Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 81a begins not with a tempo marking, but with a story. Through the three movements—Das Lebewohl, Abwesenheit, and Das Wiedersehen—Beethoven transforms a personal farewell into music, reminding us that understanding the narrative is the first step towards a meaningful interpretation.

Reading Laura Tunbridge's Beethoven: A Life in Nine Pieces changed the way I approach Beethoven's music. While learning Piano Sonata Op. 81a (Les Adieux), I discovered that tempo, dynamics, articulation, and silence are not just markings, they reveal the composer's thinking.

What does the “a” in Beethoven’s Op. 81a actually mean? Exploring opus numbers, WoO catalogues, and historical publishing decisions reveals how classical music works are named and why those labels are not always as straightforward as they seem.

Recording myself while preparing Beethoven’s Hunt Sonata revealed an important lesson: playing softly is not simply about reducing volume, but about refining touch and control. Through experimenting with playing on the surface of the keys and comparing before-and-after recordings, I discovered how small changes in physical approach can transform sound.