Piano Sonata No. 26 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op 81a, often just called Les Adieux, was built between 1809 and 1810 and was printed in 1811 in Leipzig. Your programmatic occasion was the Archduke Rudolf's escape, the major conveyor and friend of the composer, before the Napoleonic troops from Vienna.
With its extra-musical references and program headings the work in sonata oeuvre of the composer can be considered as an exception. The multi- evident in the case of Beethoven influence poetic ideas is directly palpable in it.
- 4.1 The hard broader decision
- 4.2 The dissonances in the coda of the first movement
- 4.3 Transcendent meaning aspects
- 5.1 See also
- 5.2 Notes
- 5.3 Notes and references
- 5.4 Literature
- 5.5 External links
Construction
All three sets a motto prefixed which determines their character and - as in the Pastorale - the programmatic orientation clarifies: Farewell, Absence and Return.
First sentence: The Farewell
Adagio / Allegro, c-Moll/Es-Dur/2/4-Takt/alla breve
As in some other Beethoven piano sonatas - about the Pathétique - the work begins with a slow, consisting of sixteen bars introduction of the Adagio tempo, which will be opened by the sinking farewell motif, which also characterizes the following sonata. While it is there to the core of the second theme, the " upbeat Quart interval " of the second clock as a determining impulse of the first theme from clock shows 17 The motif farewell can be recovered in different derivations and transformations also in many other parts of the first movement so at the end of exposure and several times in the implementation, in which it - is transposed into ever more distant tonalities - now in all, instead of quarter notes and bills of exchange or in combination with the core motif of the first theme.
Adagio
The existing so-called Horn of fifths and thus a sound of horns imitating farewell motif ends in the second clock surprising in serious resigned fallacy in C minor, caused by the C- octave left hand. Siegfried Mauser writes: " The facts of farewell and end represented by the conventional closing phrase, so that is at the same time gives excessive affective and emotional. "
According to Jürgen Uhde, the basic idea of leave-taking in the introduction is expressed not only by the serious mood and quiet devotion this adagio. The harmonics will for the design of farewell - claimed - in the sense of increasing distance. For with the repetition of the farewell motif from bar 7 open completely unexpected harmonic districts: instead of the tonic farewell formula now begins with a diminished seventh chord, surprising who turns against the expected resolution to F minor to dominant the home key, then but not - is passed to the tonic but bringing Beethoven very far from the sub- mediant C flat major, the tonal origin - as expected.
Allegro
On the chromatically rich modulating Adagio follows ( attacca ) from bar 17 of the Allegro main part of the first record whose fiery character appears to be an unexpected contrast to the serious mood of the Adagio. The lively head motif instead of mourning could bring about the departure of his friend rather good wishes and lively Wave expressed, although the chromatically falling lower parts of the left hand, with its sighing motifs add a painful component and set the cheerful impression in question.
The over eight bars the unfolding theme can be considered as a dual wave motion. The rhythmic striking, very lively now and on the first four measures will be continued in the next four-strokes in reverse order. The sweeping eighth accompaniment of the left hand emphasizes the gesture from clock 21 The melody unfolds powerfully dynamically via a sudden crescendo development of piano until Sforzato two octave leaps to high B with subsequent downward movement.
Noteworthy is the clock from 162 starting coda, which is 94 cycles compared to 40 cycles only comprehensive implementation surprisingly long. It begins with the main theme and already quoted from bar 181 the characteristic Terzfall of farewell motif that reappears in whole notes and multiple superimposed imitative. In bar 197 Beethoven dolce repeats the motif in the horn sounded like original notation of the Sonata began, figured by broken chords and runs of the left.
At the end of the poetic coda from bar 223 Beethoven repeated imitation and builds a canon episode with a strikingly dissonant overlap. This demonstrates his preference for three seconds EXERCISES: Derivative and base note played simultaneously by the bugle calls " the disappearing carriage " are pushed together.
The coda is a counterweight to the portentous Adagio. Due to the two poles of the first sentence in a strong frame appears to be curious. The repeatedly -delayed goodbye is here to shape idea. For Jürgen Uhde " protested " the coda to the flow of time, which wants to keep it.
Second sentence: absence
Andante espressivo, C minor, 2/4-cycle
The short Andante is in the relative key of C minor and has two part song form. With its plaintive - sluggish motifs, rich ornamentation, the recitatives, the rhythmic fanning of 2/4-Taktes ( ranging up to 128 notes) as well as the sudden, subjective Beethoven's style typical dynamic outbreaks it treats the absence of his friend.
The first part of the theme consists of a secondary -third- rotational design with dotted rhythms, the mourning - questioning character, while the second, initiated by demisemiquaver figurations part of a longer episode in G major is very consoling. The C minor appears here as the axis around which a key circuit is described which extends to G- and D-flat major. This instability is due to the shape idea who experience " absence " as something restless dérive end.
Third set: The reunion
Vivacissimamente, E-flat major, 6/8-measure
The " intoxicatingly virtuosic finale ," in the second sentence leads on directly, " ultimately expresses unequivocally the exuberant joy of reunion from. " It is also in the form of the sonata form and begins with a breathless [note 1], the on-coming in two waves introductory passage in which " raises the Expecting the returnees to the chest. " According to Edwin Fischer
The two themes of this movement have it in the maelstrom of wild forward-moving events pianistic difficult to accept tangible motivic contours. You are unprägnant appear as " quicksand " and enter into their meaning with respect to the moving sound back, the more determined the action of the form history.
The first theme is based on a simple, consisting of broken triads eighth motif, which is subsequently repeatedly varied and plays around with virtuosity. The initial increases Piano Forte over to fortissimo a noisy exalted passage with pounding quavers in the left and brilliant semiquaver figures and runs in the right hand. This foaming movement is stopped temporarily by a series of unison played sforzato blows, one after the other and on - descend by two triads, first in the mediant, G flat, then in F major. To an octave increase follows a variation of this massive complex in the piano sound, which is marked in the left hand by repetierte eighth chords and the right by lively, tangy proposals. From bar 53 the second theme joins in B flat major, which is accompanied by a trill of the right hand and occurs as a dialogue of two main parts.
After an undramatic, rather quiet and contemplative implementation from bar 82, which plays with the constituents of both topics and merges smoothly into the recapitulation, the final coda used initially with a slowing of the main theme " inwardly" and " very poetic [ ... ] to Tender ". With varying embellishments, a rhythmic interlocking of upper and lower voice and a ritardando phrase pianissimo she postpones the entry of the final Jubelfanfare that ended with off and ascending broken octaves in the right hand the work.
Biographical background
In a few of the works of Beethoven biographical occasion is so clear how to capture in this sonata. While the performers in works with clearly subjective expression will - like the " Moonlight Sonata " and the Appassionata - do occasionally talk to different interpretations and explanations of yourself, the situation is much clearer here. The entire imperial family decided against the approaching French troops to Ofen (Buda ) to leave, to return to nine months later. The Archduke was a student, friend and long -time supporter of Beethoven. How much of this esteemed him, the numerous dedications can be seen that clearly differentiated the friend of other carriers dedication.
In a letter to the publisher Breitkopf & Härtel who had also brought out copies with French titles, said Beethoven, the German word "Farewell " was something " quite different from Les Adieux ". It refers to a person which one is " warm ", whereas the French term teaching at an indefinite number of persons. From this statement may be closed to the friendly feelings towards Beethoven's Archduke.
The first set was overwritten in the manuscript as follows: " The Farewell. Vienna, on May 4, 1809 Imperial at the departure of His Highness the revered Archduke Rudolph ".
The Lost Autograph of the finale was headlined: "The arrival of His Imperial Highness the Archduke Rudolph the revered January 30, 1810 ."
Interpretations
As the name Sonata - for example in combination with the " storm " - the "Moonlight " - and Waldstein sonata or the Appassionata - is op 81 a by a number of pianists such as Claudio Arrau, Rudolf Serkin, Solomon, Emil Gilels, Alfred Brendel and Maurizio Pollini up been recorded for the younger generations and interpreted differently. How large can be the differences, it is clear from an observation Joachim Kaiser, after which lasts the longest recording of the introductory Adagio 100, the shortest 60 seconds. After Emperor assessment Solomon and Bruno Leonardo Gelber played the beginning of the sonata with " easier painful blackout ". Solomon had about the minor stage of the second Adagio clock with minimal, this "unforgettable expressive hesitation " introduced while Friedrich Gulda it did not and the Tondramen Beethoven 've played against their intention and without psychology. Gulda tend to self-denial to endure the meter.
Glenn Gould, who presented a disturbing interpretation of the Appassionata, Les Adieux, however, because of their " powerful angularity " as one of his favorite had referred, did not come to a recording.
Characteristics and importance
In this quite frequently played Sonata, the designated Beethoven as " Sonata caractérisque ", it connects the first time a musical motif - the three introductory sounds - with an existing three syllables word: He makes it perfectly " Le -be- well! " to relate the music to a non-musical importance ago.
The hard broader decision
Beethoven was the finale of the last String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op 135 by 1826, the headline: " The hard broader decision ". He wrote under the Grave: " Must it be?" And the following Allegro: "It must be! It must be! ". This corresponds to - albeit without words - in the Les Adieux sonata the opposite of Adagio and Allegro: The last seven bars of the Adagio are marked by questioning, interrupted by pauses gestures that eventually fade away in two hesitant flat major sixth chords. The same chord are in the Forte as the beginning of the forward-moving Allegro the answer: "It must be! "
The dissonance in the coda of the first movement
The dissonance at the end of the coda of the first movement, which already indicate for Alfred Brendel on Beethoven's new style, led to different reactions and comments. So let the Publisher Ries in a reissue half of the coda away to avoid the "mistake ". While Edouard Herriot suggests the dissonance as a sign of sincere pain, this just seems to overcome here for Jürgen Uhde. He explains the strange sounds as composed reverberation effects: The further you remove yourself, the more mixed the calls; the sound going on in solemn bell effects. The site acts like an anticipation of musical impressionism.
Transcendent meaning aspects
Some reviewers such as Jürgen Uhde think the work as to his actual origins basic addition and own one of them independent and universal aesthetic value. The importance of the composition does not exhaust itself in the embodied relation to the Archduke and the fixed period of time between departure and return. The phenomena Farewell, Absence and Return would musically in a general way. After Uhde some artists based the basic situations depicted within the meaning of the poem " recovery " from Goethe's West -Eastern Divan more to the separation between lovers and conceived and return on the human sphere also as an event " in space ". Here, as there should a cosmic whole, are included.