Piano Sonata No.23 "Appassionata" Op.57 - II. Andante con moto
Ludwig van Beethoven (1805)
Description
The second movement of the "Appassionata." The nickname is not Beethoven's: it stuck after a publisher attached it to a four-hand arrangement in 1838. Against the violence of the outer movements, this middle movement alone keeps its stillness.
In D-flat major and duple time, a plain theme written entirely in chords is followed by three variations. With each one the note values grow finer, raising the density while the outline of the theme stays where it was. After the theme returns at the end, the music does not resolve: a diminished seventh is left sounding and the finale breaks in over it.
The intermediate rating belies how delicate the handling is. Since the theme is nothing but a succession of chords, everything depends on whether the top voice sings. Do not lose the theme's metre as the variations divide it more finely. And the final chord is a question, not a cadence — close the music there and the finale has no reason to begin.
Piano sonatas representative of the Classical and Romantic eras, including Beethoven's early works — substantial multi-movement pieces throughout.
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Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Born in Bonn and active in Vienna, Ludwig van Beethoven is among the towering figures in music history, bridging the Classical and Romantic eras. Despite losing his hearing in later life, he continued composing, pursuing innovative forms and intense emotional expression in his symphonies and piano sonatas. His beloved piano piece "Fur Elise" and his 32 piano sonatas remain widely performed. This site includes "Für Elise," the two sonatas of Op. 49, movements from his early piano sonatas, and sets of variations.
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