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Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Part 3

Curtis Institute of Music

About this Course

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Welcome to Part 3 of Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas!
I'm delighted to launch another set of new lectures of this course as Part 3. As before, this class is meant for people of all levels of experience with Beethoven's music (including no experience at all!). Remember that you are able to watch the lectures as many times as you like, at whatever pace is comfortable for you.
As I’ve done with the first two sets of Beethoven lectures, I look forward to meeting with students—online and in person, in various cities. The dates and locations will be posted in the Announcements and Events section, as part of the course content. So please remember to check back there for details. 

In these four new lectures, we will explore the following sonatas: 
• Sonata Op. 10, No. 1
• Sonata Op. 22
• Sonata Op. 31, No. 2
• Sonata Opp. 78, 79, 81a


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Beginner Level

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Beginner Level

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

5/5 (13 Ratings)

Jonathan Biss

Neubauer Family Chair in Piano Studies

Performance Faculty

82,061 Learners

6 Courses

Offered by

Curtis Institute of Music

The Curtis Institute of Music educates and trains exceptionally gifted young musicians to engage a local and global community through the highest level of artistry. A tuition-free policy ensures that talent and artistic promise are the only considerations for admission. With a small student body of about 175, Curtis ensures that each young musician receives an education of unparalleled quality, distinguished by personalized attention from a celebrated faculty and a “learn by doing” philosophy. Curtis students hone their craft through more than 200 orchestra, opera, and solo and chamber music offerings each year in Philadelphia and around the world.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

welcome to class

We are glad that you have joined us for Part 3 of Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas course, taught by Curtis faculty member and extraordinary concert artist, Jonathan Biss! This course is considered Part 3, with new and separate sets of lectures. Specifically, in Part 3 we will cover Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Op. 10, No. 1, Op. 22, Op. 31, No. 2 and Opp. 78, 79 and 81a. As with the other two Beethoven courses, it is not necessary to have taken the previous Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas courses. We know you will be perfectly comfortable to start learning with Part 3, if you wish and go from here. There is always the option to go back to Parts 1 and 2 at any time. Between these two courses, there exists a large amount of additional resources and learning that might be helpful as you embark on Part 3. We certainly encourage you to take Parts 1 and 2, if you have not just yet. In the meantime, enjoy the class: Part 3 of Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas.

1 hour to complete

3 readings

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Op. 10 No. 1

2 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 63 min)

11 videos

Opus 10 number 1: The "c minor Mood"6mOpus 10 number 1: Extremes of Tempo and Character1m1st Movement: Pulse as a Source of Character9m1st Movement: High Drama within the Conventions of the Time2m1st Movement: A Development with New Material4m1st Movement: Hammer Blows in c minor4m2nd Movement: An Adagio Oasis9m2nd Movement: A Coda that Expands the Movement’s Scope8m3rd Movement: Prestissimo!5m3rd Movement: Short-Short-Short-LONG3m3rd Movement: Beginning with Defiance; Ending with Mystery7m

1 practice exercise

Final Quiz – Op. 10, No. 130m

Week3

Week 3

1 hour to complete

Op. 22

1 hour to complete

7 videos (Total 54 min)

Week4

Week 4

2 hours to complete

op. 31 no. 2

2 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 69 min)

10 videos

Op. 31 no. 2: An Adventurous, Unsettling Masterwork3m1st Movement: A Recitative hat is not a Recitative; An Introduction that is not an Introduction7m1st Movement: A Confrontation of Opposites7m1st Movement: The Structural Lines Grow Blurrier7m1st Movement: And Finally, the Recitative!10m2nd Movement: Harmonic and Emotional Stability at Las3m2nd Movement: Evoking Voices and Instruments7m2nd Movement: Exploring the Piano’s Extreme Registers3m3rd Movement: A Slow-Moving Perpetual Motion9m3rd Movement: Anxiety and Ambuguity8m

1 practice exercise

Final Quiz – Op. 31, No. 230m

Reviews

4.9

28 reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM EXPLORING BEETHOVEN'S PIANO SONATAS PART 3

by EMJun 1, 2022

again, wonderful analysis of sonatas. Insight on comparison to other Beethoven works.

by RSMay 6, 2018

Jonathan is awesome! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

by PCFeb 10, 2018

Johnathan's Biss's lectures are fantastic and transmit his enthusiasm, profound knowledge, and love for Beethoven's sonatas

by VSFeb 23, 2018

The instructor and the course are fantastic! I would highly recommend this installment of Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas (as well as the previous two).

View all reviews

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Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Part 3

Exploring Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Part 3

About this Course