beethoven sonatas, style, form details Flashcards
no. 1 - mov 1
allegro, sonata form, first theme in f minor, 2nd theme in a flat major, there are two codettas, development uses mostly the second theme. short coda. tense agitated feel,
The first movement, in 2/2 time, is in sonata form. The first theme is driven by an ascending arpeggiated figure, very similar to the opening of the fourth movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40.[2] The second theme, in A-flat major, is accompanied by eighth-note octaves in the bass (usually with dominant harmony). There are two codettas; the first consists of a series of energetic descending scales in A-flat major, and the second is a lyrical passage marked con espressione. In this second codetta and in the second theme Beethoven makes interesting use of mode mixture as the right hand parts borrows from the parallel minor. The development opens with the initial theme, but is mostly dedicated to the second theme and its eighth-note accompaniment. The retransition to the main theme uses its sixteenth-note triplet. The recapitulation repeats the material from the exposition without much change, except that it stays in F minor throughout. There is a short coda. A tense, agitated feel is ubiquitous throughout the movement. Within the entire movement there seems to be two primary themes, with the remaining melodies simply making up the rest of score. The first theme consists of bars 1 to 8 which then repeats themselves, with very slight variations, in bars 101 to 108. It is variated in a bigger scale from bars 49 to 54. The second theme lasts from 20 to 35, and like the first theme is then restated in slight variations, in 55 to 60. It is also restated in bars 119 to 124.
no. 1 - mov 2
adagio (f major),
- highly ornamentaed lyrical theme, in 3/4 time.
- ternary form.
- earliest adagio
The second movement opens with a highly ornamented lyrical theme in 3/4 time in F major. This movement is in ternary form. This is followed by a more agitated transitional passage in D minor accompanied by quiet parallel thirds, followed by a passage full of thirty-second notes in C major. This leads back to a more embellished form of the F major theme, which is followed by an F major variation of the C major section. This Adagio is the earliest composition by Beethoven now in general circulation; it was adapted from the slow movement of a piano quartet from 1785.[3]
no. 1 - mov 3
menuetto - allegretto in f minor
- Contains two repeated sections, followed by a trio in f major in two repeated sections,
- characterized by syncopations, dramatic pauses and sharp dynamic contrasts, and ,..
The third movement, a minuet in F minor, is conventional in form. It contains two repeated sections, followed by a trio in F major in two repeated sections, after which the first minuet returns. The minuet is characterized by syncopations, dramatic pauses and sharp dynamic contrast, and like many minor-key minuets has a somewhat melancholy tone spanning major and minor tonality. The trio is built around longer, more lyric phrases that pass between the right and left hands in imitative polyphony. The main material is reprised after the trio.[2]
no. 1 - mov 4
prestissimo in f minor
- modified sonata form
- no coda
The fourth movement, like the first and third, is in F minor, and is built using a modified sonata form (the development is replaced by new thematic material). The exposition is accompanied by ceaseless eighth-note triplets. The first theme is based on three staccato quarter note chords, and gives the impression of an energetic and frantic pursuit of something elusive.[2] A transitional passage leads to a more lyrical but still agitated theme in C minor. The chords of the first theme return to close the exposition. Where the development would be expected to start, there is a completely new theme in A-flat major, with the first respite from the eighth-note triplets. This is followed by an extended retransition based on alternating motives from the first theme and the “development” theme. The recapitulation presents the first and second themes in F minor. There is no coda, only a fortissimo descending arpeggio—in eighth-note triplets—to conclude the piece.
no. 1
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1, was written in 1795 and dedicated to Joseph Haydn. A typical performance of the entire work lasts about 17 to 20 minutes.
Tovey wrote, “Sir Hubert Parry has aptly compared the opening of [this sonata] with that of the finale of Mozart’s G minor symphony to show how much closer Beethoven’s texture is. The slow movement … well illustrates the rare cases in which Beethoven imitates Mozart to the detriment of his own proper richness of tone and thought, while the finale in its central episode brings a misapplied and somewhat diffuse structure in Mozart’s style into a direct conflict with themes as Beethovenish in their terseness as in their sombre passion.”[1]
no. 2 - mov 1
I. Allegro vivace 2/4
-striking modulations.
An athletic movement that has a bright disposition. The second theme of exposition contains some striking modulations for the time period. A large portion of the development section is in F major, which contains a third relationship with the key of the work, A major. A difficult, but beautiful canonic section is also to be found in the development. The recapitulation contains no coda and the movement ends quietly and unassumingly.
Tovey wrote, “The opening of the second subject in the first movement is a wonderful example of the harmonic principle previously mentioned…In all music, nothing equally dramatic can be found before the D minor sonata Opus 31 No. 2 which is rightly regarded as marking the beginning of Beethoven’s second period.”[1]
no. 2 - mov 2
II. Largo appassionato 3/4 D major
- imitates the style of a string quartet, staccato, like pizzicato
- contrapuntal
One of the few instances in which Beethoven uses the tempo marking “Largo”, which was the slowest such marking for a movement. The opening imitates the style of a string quartet and features a staccato pizzicato-like bass against lyrical chords. A high degree of contrapuntal thinking is evident in Beethoven’s conception of this movement. The key is the subdominant of A major, D major.
Tovey wrote, “The slow movement shows a thrilling solemnity that immediately proves the identity of the pupil of Haydn with the creator of the 9th symphony.”[1]
no. 2 - mov 3
III. Scherzo: Allegretto 3/4 A major, A minor, A major
-first instance of a schertzo
III. Scherzo: Allegretto[edit]
Beethoven-op2n2-mvmt3.svg
A short and graceful movement that is in many respects similar to a minuet. This is the first instance in his 32 numbered sonatas in which the term “Scherzo” is used. A minor trio section adds contrast to the cheerful opening material of this movement.
no. 2 - mov 4
IV. Rondo: Grazioso common time
- beautiful and lyrical
- a1-b1-a-2-c-a3-b2-a4-coda
- c section is in parallel minor, agitated and stormy. sturm and drang,
IV. Rondo: Grazioso[edit]
Beethoven-op2n2-mvmt4.svg
A beautiful and lyrical rondo. The arpeggio that opens the repeated material becomes more elaborate at each entrance. The form of this rondo is A1-B1-A2-C-A3-B2-A4-Coda. The C section, in the parallel minor is rather agitated and stormy in comparison to the rest of the work, and is representative of the so-called “Sturm und Drang” style. A simple but elegant V7-I closes the entire work in the lower register, played piano.
A typical performance lasts about 22 minutes.
no. 3 - mov 1
c major Allegro con brio, common time -standard sonata allegro format of classical period -second theme in g major, -difficult thirds -longest movements from the early period
First Movement[edit]
The first movement follows the Sonata-Allegro format of the Classical period. The movement opens with the main theme in the tonic key, beginning with a double-thirds trill-like pattern. This opening passage is famously nightmarish for pianists, and Arthur Rubenstein even used this passage to test pianos before performing on them. This pattern leads into an energetic outburst of a broken-chord and broken-octave section. The second theme of the exposition is written in G Major, the dominant key of C Major; starting with a descending G minor scale adding to the virtuosity of the movement. Some believed Beethoven was influenced here by the Weiner (bellend) ideals of expressionism. A forte shows later, leading to a very rich melody with left and right hand. Then a similar outburst of a broken-chord and broken-octave sections appears in fortissimo. Then it ends with some difficult trills and an octave scale. In the Development section, the composer opens it by improvising on trill patterns introduced in the end of the exposition, which are much more difficult to play. Following a broken-chords section filled with harmony changes, the main theme is restated in D Major (pianissimo), the supertonic key of C Major. Then a fortissimo and Beethoven’s very common syncopations appears in the music giving a rhythm, this continues on to the resolution. The recapitulation is a key change from G Major to C major, which is finished by a Cadenza, which begins with a sudden A-flat major chord. This music is also an exception because cadenzas do not usually appear in music other than concertos. The cadenza is very light and vibrant and it ends with a long trill and descending chromatic scale in the right hand. The first movement is about 10 minutes long and is one of Beethoven’s longest movements from his early period.
no. 3 - mov 2
Adagio, 2/4 in E major, -style of a string quartet -four clear voices -middle section in e minor -Second Movement[edit] The second movement is marked Adagio and written in the key of E Major. This is written in the style of a string quartet, as there are four clear voices. The middle section, in E minor, contains numerous examples of Romanticism, and is considered a prelude to the master's later sonatas. Later in the movement, it repeats the E minor passage in E Major.
Third Movement[edit]
no. 3 - mov 3
Scherzo: Allegro, 3/4
- minuet trio form
- use of polyphony
- relative key of c major, running arpeggios in the right hand, there is a coda.
Third Movement[edit]
The third movement, a Scherzo, is written in Minuet-Trio form. It opens with a joke-like statement, and the composer uses some polyphony. The trio is in the relative minor key of C Major (A minor) and contains running arpeggios in the right hand with the left hand playing a melodic line in octave form. The coda of this short movement ends the Scherzo softly with a perfect cadence.
no. 3 - mov 4
Allegro assai, 6/8
- ronda,
- sonata rondo form
- virtuosic, speedy.
Fourth Movement[edit]
The final movement, listed as a Rondo, is in the Sonata-Rondo form. The movement opens with an ascending run of first inversion chords in the right hand, which is the movement’s main theme. Like the first movement, the second theme in the exposition is also written in G Major. The great speed of this movement makes it challenging for pianists.
no. 4 - mov 1
-Allegro molto e con brio, 6/8
no. 4 - mov 2
Largo, con gran espressione, 3/4 in C major
no. 4 - mov 3
Allegro, 3/4; Trio in E-flat minor
no. 4 - mov 4
Rondo: Poco allegretto e grazioso, 2/4
no. 5 - mov 1
Allegro molto e con brio in C minor
- sonata form
- contrasting loud and soft passages
- the secondary theme is stated in f major, (predominant) a false start, bfore being stated in the tonic c minor.
First movement[edit]
The first movement, in sonata form, opens energetically with contrasting loud and soft phrases. The theme is angular in shape, both in its rising arpeggios and its dotted rhythm. The exposition lasts from mm. 1–105. The primary theme, a modified sentence structure, lasts from mm. 1–30. The transition, which is separately thematized and provides a quiet contrast, is in two parts and lasts from mm. 31–55. The secondary theme, which is accompanied by an Alberti bass, lasts from mm. 56–75 and ends with the essential exposition closure. The closing section, in two parts, quotes both secondary and primary themes. The development (after Darcy/Hepokoski’s Sonata Theory) is half-rotational and divides into pre-core and core sections (after William Caplin); it lasts from mm. 106–168. The retransition, mm. 158–167, leads into the recapitulation. The recapitulation is at mm. 168–284, 11 measures longer than the exposition. The exposition’s transition is altered harmonically in the recapitulation. Initially, the secondary theme is stated in F major (predominant), a “false start”, before being stated in tonic C minor. The secondary theme is also expanded from the exposition. The essential structural closure is in m. 253.
no. 5 - mov 2
Adagio molto in A flat major
- lyrical adagio,
- embellishments
- ABAB form, sonatina form.
- there is no development section
- apparent third appearnce of the main theme turns into a coda,
Second movement[edit]
The second movement is a lyrical Adagio with many embellishments. It is in A–B–A–B or “sonatina” form (there is no development section, only a single bar of a rolled V7 chord leading back to the tonic key); an apparent third appearance of the main theme turns into a coda, which slowly fades to a final perfect cadence.
no. 5 - mov 3
Finale: Prestissimo in C minor
- sonata form
- called nervous
- five eighth note figure,
- short development section
- picardy third ending
Third movement[edit]
The third movement is a highly nervous piece in sonata form, making heavy use of a figure of five eighth notes. The short development section contains an unmistakable foreshadow of the theme from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The coda slows the tempo down, leading to a final outburst which fades to a quiet but agitated Picardy third.
no. 5
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10, No. 1 was composed some time during 1796–98.
The first movement of the sonata has a 3/4 meter, the second movement 2/4, and the final movement 2/2. Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 5 is a first-period composition, anticipating more notable C minor works such as the Pathétique Sonata and the Fifth Symphony in its nervous energy.
Like all three sonatas of his Opus 10, it is dedicated to Anna Margarete von Browne, the wife of one of Beethoven’s patrons, a Russian diplomat in Vienna.[1]
no. 4
Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 4, in E-flat major, Op. 7, sometimes nicknamed the Grand Sonata, dedicated to his student Babette, the Countess Keglevics, has four movements. This piano sonata was composed in Bratislava, in 1796, in November, during his visit of Keglevich Palace in Bratislava.
Piano Sonata No 4, Op. 7 - 1. Allegro molto e con brio
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Along with the Hammerklavier Sonata, it is one of the longest piano sonatas of Beethoven. A typical performance lasts about 28 minutes.
no. 3
Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2, No. 3, is a sonata written for solo piano, composed in 1796. It is dedicated to Joseph Haydn and is often referred to as Beethoven’s first virtuosic piano sonata. It is both the weightiest and longest of the three Opus 2 sonatas, lasting over 25 minutes, presenting many difficulties, including difficult trills, awkward hand movements, and wrist rotation. It’s Beethoven’s second longest piano sonata in his early period, only to Beethoven’s Grand Sonata, published a year later. [1]
no. 2
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2, No. 2, was published in 1796 and dedicated to Joseph Haydn.
Tovey wrote, “The second sonata is flawless in execution and entirely beyond the range of Haydn and Mozart in harmonic and dramatic thought, except in the Finale.”[1]
no. 6 - 1
Allegro in F major
The first movement is in sonata form. The development is based on the C-G-C tag which concludes the exposition, with no clear use of any other material from the exposition. However, it creates many wonderful melodies, some of which can be moderately difficult to play. The recapitulation is unusual because the 1st theme is in D major before modulating back to tonic for the 2nd theme.
no. 6 - 2
Allegretto in F minor
The second movement is in A-B-A form, with the return of the first section strongly embellished. It is more reminiscent of Beethoven’s Bagatelles than of most of his scherzi. The middle section, in D-flat, has a hint of anticipation of the third movement of the First Symphony.
no. 6 - 3
Presto in F major
The third movement is in sonata form, with a fugal development. The recapitulation is unusual because the 1st theme is a fugal variation instead of a literal repeat.
no. 7 - 1
Presto - cut time
no. 7 - 2
Largo e mesto - 6/8 in D minor
no. 7 - 3
Menuetto: Allegro - 3/4 in D major - G major - D major
no. 7 - 4
Rondo: Allegro - common time
no. 7
Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, was dedicated to the Countess Anne Margarete von Browne, and written in 1798. This makes it contemporary with his three opus 9 string trios, his three opus 12 violin sonatas, and the violin and orchestra romance that became his opus 50 when later published. The year also saw the premiere of a revised version of his second piano concerto, whose original form had been written and heard in 1795.[1]
It is divided into four movements:
Presto - cut time
Largo e mesto - 6/8 in D minor
Menuetto: Allegro - 3/4 in D major - G major - D major
Rondo: Allegro - common time
The opus 10 sonatas are usually described as angular or experimental, as Beethoven began moving further and further away from his earlier models. This third sonata of the set is the longest at approximately 24 minutes. It is the only one of the opus 10 sonatas that has four movements. The second movement is famous for its intimations of later tragic slow movements, as well as for its own beauty. It is said that Beethoven expressed his feelings of becoming deaf by writing this movement.
no. 8 - 1
Grave (Slowly, with solemnity) – Allegro di molto e con brio (Quickly, with much vigour)
Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio[edit] The first movement is in sonata form. It begins with a slow introductory theme, marked Grave. The exposition, marked Allegro di molto con brio, is in 2 2 time (alla breve) in the home key of C minor and features three themes. Theme 1 features an aggressive rocket theme covering two octaves, accompanied with constant tremolo octaves in the left hand. Beethoven then makes use of unorthodox mode-mixture, as he presents the second theme in E-flat minor rather than its customary parallel major. This theme is more lyrical and makes use of grace notes and crossed hands. Theme 3 has modulated to the mediant, E-flat major, and features an Alberti-type figuration for the bass with tremolo. A codetta, with ideas from the opening allegro, closes the section. Some performers of the sonata include the introduction in the repeat of the exposition (Rudolf Serkin and András Schiff, for example), but most return to the beginning of the allegro section. This movement is one of the few compositions that contain hundred twenty-eighth notes (semihemidemisemiquavers).
no. 8 - 2
Adagio cantabile (Slowly, in a singing style)
The development section begins in the key of G minor. In this section, Beethoven extends Haydn’s compositional practice by returning to the introductory section. After this reappearance of the Grave, the composer generates suspense with an extended dominant preparation.
no. 8 - 3
Rondo: Allegro (Quickly)
The recapitulation brings back the themes of the exposition in different keys: themes 1 and 3 are played in the tonic key of C minor, then theme 2 is played in the unexpected key of F minor but then returns to the tonic key. The coda is very dramatic and includes a brief reminder of the Grave before ending with a swift cadence.
no. 8
Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, commonly known as Sonata Pathétique, was written from 1797 until 1799 and was published in 1799. It has remained one of his most celebrated compositions.[1] Beethoven dedicated the work to his friend Prince Karl von Lichnowsky.[2] Although commonly thought to be one of the few works to be named by the composer himself, it was actually named Grande sonate pathétique (to Beethoven’s liking) by the publisher, who was impressed by the sonata’s tragic sonorities.[3]
Prominent musicologists debate whether or not the Pathétique may have been inspired by Mozart’s piano sonata K. 457, since both compositions are in C minor and have three very similar movements. The second movement, “Adagio cantabile”, especially, makes use of a theme remarkably similar to that of the spacious second movement of Mozart’s sonata.[4] However, Beethoven’s sonata uses a unique motif line throughout, a major difference from Haydn or Mozart’s creation.[2
Reactions of Beethoven’s contemporaries[edit]
The Pathétique was an important success for Beethoven, selling well[7] and helping to create his reputation as a composer,[8] not just an extraordinary pianist. Not only was it immediately popular, it also exposed the world to the characteristics that Beethoven’s music would continue to develop in the coming years.[1]
When the pianist and composer Ignaz Moscheles discovered the work in 1804, he was ten years old; unable to afford to buy the music, he copied it out from a library copy. His music teacher, on being told about his discovery, “warned me against playing or studying eccentric productions before I had developed a style based on more respectable models. Without paying heed to his instructions, however, I laid Beethoven’s works on the piano, in the order of their appearance, and found in them such consolation and pleasure as no other composer ever vouchsafed me.”[9]
Anton Schindler, a musician who was a friend of Beethoven in the composer’s later years, wrote: “What the Sonate Pathétique was in the hands of Beethoven (although he left something to be desired as regards clean playing) was something that one had to have heard, and heard again, in order to be quite certain that it was the same already well-known work. Above all, every single thing became, in his hands, a new creation, wherein his always legato playing, one of the particular characteristics of his execution, formed an important part.”[9]
no. 9 - 1
Allegro in E major
The first movement opens with a series of ascending fourths in the right hand, followed by a quartet-like echoing of a phrase in different octaves. The second theme, in B major, is based on a chromatically descending scale. The development is full of sixteenth-note arpeggios in the left hand, and sixteenth-note left-hand scales accompany the start of the recapitulation, but the movement ends quietly.
no. 9 - 2
Allegretto in E minor with a trio in C major (which returns in the Coda)
The second movement is minuet-like; the main section does not resolve to a full cadence, but ends on an E-major chord that feels like the dominant of A minor. The first time, this leads without intermediate modulation to the trio, headed “Maggiore,” in C; after its return, the coda briefly quotes the C major tune before returning to E minor. Anton Schindler recalled that Beethoven would play the E-minor section furiously, before pausing at length on the E-major chord and giving a calmer account of the Maggiore.[1]
no. 9 - 3
Rondo – Allegro comodo in E major.
The third movement is a lively rondo. On its final return, the main theme is syncopated against triplets.
no. 9
The Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14, No. 1, is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven, dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun. It was composed in 1798 and arranged – not transcribed[citation needed] – for string quartet by the composer in 1801 (Hess 34), the result containing more quartet-like passagework and in the more comfortable key of F major.
The pianist and musicologist Charles Rosen considers both of the Opus 14 sonatas to be “considerably more modest than their predecessors”, “destined for use in the home” and with “few technical difficulties”.[2
Notwithstanding its seeming simplicity, this sonata introduces the “Sturm und Drang” character that became so commonly identified with Beethoven. He adds drama both in the contrast between the lyrical passages that follow very active, textured thematic sections. Furthermore, the contrasting dynamics and variation between major and minor, between using the parallel minor and the subdominant of its relative major (E-minor to C-major). These were new techniques that offer a hint of the innovations that Beethoven brought to end the Classical era and begin the Romantic era.
no. 10 -1
Allegro in G major
The first movement, marked ligato in the urtext score, opens with a brief sixteenth-note phrase, accompanied by short, tied arpeggios in the bass. This phrase is used consistently throughout the movement and subject to a great deal of highly imaginative development through changing harmonies and shifting key-centres. Bars 70-80 are particularly notable, in that the main theme is subjected to highly chromatic treatment at this point. Thirty-second-note passages develop in the upper register of the piano, limiting the tempo at which it can reasonably be taken. The entire movement ends with a coda, where, according to Charles Rosen, Beethoven ‘decides to normalize the rhythm of the main theme, and make it no longer witty but expressive.’ The closing two bars consist of a quiet, quick turn in the treble.
no. 10 -2
Andante variations in C major, subdominant of G major
The second movement is a set of variations on a disjunct, chordal theme which is marked “La prima parte senza replica” (first part without repeats). The form of the music is Theme with Three Variations. It seems about to end quietly, like the first and last movements, but then concludes abruptly with a crashing fortissimo C major chord.
no. 10 -3
Scherzo: Allegro assai in G major
Like the first movement, the third movement opens with an ascending, hesitant, three-note motif that conveys considerable rhythmic ambiguity. In his book, The Music Instinct, the cognitive scientist Philip Ball[2] singles out this theme as an example of the classic trick of disguising ‘one rhythmic structure as another.’ The movement, which is in 3/8 time, is entitled “Scherzo” but is actually in rondo form. The main theme undergoes many changes, until the end, where it ends quietly, on the very lowest notes of the piano of Beethoven’s time. The movement plays with listener expectations through rhythmic ambiguity, unexpected harmonic shifts, and above all, the use of strategically placed silences. All of these characteristic examples of musical wit show the continuing influence of Haydn on Beethoven at this early stage in his composing career.
no. 10
The Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14, No. 2, composed in 1798–1799, is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven, dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun. A typical performance lasts 15 minutes. While it is not as well known as some of the more original sonatas of Beethoven’s youth, such as the Pathétique or Moonlight sonatas, Donald Francis Tovey described it as an ‘exquisite little work.’[1]
no. 11 - 1
Allegro con brio
First Movement[edit]
The first movement is in typical sonata form. The exposition starts in the tonic key and transitions into the dominant key as the second theme begins. The development plays around with the closing measures of the exposition before making the right hand play arpeggios as the bass line slowly descends chromatically. The theme of the closing octaves from the exposition comes back again in the bass, leading into a chromatic scale resolving in an FMm7 chord (dominant function of the sonata), which sets up the recapitulation. The recapitulation is at first the same as the exposition, but has some changes, with a deviation that sets the rest of the movement to stay in the tonic key.[4]
no. 11 - 2
Adagio con molto espressione
Second Movement[edit]
Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat major, Op. 22, 2nd Movement (Part 1), Adagio con molto espressione
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Performed in 1933 by Arthur Schnabel. Run time is three minutes and 40 seconds.
Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat major, Op. 22, 2nd Movement (Conclusion), Adagio con molto espressione
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Performed in 1933 by Arthur Schnabel. Run time is five minutes and 16 seconds.
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The second movement is in E flat major and is also in sonata form. Its opening melody if often compared to the later music of Chopin.[4] The exposition starts in the tonic key and ends in the dominant key. The development plays around with the first theme of the exposition, slowly building intensity until both hands play constant 16th notes. The right hand plays a second voice above its 16th notes, and a little later, the left hand plays a bass line consisting of just B flats. The left hand then stops and the right hand flows right into the recapitulation. The recapitulation stays in the tonic key for the rest of the movement.
no. 11 - 3
Menuetto
Third Movement[edit]
Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat major, Op. 22, 3rd Movement, Menuetto
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Performed in 1933 by Arthur Schnabel. Run time is three minutes and 16 seconds.
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The third movement is in minuet and trio form, but the trio is instead a very contrasting “Minore”. The first 30 measures of the Menuetto are in B flat major, the Minore is in G minor (the relative minor of B flat major). The end of the Minore is marked Menuetto D.C. senza replica which means to play the Menuetto again, this time without taking the repeats. This is the shortest movement.[4]
no. 11 - 4
Rondo: Allegretto
Fourth Movement[edit]
Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat major, Op. 22, 4th Movement, Rondo - Allegretto
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Performed in 1933 by Arthur Schnabel. Run time is five minutes and 14 seconds.
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The fourth movement is in a rondo form: A-B-A-C-A-B-A-Coda.[4] The first “A” theme starts in the tonic key, and the “B” theme transitions into the dominant key with big grand arpeggios in the right hand using a good portion of the keyboard. After the arpeggios, both hands play around with the “A” theme’s melody before arriving back to the tonic key at the second “A” theme (with very little deviation from the first “A” theme). Suddenly, the “C” theme begins with a key change into B flat minor (although not marked in the key signature). The sharp forte chords, although in stark contrast with the rest of the rondo, bear some resemblance to the first few chords of the “B” theme. The right hand then plays urgent 32nd notes while the left hand supports with staccato 16th notes. This reaches a climax, a “call-and-response” play on the beginning of the “C” theme, and the 32nd note passage with the climax again.
Not unlike the end of the “B” theme, the “A” theme’s melody is suggested a few times before returning to the tonic key and a third “A” section. However, the melody of this “A” section is in the left hand until the right hand has a two-measure 32nd note run that flows into the rest of the melody, this time the right hand octaves being broken. The next section (second “B” section) is very similar to the first “B” section except that it stays in the tonic key all the way through. A fake “A” section is played in the subdominant key before developing into the final “A” section where the melody consists of triplet 16th notes instead of regular duplet 16th notes. The very end of the final “A” sections runs right into the coda that builds up to an exciting final climax before relaxing to a piano dynamic level and two big chords (dominant seventh to tonic) to conclude the sonata.
no. 11
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat major, Op. 22, was composed in 1800, and published two years later. Beethoven regarded it as the best of his early sonatas, though some of its companions in the cycle have been at least as popular with the public.[2]
Prominent musicologist Donald Francis Tovey has called this work the crowning achievement and culmination of Beethoven’s early “grand” piano sonatas.[3] Subsequent sonatas find Beethoven experimenting more with form and concept.[2]
no. 6
Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major, Op. 10, No. 2, was dedicated to the Countess Anne Margarete von Browne, and written from 1796 to 1798.
The sonata spans approximately 14 minutes.
12-1
Andante con variazioni 3/8 A-flat major
12-2
Scherzo, allegro molto 3/4 A-flat major, D-flat major, A-flat major
12-3
Maestoso andante, marcia funebre sulla morte d’un eroe 4/4 G-sharp minor, A-flat major
