Composed in 1801, it was published in 1802 and was dedicated to one of Beethovens pupils, 17 year old Countess Giulietta Gucciardi. This sonata is one of the most popular piano sonatas that were composed by Beethoven.
Version 1: Wilhelm Kempff (well known for his interpretations of Beethoven and considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century)
Wilhelm varies the dynamics in the piece really well, giving the piece a deep and sad feel. He interprets the music precisely and adds pedal to make it flow nicely. He starts off with legato but plays naturally at the middle of the piece and ends with legato. He starts the piece off with pianissimo and builds up at certain parts before coming back down to pianissimo. He builds up to forte at around the middle of the piece where it starts to sound "exciting" and like it's "on a journey" but it finally comes "home".
Version 2: Vladimir Horowitz (well known for his technique and tone colour, he is also known as one of the best pianists of the 20th century)
Vladimir varies the dynamics in this piece quite a lot, like Wilhelm, but his tone colour gives the piece a better flow and he expresses the piece a bit differently. Wilhelm gives the image of someone maybe, sobbing in a corner, but Vladimir gives the image of someone crying in anguish about someone they love. Vladimir interprets the piece differently, playing different dynamics and using the pedal differently. He ranges his dynamics from pianissimo to fortissimo.
Out of the two, my choice would have to be Vladimir. He interprets the piece in the same way, but his dynamics and pedal give it more of an emotional feel and, in my opinion, has more of an impact on the audience.
