Arts and Literature

The University of Manchester professor, who is one of the world’s leading authorities on the composer, was commissioned to do the work by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

He has just published the results - revised versions of all 35 sonatas including three little-known pieces printed when the composer was 12 - and says that while it has been a lot of hard work, it has been a mesmerizing experience.

"It was absolutely fascinating to become so thoroughly absorbed in these great works, and to help present them to the public in the best possible manner."

"Firstly, the Associated Board’s previous edition was published as long ago as 1931 and needed updating.

"Secondly, other modern attempts at new editions haven’t always got the text absolutely right – for example, new information has recently come to light about the relationships between some of the sources.

"And thirdly, important discoveries about performance practice in Beethoven’s day needed to be discussed in the edition’s commentary and thereby transmitted to performers, who will mostly not have time to look up the relevant research in learned books and articles."

Ludwig van Beethoven

Barry’s revisions have not just been an attempt to "reproduce what Beethoven actually wrote" but also what the composer "meant to write". Apparently, his research has shown that as talented as Beethoven obviously was, there were times when what he was hearing in his head didn’t write make it to the page.

"Occasionally Beethoven wrote something that was clearly impossible – for example, a note that produces an absurd discord and was not even available on his piano - or he missed out a sharp that was obviously meant to be there."

The most famous of these 'mistakes' has been a source of debate for academics and peformers ever since it was first published in the early 19th century. There is an A sharp in the opus 106 Sonata in B flat major, a work popularly known as the 'Hammerklavier', which Barry says should have been an A natural that Beethoven simply forgot to note.

Yet, even after his decade of work, he’s still not certain that his revision will resolve the matter.

Ludwig van Beethoven

"As far as I am concerned, the debate is ended and the answer is absolutely clear, regarding that A natural. But there’s always somebody who will try to argue that black is white - or in this case, since it’s a white note, that white is black! So I fear the debate may continue unnecessarily."

Barry’s work really has left no note unturned, meaning that every single sonata has received some sort of change. That said, Barry insists that his changes are so small, they’re unlikely to be noticed by the average Beethoven fan.

"There are very few pages, if any, where what’s on paper in my edition is identical to what’s in another edition.

"But my versions differ mainly in tiny details, so the average listener may not notice them, although if the new version is played exactly as indicated, it will usually be possible for an acute listener to tell.

"The main difference between this and other editions, however, is the 150,000-word commentary, which is almost entirely new and is, I believe, essential reading for all pianists who wish to play and understand this music."