Opus 22 “Grande Sonata”
Notes by Margaret Scialdone
Although somewhat overlooked today, the Opus 22 “Grande Sonata” was a great favorite of Beethoven’s. He assured his publisher that “Die Sonate hat sich gewaschen” (literally, ‘the Sonata has washed itself’, or, ‘it takes the cake’). Composed in 1800 and published in 1802, it’s considered to be the last of the “early sonatas”, following which Beethoven abandoned 18th Century sonata forms and went in entirely new directions.
New Jersey native Felicia He gave an outstanding performance of this sonata at her senior recital last February.