Piano Sonata No. 9 (Beethoven)
Encyclopedia
The Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op.
14, No. 1, is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven
, dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun. It was composed in 1798
and transcribed - not arranged - for string quartet
by the composer in 1801 (Hess 34), the result containing more quartet-like passagework and in the more comfortable key of F major.
:
The first movement opens with a series of ascending fourths in the right hand, followed by a quartet-like echoing of a phrase in different octaves. The second theme, in B major, is based on a chromatically ascending scale. The development is full of sixteenth-note arpeggios in the left hand, and sixteenth-note left-hand scales accompany the start of the recapitulation, but the movement ends quietly.
The second movement is minuet
-like; the main section does not resolve to a full cadence, but ends on an E major chord that feels like the dominant of A minor. The first time, this leads without intermediate modulation to the trio, headed "Maggiore," in C; after its return, the coda briefly quotes the C major tune before returning to E minor.
The third movement is a lively rondo. On its final return, the main theme is syncopated against triplets.
Apart from some passages in the rondo (such as the final return), the sonata is quite easy to play. Notwithstanding its seeming simplicity, this sonata introduces the "sturm und drang" character that became so commonly identified with Beethoven. He adds drama both in the contrast between the lyrical passages that follow very active, textured thematic sections. Furthermore, the contrasting dynamics and variation between major and minor, between using the parallel minor and the subdominant of its relative major (E-minor to C-major). These were new techniques that offer a hint of the innovations that Beethoven brought to end the Classical era and begin the Romantic era.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
14, No. 1, is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven
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...
, dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun. It was composed in 1798
1798 in music
-Events:*Michael Haydn takes on Carl Maria von Weber as a pupil, free of charge*First edition of Niemetschek's biography of Mozart published.-Births:*January 31 – Carl Gottlieb Reissiger, kappellmeister and composer...
and transcribed - not arranged - for string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
by the composer in 1801 (Hess 34), the result containing more quartet-like passagework and in the more comfortable key of F major.
Form
The sonata is in three movementsMovement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
:
- Allegro 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....
- Allegretto in E minorE minorE minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
with a trio in C majorC majorC 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....
(which returns in the CodaCoda (music)Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
) - RondoRondoRondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also to a character-type that is distinct from the form...
- Allegro comodo in E major.
The first movement opens with a series of ascending fourths in the right hand, followed by a quartet-like echoing of a phrase in different octaves. The second theme, in B major, is based on a chromatically ascending scale. The development is full of sixteenth-note arpeggios in the left hand, and sixteenth-note left-hand scales accompany the start of the recapitulation, but the movement ends quietly.
The second movement is minuet
Minuet
A minuet, also spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in 3/4 time. The word was adapted from Italian minuetto and French menuet, and may have been from French menu meaning slender, small, referring to the very small steps, or from the early 17th-century popular...
-like; the main section does not resolve to a full cadence, but ends on an E major chord that feels like the dominant of A minor. The first time, this leads without intermediate modulation to the trio, headed "Maggiore," in C; after its return, the coda briefly quotes the C major tune before returning to E minor.
The third movement is a lively rondo. On its final return, the main theme is syncopated against triplets.
Apart from some passages in the rondo (such as the final return), the sonata is quite easy to play. Notwithstanding its seeming simplicity, this sonata introduces the "sturm und drang" character that became so commonly identified with Beethoven. He adds drama both in the contrast between the lyrical passages that follow very active, textured thematic sections. Furthermore, the contrasting dynamics and variation between major and minor, between using the parallel minor and the subdominant of its relative major (E-minor to C-major). These were new techniques that offer a hint of the innovations that Beethoven brought to end the Classical era and begin the Romantic era.
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. 14 no. 1 - Notes on the cycle of the sonatas performed by Artur PizarroArtur PizarroArtur Pizarro is a Portuguese pianist of international acclaim. He performs internationally in solo recitals, in duos, with chamber music groups, and as a soloist with the world's leading orchestras. He has an extensive discography available on Linn Records, as well as on Naxos, Hyperion, Collins...
- Notes by Christian Leotta includes information on the quartet version
- For a public domain recording of this sonata visit Musopen