have nothing in my collection (expect historic recordings) which I would rate in my top few without the repeat being observed.


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## Chordalrock (Jan 21, 2014)

I'm with Brahms. Repeats made sense before the age of the recording, and they still make sense in live performances of works that aren't usually heard or recorded. But when you have a recording, if you want to listen to the music again, you can simply listen to it again. Plus it's easier to skip to the beginning than skip over the repeat. I personally find repeats boring when I know the music.


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