Climbing towards the Summit of Knowledge: Beethoven as a Mirror for Heinrich Neuhaus’s Philosophy of Interpretation

Throughout his life the Russian pianist and Professor of the Moscow Conservatory –Heinrich Neuhaus – was consumed by an insatiable thirst for knowledge. For Neuhaus the pinnacle of all knowledge was encapsulated in the music of Beethoven. According to Neuhaus this attribute made the interpretation of Beethoven’s music a necessary but unattainable feat for conservatoire-level students, as well as the ultimate touchstone for a professional pianist. This article will look at what Neuhaus understood to be defined as knowledge and how this relates to emotion. The definition derived from this discussion will provide a territory and language to explore the specific qualities of knowledge and emotion which Neuhaus identified to be the major forces at the center of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in A-flat major Opus 110, and how they affect Neuhaus’s decisions as a pianistinterpreter.