Description
This slow movement alone was not newly written: it reworks for solo piano the Adagio of the Piano Quartet in C major, WoO 36 No. 3, which Beethoven composed when he was around fifteen. It is the second movement of the Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 2 No. 1; the Op. 2 set was published in Vienna in 1795 and dedicated to his teacher Haydn.
Turning away from the F minor of the opening movement, it begins quietly in F major and triple meter, the melody already wearing its ornaments. The theme returns several times in altered guise, and with each return the decoration grows finer until demisemiquavers cover the line entirely. The texture is thin, the writing almost plain.
It is an intermediate movement, but only the note count is easy. The moment the ornaments are treated as fast notes to be got through, the music turns dull. They have to sing as part of the melody, and the four-odd minutes have to hold a single sense of tempo from beginning to end.
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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