Piano Sonatas Vol. 1: Nos. 1-15: Piano (Solo)

Arrau's editorial hand is invaluable here. Rather than imposing a single interpretation, he preserves Beethoven's own fingerings where they exist and provides alternatives that illuminate the composer's likely intentions. A 296-page volume covering the first fifteen sonatas gives you the entire early-to-middle period in one authoritative source, eliminating the need to track down multiple editions.

This collection captures Beethoven at the moment he was defining what the piano sonata could become. The early works pulse with classical elegance and spirited invention; as the set progresses, the writing grows more daring and introspective, demanding deeper emotional engagement and technical sophistication from the performer.

Advanced pianists preparing a comprehensive Beethoven cycle, students working through the sonatas in sequence, and teachers seeking an authoritative yet musically intelligent edition that respects both scholarship and the performer's individual voice.

• Study Arrau's fingering options as analytical tools, not just mechanical solutions. His choices often reveal voice leading and phrase structure that standard fingering might obscure.
• Balance textual fidelity with your own hand size and technical approach. Beethoven's fingerings worked for his hands and the instruments of his era; adapt intelligently rather than forcing uncomfortable positions.
• Approach the early sonatas not as warm-ups to the late ones but as complete artistic statements. Each work has distinct architectural and expressive goals worth pursuing on their own terms.

Feature individual sonatas across a season or semester rather than programming them as a block. An early sonata pairs well with Romantic-era works to show the bridge between eras; a later one commands its own recital slot. Graduate students and advanced undergraduates benefit from working through these systematically as part of a formal study plan.

• Navigating Beethoven's evolving formal structures across fifteen works
• Interpreting articulation, pedaling, and phrasing from Urtext sources
• Making informed fingering choices that balance historical accuracy with individual technique
• Building stamina and interpretive depth across extended keyboard repertoire
• Understanding the harmonic and structural innovations that define the Classical-to-Romantic transition