Can someone help me, I am learning to play Beethoven's 'Waldstein piano sonata, and have got to the Rondo movement, and have no idea how to tackle the long trill starting with notes A, and G. The first four bars no problem, the remaining '7' bars (that have the C Major scale in the bass clef, also no problem) but how can you continue the trill, and also play the high notes above in the treble clef, how is the original starting trill kept going?

Hi pianorob

Here is what I do.

I trill in measured demi-semiquavers. I start the trill on A, so I am trilling downwards. Every time there is a higher melody note, I make this the first of each group, so that the A is missing. The aural effect of this is fine, even though not strictly 'correct'. It has the double advantage of freeing tension that would otherwise build up through having to emphasise a high melody note at the same time as playing a trill note. It also makes it easier to bring out the melody. The rh G that is both melody and trill is difficult to bring out; sometimes it works, sometimes not.

I finish the trill with a triplet of demis G-F#-G on the final LH semiquaver.

My trill is not always as even as I would like, so I use loads of pedal - partly to cover this and partly because I like the effect. The first time I tried pedalling this passage, I was amazed to find that it stands a pedal change on each crotchet beat. The lh rush up the scale of C sounds particularly impressive; I did not expect that.

No doubt the likes of Ashkenazy, Lang Lang, Axe et al can play a more independant trill; I am not in their league and have to settle for less. I have recorded my solution and it sounds impressive.

Hope this helps

Steve

Is a reply supposed to be there?

Just what I was thinking!!!!

touch bizarre ....

Looks like someone got into a tangle with quotes and gave up.