In this lesson, renowned Beethoven interpreter John O’Conor guides you through the dramatic first movement of Beethoven’s famous “Pathétique” Sonata. Popular since the day it was written, this powerfully expressive sonata was unlike any piano work that came before. O’Conor’s engaging and multifaceted teaching style will help you learn how to bring out the wide-ranging emotions of this extraordinary piece.

The lesson is full of clear yet detailed comments on how to shape phrases expressively but without exaggeration, the importance of body language, on how pedal makes the sound of even a single note more colorful, that we should make big melodic leaps as passionate as a singer would, and a comprehensive look at the remarkable structure Beethoven devised.

O’Conor often describes passages as if they were a dialogue between different characters — and often a conflict! He encourages you to describe the music using words that mean something to you, and shows how beautiful it sounds when we phrase music as meaningfully as we say “I love you.”

O’Conor offers very practical technical advice, including solutions for keeping the wrist loose during the tiring left-hand broken octaves, chromatic scale fingerings for speed and reliability, building accuracy by thinking of smaller groups (and imagining a tiny gap between them), redistributing notes from one hand to the other, and how to look before you leap. To get a deep, rich sonority on the powerful first chord (and many other places), O’Conor recommends follow-through — the motion of the arm continues even after the note sounds, like swinging a golf club.

He also offers insights regarding how to interpret Beethoven’s dynamic markings: to treat pianissimos as fairly extreme and repeated fortissimos as powerfully insistent — and also a discussion of sforzandos, rinforzandos, and staccato dots (which sometimes mean more than just detaching the note!).

In this lesson, renowned Beethoven interpreter John O’Conor guides you through the beautiful second movement of Beethoven’s famous “Pathétique” Sonata, Op. 13.

O’Conor shares the key insight that to keep the melody soaring over a soft accompaniment, you have to listen mainly to the melody and not the accompaniment. Paying close attention to the decay of long notes will help you shape the melodic line without bumps or unevenness. Similarly, he shows you that ending phrases with a gentle release is the most natural shaping, just like how our voices drop at the ends of sentences.

O’Conor also offers advice about how to rhythmically place turns and ornaments, as well as choosing the most convincing versions of certain figures which are debated by scholars. In addition, he provides tips for practicing polyrhythms (3 against 2 and 4 against 3).

O'Conor's nuanced comments about phrasing to achieve balanced proportions and colorful harmonic moments are complemented by remarks about the rich, multilayered texture reminiscent of string quartet writing.

In this lesson, renowned Beethoven interpreter John O’Conor guides you through the taut and energetic third movement of Beethoven’s famous “Pathétique” Sonata, Op. 13.

O’Conor shares a wealth of tips on how articulation gives this piece its vivid, lively character — with witty and piquant staccatos, deft on-the-beat grace notes, and yearning long notes. Crisp fingerwork, nuances of phrasing, and carefully observed sforzandos all play their part as well.

O’Conor also teaches you about the structure of this rondo, where the opening material returns again and again, alternating with contrasting sections. He brings your attention to the new, striking features of each section to help create narrative momentum for the whole movement.