Piano Sonata No. 2 (Beethoven)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ludwig van Beethoven's Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2, No. 2 was written in 1795. Like all the works published under Op . 2 , it is dedicated to Joseph Haydn and was performed by the composer for the first time in the same year in the presence of Haydn.

construction

  • First movement: Allegro vivace, A major, 2/4 time, 336 bars
  • Second movement: Largo appassionato, D major, 3/4 time, 80 bars
  • Third movement: Scherzo, Allegretto, A major, 3/4 time, 68 bars
  • Fourth movement: Rondo, Grazioso, 4/4 bars, 187 bars

First sentence

The first theme consists of motifs played in unison: a downward fourth downward (A - E) octaved fourth is followed by a five-tone downward sequence (E - A) in thirty-second notes; the same thing is repeated (A - F sharp; F sharp - B). The following dominant seventh chord in right octaved quarters - also downwards - is followed by an ascending scale figure in eighth notes, which ends in a short downward movement. In the following, these ascending and descending figures are always contrasted, with the ascending sequence - when it occurs in sixteenth- note triplets - already referring to the beginning of the fourth movement. This is the beginning of the transition to the second theme, which begins in measure 58: it begins in E minor and not only forms a sharp contrast to the first complex of themes in its “shimmering harmony”. Then the first motif briefly returns, in sharp fortissimo - pianissimo contrasts. After an eight-bar transition (bars 84 to 91) - descending and ascending sixteenth- note triplets in fortissimo, full-bar sforzando chords - another motif of the first theme appears: the ascending sixteenth - note triplets. Then the exposition fades away in pianissimo . The development begins in bar 118, a few bars later the first theme sounds in C major. From bar 130 Beethoven uses the first two motifs of the first theme presented in unison in the exposition in the bass with accompanying upper parts and then the chordal third motif in the soprano, while the accompanying parts become lower parts, first in A flat major, from bar 136 in E flat Major, from bar 142 again in C major and from bar 148 in F minor, before the sixteenth note movement ends in bar 158 with a C major chord. After more than 60 more bars, the development ends in bar 224 on a fermata, followed by the recapitulation.

Second sentence

The sentence is almost entirely of "passionate, tense, deeply serious mood". In the subdominant key of D major, a melody in quarters - set in chords - is accompanied by a bass part in eighth notes, initially set in staccato . After a short transition, the topic reappears, but is now heightened to fortissimo . An intermediate episode (bars 20 to 31) first interrupts the calm movement of the left hand, but resumes it towards the end (from bar 26). Then the first part repeats itself with two presentations of the topic.

After a calm transition, the movement closes with the main theme in minor (bar 58), which suddenly begins in fortissimo , and which surprisingly turns to B major (bar 60 ff) via three fully-flung chords in the F dominant. The accompaniment of the left hand, which is rather measured at the beginning of the movement, now “stomps” in descending and ascending octaves. This brief eruption ends in bar 64, however, the movement is brought to the end with the resumption of the main theme in pianissimo , a new middle voice in sixteenths deepens the decreasing tension.

Third sentence

The set consists of three parts: the two existing at repeating parts Allegretto (clock 1 to 44) followed by a likewise of two existing to repeat parts Minore , after which again the Allegretto sounds.

The Allegretto initially presents little more than the A major chord and E major seventh chord, resolved into sixteenth notes in the right hand, as a chord in different positions in the left. After this eight-bar performance, the hands change roles from bar 9 and from bar 11 also harmoniously break new ground: after a fortissimo increase in C sharp major, F sharp minor and D flat major, a simple theme suddenly appears in G sharp minor, in piano and accompanied by quiet eighths of the left hand (bars 19 to 25). After a short transition, the opening bars are repeated, then two fortissimo chords close this first section.

The Minore is in a minor and is both from the material and from the very simple set forth: the right hand processes a descending motif consisting of three quarters, the left accompanied by passing through conventional eighth figures. A few sforzando accents break through the course otherwise held in the piano , but the section ends in fortissimo , reinforced by full-grip chords of the right hand.

Fourth sentence

The rondo consists of the refrain , which appears five times (bars 1–16, 41–56, 100–115, 135–158 and 173–187) and the couplets in between . The chorus in its more conventional melodic structure begins with a broken chord that rises over several octaves and is spread over both hands, followed by an abrupt "crash" over almost two octaves, whereupon the chorus theme suddenly kicks in - "as if nothing unusual had happened".

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Mauser, p. 33 ff.

Web links