Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this podcast episode, Stefan and I explore the Adagio cantabile of Beethoven's Pathetique sonata, through the lens of Whole Beat — and the result is surprisingly radical.
We compare Maurizio Pollini’s interpretation with Alberto Sanna’s whole-beat version. The contrast is so extreme that it raises a real question:
What did Beethoven really mean by “Adagio cantabile”?
We talk about:
• why this movement becomes really slow in Whole Beat
• how tempo changes the emotional impact of the melody
• the psychology of listening when time seems to stretch
• and why this piece becomes unexpectedly moving when performed closer to Beethoven’s own marking
📌 Watch or listen to the full episode on Substack:
wimwinters.substack.com/p/the-slowest-piece-beethoven-composed?r=6ga1ux
Instant access to our Recordings on Bandcamp: authenticsound.bandcamp.com
Check out our CD/Vinyl recordings here: ▶authenticsound.org/recordings
--
🙋Join our Patreon community and help us create more content▶patreon.com/authenticsound
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📩Stay informed! Join our mailinglist (yes we have one too!) 👉bit.ly/as-mailinglist
--
📱 Website: ▶authenticsound.org
In this podcast episode, Stefan and I explore the Adagio cantabile of Beethoven's Pathetique sonata, through the lens of Whole Beat — and the result is surprisingly radical.
We compare Maurizio Pollini’s interpretation with Alberto Sanna’s whole-beat version. The contrast is so extreme that it raises a real question:
What did Beethoven really mean by “Adagio cantabile”?
We talk about:
• why this movement becomes really slow in Whole Beat
• how tempo changes the emotional impact of the melody
• the psychology of listening when time seems to stretch
• and why this piece becomes unexpectedly moving when performed closer to Beethoven’s own marking
📌 Watch or listen to the full episode on Substack:
wimwinters.substack.com/p/the-slowest-piece-beethoven-composed?r=6ga1ux
Instant access to our Recordings on Bandcamp: authenticsound.bandcamp.com
Check out our CD/Vinyl recordings here: ▶authenticsound.org/recordings
--
🙋Join our Patreon community and help us create more content▶patreon.com/authenticsound
--
📩Stay informed! Join our mailinglist (yes we have one too!) 👉bit.ly/as-mailinglist
--
📱 Website: ▶authenticsound.org
