Description
A theme that shoots upward through an F minor broken chord opens Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 1 — a rising figure whose resemblance to the opening of the finale of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 is often noted. The three sonatas of Op. 2 were the first piano sonatas he published in Vienna, dedicated to his teacher Haydn.
Cast in sonata form in common time, it sets a tense first subject against a second in the relative major, A-flat. The development is short, and when the recapitulation pulls the second subject back into F minor the movement closes in the colour of the minor. Over 1,600 notes fill about three minutes.
Its advanced rating reflects the severity of its dynamic contrasts and the concentration needed to hold them. Forte and piano exchange places bar by bar in many passages, and played mechanically the music flattens out. Shape the rising theme so the energy gathers naturally towards its final note. What comes through here is how completely the twenty-five-year-old Beethoven already had a language of his own.
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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