The past two weeks have been spent exploring two of the principal formal models on which classical composers based their themes. This week, I'd like to take a pause from our exercise of excavating formal archetypes to consider some practical applications of the knowledge we have obtained thus far. More specifically, I'd like to discuss how even a basic understanding of musical form can influence one's approach to performance. With this goal in mind, let us reexamine the main theme of Beethoven's Piano Sonata in F minor, Op 2 No 1...

ANDREW SCHARTMANN'S MUSICAL TIDBITS