NO MAN’S LAND: Yuan Sheng Piano Recital

Pianist Sheng Yuan will perform Beethoven’s final three piano sonatas (Op. 109, 110, and 111) in a single continuous program, guiding audiences through the composer’s final artistic and existential journey. While Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas are widely regarded as pinnacles of the keyboard repertoire, his last three works remain far less familiar to listeners compared to iconic “hits” like the Moonlight, Appassionata, and Pathétique sonatas. Often perceived as arcane and profound, these late sonatas—marked by radical experimentation and spiritual introspection—are thought to lack the immediate emotional resonance of his earlier masterpieces. Even in 2020, the Beethoven anniversary year, concerts featuring all three final sonatas were exceedingly rare in China.