Piano Sonata No. 3 (Beethoven)
Encyclopedia
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 Franz Joseph Haydn. The sonata was written three years prior to Beethoven's widely known Pathétique Sonata
in C minor.
This work is the weightiest of the three Opus 2 sonatas and is often referred to as Beethoven's first virtuosic piano sonata, at nearly ten minutes longer in length.
The first movement, marked con brio, contains numerous examples of demanding virtuoso pianistic techniques. It has a quasi-cadenza
towards the end.
The final allegro assai movement includes upward runs, trills, sudden contrasts, and some use of the minor key.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
, Op. 2, No. 3, is a sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
written for solo piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, composed in 1796. It is dedicated to Franz Joseph Haydn. The sonata was written three years prior to Beethoven's widely known Pathétique Sonata
Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, commonly known as Sonata Pathétique, was written in 1798 when the composer was 27 years old, and was published in 1799. Beethoven dedicated the work to his friend Prince Karl von Lichnowsky...
in C minor.
This work is the weightiest of the three Opus 2 sonatas and is often referred to as Beethoven's first virtuosic piano sonata, at nearly ten minutes longer in length.
Structure
The sonata, in C major, consists of four movements:- Allegro con brio, common timeCommon Time"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
- Adagio, 2/4 in E majorE majorE major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
- ScherzoScherzoA scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
: Allegro, 3/4 - Allegro assai, 6/8
The first movement, marked con brio, contains numerous examples of demanding virtuoso pianistic techniques. It has a quasi-cadenza
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
towards the end.
The final allegro assai movement includes upward runs, trills, sudden contrasts, and some use of the minor key.
Media
External links
- A lecture by András SchiffAndrás SchiffAndrás Schiff is a Hungarian-born British classical pianist, who has won a number of awards including the Grammy and made numerous recordings.- Biography :...
on Beethoven's piano sonata Op. 2 No. 3 - A public-domain recording of this sonata, at Musopen