I'm relatively new to the piano and have been trying to learn the second movement of Beethoven Sonata 15. In listening to the piece I've noticed that the chords played by the right hand are sustained while the left hand is stacato. So the right pedal can't be used to sustain the chords since it will make the notes played by the left hand sustain too. So my only other thought is that the middle pedal is used (I believe it's called the sustenato pedal) to accomplish this effect. Is that correct? Because using the middle pedal for each chord is extremely hard to do (at least for me). It requires pressing and releasing it for each chord with just the perfect timing. Is this what needs to be done or is there some other way to accomplish this? Any advice anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

dont you think that such sonata is too hard for biginer pianists?
Take my advice: first learn Haidn and mozart and after that Bethoven.
I saw the notes. I think it easily can be played if you have large fingers and good technique and you dont need any pedal.

I agree that there are other things to learn first and I am doing that. But I've been experimenting with this particular piece because it is relatively slow. I'm not having trouble reaching the notes or playing the chords. The problem is in sustaining the chords whith one hand while the other hand plays staccato. I saw a video of someone play this on YouTube and it was very apparent that they were hitting a chord wih the right hand and pulling the hand completely away from the piano but the chord's notes were sustaining. At the same time the left hand was playing staccato. I'm wondering how this is accomplished. The only way I can think of is with the sustenato pedal but it's extremely hard to work that into the timing without also making the left hand's notes sustain. Type in the name of that sonata in YouTube and see for yourself and then tell me if you can figure it out.

The middle pedal on the piano is not your answer.
The middle pedal works differently on different pianos (based on quality).

The way it is susposed to work is to shift the hammers to the right so the hammer only hits 2 strings instead of three.

Some lesser piano makers have the pedal sustain a group of strings but this is not the intended use of the middle pedal historically.

Ones that I have worked on which work correctly are Steinways, Baldwins, Bosendorfer, Grotrian, Hobart Cable,Chickering, Feurich.

If the sound you want is on the youtube video, you might want to watch the video closer. Are you sure he is doing what you think he is doing?

Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v0w5edJRHo

Note how many times the performed hits a chord with the right hand just for a moment and then pulls his hand way up but the chord sustains and at the same time his left hand is playing staccato very clearly without any sustain. Any ideas on how he does this?

I have been learning piano for a year and there is no way I would try such a difficult piece yet

I watched the video.
The player is palying a Steinway "D" series. It has a special pedal for just that. (no, not really just kidding).He is playing a Steinway "D" series concert grand piano though.

Watch the video again. Here is what he is doing. He is playing staccato in the left hand and holding sustains down with his right hand. If you listen closely and watch real close you will see at the end of the staccatto left hand his right hand does lift up and off the piano, but only after the left hand has completed it's staccatto phrase, the next left hand note also sustains. So he is applying the sustain pedal (and lifting his right hand) right after the completed left hand staccatto phrase.