Description
The two-volume Henle Urtext edition of Beethoven's piano sonatas has long been the standard reference for pianists worldwide. Edited by Munich musicologist Bertha Antonia Wallner with support from the Beethoven Archive in Bonn, this definitive edition was quickly recognized as a new benchmark when it was published in the early 1950s. Decades of rigorous field testing led to ongoing improvements and refinements, cementing the Henle Urtext as the definitive source for Beethoven's sonatas.
The fingerings provided by pianist and pedagogue Conrad Hansen are regarded as insightful suggestions for navigating technical and musical challenges - "as few fingerings as possible, albeit instructive ones," as Hansen described.
In addition to the standard Urtext edition with Hansen's fingerings, Henle offers alternative versions: an Urtext edition without any fingerings, and a pocket score in their study series. The sonatas are also available digitally in the "Henle Library" app, featuring fingerings from renowned pianists like Eugen d'Albert, Claudio Arrau, Conrad Hansen, and Artur Schnabel.
Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas are a cornerstone of the piano repertoire, with Hans von Bülow famously describing them as the "New Testament of music." The 32 numbered sonatas are the focus, while the three "Electoral" Sonatas by the 13-year-old composer are available separately.
