February 25, 2009
My love for the composer,
my passion for his music,
my dedication to his piano sonatas
The musical titan, his force of expression, his masculine character, his spirit, his work, his piano sonatas: all these attributes led me as an artist to be devoted to Ludwig van Beethoven´s work. I didn´t really know why I was going to engage myself with it, as I began to be intensively involved in the study of the 32 piano sonatas. But I felt with the power of spirit that I have to go on this journey. Those compositions were sleeping in myself for a long time, just waiting to awaken, so I did it and let them come out. Since I feared his most difficult work, the Hammerklavier Sonata, I had first the intention to study it when I would have finished the work with all the other sonatas. But this turned out as a false conclusion.
An inner voice was suddenly speaking to me and saying: Start immediately with the Hammerklavier Sonata! Don’t wait! This piece will be like a love-hate relationship until you will be able to really understand it.
Hereupon I began to study the work very intensively, the Hammerklavier sonata became my daily bread and butter, I never hated the piece for a single moment, and I was obsessed particularly with the final Fugue.
I discovered that this sonata is the key to all other Beethoven’s sonatas. Once the Hammerklavier has been understood, the musical message of Beethoven has been disclosed.
This is certainly one of the most demanding tasks for a pianist, but to approach labyrinthine and complicated things is a perfect challenge for me, trying to reveal the quintessence of them. As a woman I feel a big duty coming closer to Beethoven’s musical message.
By all means I do not intend to compete with other male colleagues, but rather to create another way to experience Beethoven’s music.
This has nothing to do with ego, it rather leaves out egocentrism to reach selflessness.
Thereby the identification with Beethoven happens. As an artist it is a mission for me to perform this wonderful symphonic piano music for the people and to make it hearable as the Master himself was able to hear it only with his heart and inner ear.