A method for controlling a wind power installation, wherein - the wind power installation has an aerodynamic rotor with rotor blades that are individually adjustable in their blade angle and the rotor can be operated with a variable rotational rotor speed, and - the wind power installation has a generator coupled to the aerodynamic rotor, for generating a generator output, comprising the steps of: - individually adjusting each blade angle in a way corresponding to an individual setpoint blade angle, wherein - each setpoint blade angle is made up of - a common basic angle, which is specified for all of the rotor blades, and - an individual compensatory angle, to allow for individual load torques, - detecting in each case at least one load torque on each of the rotor blades, or a variable that is representative of this, wherein - for each rotor blade considered, there is a preceding rotor blade and the setpoint blade angle of each rotor blade considered is determined in dependence on the at least one load torque of its preceding rotor blade according to at least one or more first and/or second design criteria, characterized in that - at least one, or the one or more first design criteria are selected from the list comprising - reduction of the load, - neutrality of the yield and - preservation of a pitch drive and also or alternatively - the one or more second design criteria are selected from the list comprising - drive dynamics of the pitch drive and - limit values of the pitch drive, wherein - the at least one detected load torque and possibly the further variables are included by way of weighting factors or weighting functions that can be set, in particular such that each of the further variables is respectively assigned one of the weighting factors or weighting functions that can be set and wherein - the weighting factors or weighting functions are chosen in dependence on the achievable reduction of the load, neutrality of the yield and preservation of the drive. - the wind power installation has an aerodynamic rotor with rotor blades that are individually adjustable in their blade angle and the rotor can be operated with a variable rotational rotor speed, and - the wind power installation has a generator coupled to the aerodynamic rotor, for generating a generator output, comprising the steps of: - individually adjusting each blade angle in a way corresponding to an individual setpoint blade angle, wherein - each setpoint blade angle is made up of - a common basic angle, which is specified for all of the rotor blades, and - an individual compensatory angle, to allow for individual load torques, - detecting in each case at least one load torque on each of the rotor blades, or a variable that is representative of this, wherein - for each rotor blade considered, there is a preceding rotor blade and the setpoint blade angle of each rotor blade considered is determined in dependence on the at least one load torque of its preceding rotor blade according to at least one or more first and/or second design criteria, characterized in that - at least one, or the one or more first design criteria are selected from the list comprising - reduction of the load, - neutrality of the yield and - preservation of a pitch drive and also or alternatively - the one or more second design criteria are selected from the list comprising - drive dynamics of the pitch drive and - limit values of the pitch drive, wherein - the at least one detected load torque and possibly the further variables are included by way of weighting factors or weighting functions that can be set, in particular such that each of the further variables is respectively assigned one of the weighting factors or weighting functions that can be set and wherein - the weighting factors or weighting functions are chosen in dependence on the achievable reduction of the load, neutrality of the yield and preservation of the drive.