Piano Sonata No. 27 (Beethoven)

Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 27 Op 90 is considered as the last of his middle period. How op 54, op 78 and op 111 ( and the two Light Sonatas op 49) has only two sets.

Emergence and dedication

Since Op 81a " Les Adieux " Five years had passed. During this time, Beethoven had worked almost exclusively at the opera Fidelio and some smaller works. Only when the Fidelio neared completion, Beethoven began work on other pieces - and went in a whole new direction.

Already because of his Overture Beethoven Wellington's Victory was extremely popular in 1814. The E minor sonata written in the summer of that year. The royalties Beethoven used among other things as repayment of debts of his brother Kaspar Karl ( whose son later took it to himself).

Although Beethoven's patron and gifted pupil Archduke Rudolph of Austria came into the possession of the autograph; However, the Sonata Beethoven longtime friend Moritz Graf von Lichnowsky dedicated. Printing was done as so often only after several delays and arduous error corrections in 1815; it was published by the Viennese publisher Sigmund Anton Steiner on June 6.

Movement titles

Beethoven used the first time only German sentence names in a piano sonata, as then only in the following A- major sonata and the final sentence of the E major Sonata - possibly reflecting a patriotic enthusiasm that it, like all Germans in the wars of liberation called against Napoleon seized. In the set of names Beethoven proves as a conductor who wants to take over the language influence on the artist. More than outdated and still common tempo markings they are Manuals for the understanding of musical language.

Construction

First Set

With liveliness and quite with feeling and expression; E minor, 3/4

Beethoven experimented in this sonata with a rare form of the sentence for him two, which he had formerly treated only in the small Sonatas Op 49 and Op 78, and should receive their crowning glory with the Sonata, Op 111. The block header is quite ambiguous: "sensation " and " expression " are not easy to reconcile, especially not at the really " aggressive " set. The first theme is in three parts and is based, as the whole sentence, on a note repeat and a quarter - opener. The subject is constantly changing its texture, but remains in the basic rhythm and especially harmonically slow ( Beethoven cadence over and over again, making him just as forces to ever new forms of overcoming the harmonic resistors).

After a reconciliation, which is characterized by rapid downward runs, Beethoven modulates to B minor, where you prepare the second theme about repeating chords (or begins? ). These chords increase to the fortissimo before now hear a melody over a wide Alberti bass accompaniment. The exposure melts together until a tone ( h), from which then peels out the implementation. This is mainly based on the beginning of the first theme. The following is a processing of the second part of the same, in which Beethoven adds in his right hand a sixteenth accompaniment, from which again results in the first theme at the beginning of the recapitulation.

The recapitulation, in turn, is particularly changed and increased significantly in the transition part. The first movement ends in a pianissimo coda, again cited the first subject.

Second sentence

Not too fast and very singable carried forward; E major, 2/4

This sentence is Beethoven's last closing Rondo in a piano sonata, and, as already indicated, frequently compared to cantabile theme with the style of Schubert. As in the first set there is the thematic material almost exclusively in his right hand, but also the sixteenth accompaniments the left are very interesting as always perfectly adapted to the "needs" of the melody. Beethoven uses two 8 -stroke as the theme, which, surprisingly, the first part again followed before a new, reminiscent of the first movement second subject emerges. This is soon followed by a second thought, which is accompanied by " warbling " sixteenths. At the end of this coset is a slow closing gesture that is now provided with triplets before the issue starts again.

The second intermediate set is far more extensive and particularly harmonious interesting. From E Major Beethoven modulates to C minor and quotes the closing theme of the first intermediate portion. In this sense, one could speak of a kind of implementation process, and in fact, Beethoven's sonata rondo always processes. After the topic and first intermediate portion have been repeated closes almost all of a sudden a small modulation on announcing upcoming Beethoven's radicalism, and seems to provide very brief for overturning the peaceful mood ( and the pianissimo ).

The coda shifted the topic in the left hand and it comes to new accompanying phrases. Twice the flow of the sonata is interrupted yet again, new ideas arise. As a furious end is hardly possible, Beethoven uses a unique idea: an accelerando scale figure falls and then rises again to pianissimo, two voices, "just so" to quit without great stop gesture, suddenly falling silent.