Beethoven's piano music - Victor Lederer

Beethoven's works for solo piano
the sonatas
variations
and bagatelles
and the five concertos for piano and orchestra stand at the heart of the repertory. Beethoven's Piano Music: A Listener's Guide
by Victor Lederer
will help the motivated reader understand this popular but often knotty music. The bulk of the text consists of a movement-by-movement analysis of the 32 sonatas
fascinating for their individuality and for the way they trace the master's development.In addition to the sonatas
Lederer also takes the reader through the most significant of the variations. The greatest is the Diabelli
Beethoven's monumental takeoff on a trivial theme
but three more sets
the 32 Variations in C minor
the Variations on an Original Theme
Op. 34
and the
Eroica
Variations
Op. 35
are also of the highest quality. And the Bagatelles
Opp. 33
119
and 126
are short but strong studies that display different aspects of Beethoven's musical personality. Finally
Lederer discusses the five piano concertos in detail
showing the influence of the sublime models of Mozart in the first three concertos
with Beethoven boldly finding his own voice with the beloved Fourth and Fifth Concertos. The book comes with a Naxos CD containing performances by pianist Jen Jand that illustrate the text.