Internationally acclaimed pianist Robert Taub offers the unique insights of a passionate and intelligent musician who performs all 32 of Beethoven’s well-loved piano sonatas in concert worldwide, bringing a "fresh perspective on Beethoven," as The New York Times put it. In Playing the Beethoven Piano Sonatas, Taub shares this intimate understanding with listeners and players alike. In the first part of the book, Taub lays the foundation. Beethoven composed more piano sonatas than substantial works of any other single genre, and he cared deeply about every nuance of their performance. Taub shares what he has learned from Beethoven’s own writing and autograph scores: Beethoven’s convictions about the integrity of each work, the refinements he made in his sketchbooks, his outspoken opinions about tempo, pedaling, and dynamics, his humor, and his insistence that his publishers get the details right. For the rest of the book, Taub considers each of the 32 sonatas grouped into nine programs, looking beyond just "getting the notes" to convey the essence of each work and to understand its place in the evolution of Beethoven’s revolutionary artistry. As Taub explains in the preface, the Beethoven piano sonatas can be appreciated on many levels, and the more understanding one brings to the music, the more moving will be the experience of performing or listening.