A stark contrast to his Piano Sonata No. 1, Beethoven’s Sonata No. 2 in A major, second of his set of three in Op. 2, shows a completely different side to his music and personality. This time the work starts in the much more approachable key of A major to start with with a distinctly upbeat feel, whilst maintaining the unusual four-movement structure of No. 1.
As with his first Sonata, the work comes with an incredibly simple dedication to Haydn, and whilst the influence from his teacher and Mozart are obvious, there is already a clear departure from the established tradition, in terms of harmony, structure as well as dramatic features.
The Manheim Rocket that fires off his F minor Sonata still presides in this piece, but the effects are entirely different. With an innovative slow movement followed by a delightful Scherzo sandwiched by the more substantial outer movements, there is much to explore in this colourful work.
It is a pity that a lot of Beethoven’s early Sonatas, including this one, seldom get performed on the concert stage, but are left at the ‘study’ stage of any pianist’s musical journey. Although the tricky leaps in the development of the first movement and the extraordinary demand for stamina of focus required over the long lyrical phrases may be off-putting to programme, there is so much beauty and unique features to enjoy in this Sonata.
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Masayuki Tayama has maintained a highly active schedule as both international recitalist and concerto soloist. Tayama’s Wigmore Hall debut early in his career was a sell-out, and he continues to appear regularly at eminent London venues, including Queen Elizabeth Hall, Cadogan Hall and St. John Smith’s Square. He has taught some of the country’s aspiring pianists as tutor at Chetham’s School of Music, and his teaching incorporates the method taught by Sumiko Mikimoto on tone production, muscle relaxation and training for pianists. In 2020, he was appointed Director of the Piano Teachers’ Course UK, the country’s leading professional development course for piano pedagogy. Tayama is also currently in the midst of a project to record Rachmaninov’s complete works for solo piano.
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