All Entries in the "Beethoven Piano Sonatas" Category
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 111
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
Maestoso - Allegro con brio e appassionato
Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile
Beethoven still had five years left to live when he wrote this sonata but in many ways it feels like a definite end. The thirty two piano sonatas has spanned nearly thirty years of his [...]
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 110
Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110
Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
Allegro molto
Adagio ma non troppo
Fuga: Allegro ma non troppo
On paper, Op 110 is a traditional four-movement sonata. In reality however the work is a further example of the dissolution of sonata form within the outer movements as well [...]
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 109
The last decade of Beethoven’s life is universally regarded as one of the most intensely creative periods of any artist. Musicologists cannot resist the allure of the tortured genius, conscious of his approaching death choosing to sacrifice his life to art or the resulting compositions that still sound modern nearly 200 years later.
Although [...]
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 81a ‘Les Adieux’
Sonata in E flat major Op 81a ‘Les Adieux’ (1810/11)
Das Lebewohl: Adagio - Allegro
Das Abwesenheit: Andante espressivo
Das Wiedersehen: Vivacissimamente
In the 11 years between Op 10 and Op 81a, much had changed both for Beethoven personally and in Europe politically. Beethoven had become a household name throughout Europe for his music, the impact of [...]
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 57 ‘Appassionata’
Piano Sonata in F minor Op 57 “Appassionata”
Allegro assai
Andante con moto
Allegro ma non troppo
The difference in style between the three early sonatas and Appassionata is marked. In the intervening 12 years, Beethoven had written 20 piano sonatas, two cello sonatas, nine violin sonatas, three piano concerti, the first six string quartets, the Triple Concerto [...]
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 54
Sonata in F major Op 54
In Tempo d’un Menuetto
Allegretto
With stories of his tantrums and grumpy demeanour in plentiful supply, it is difficult to imagine Beethoven ever cracking a smile or telling a joke. This sonata proves without at doubt that Beethoven’s sense of humour functioned perfectly well. Both Op 54 and Op 57 ‘Appassionata’ [...]
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 27 No.2 ‘Moonlight’
Op 27 No.2 ‘Moonlight’
Adagio sostenuto
Allegretto
Presto
Like the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the first movement of the Moonlight sonata has become a victim of its own popularity. The piece has been transcribed for all manner of instruments and there is hardly an amateur pianist who has not given it a try at least once. It [...]
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 27 No.1
Beethoven was 31 years old when he was writing Op 27. He had been living in Vienna for eight years, was firmly established as one of the best pianists around and had his first symphony, six string quartets, five violin sonatas and twelve piano sonatas under his belt. In contrast with [...]
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 10 No. 3
Sonata in D major, Op. 10, No. 3 (1796-98)
Presto
Largo e mesto
Menuetto: Allegro
Rondo: Allegro
The D major sonata is regarded by most critics as the finest of the Op 10 set. Music historian Ernest Walker wrote that ‘the individuality of style is absolute and unchallenged, the structure of all the movements is mature and [...]
Beethoven Piano Sonata Op 10 No. 2
Sonata in F major, Op. 10, No. 2 (1796-98)
Allegro
Allegretto
Presto
Beethoven made a few minor changes to the standard sonata form in this piece, the first of which occurs in the development of the first movement. Traditionally, the development is a place for the composer to play around with the first and second themes and [...]
