Piano Sonata No. 31 (Beethoven)

Ludwig van Beethoven's Sonata No. 31 A flat major, Op 110 was born in 1821 and was published in 1822 by Schlesinger in Berlin and Paris.

As in all the late - and especially in the last three - Beethoven Piano Sonatas shifted the emphasis in the last sentence. It is longer than the two preceding together ( Gulda needs in his recording from 1967 about six minutes for the first, two for the second and nine in the third set ).

Construction

• First movement: Moderato cantabile, molto espressivo, A flat major, 3 /4 time, 116 strokes
• Second movement: Allegro molto, F minor, 2 /4 time, 158 strokes
• Third movement: Adagio ma non troppo, B flat minor, 4/4 and 12/16 clock - Fuga, Allegro, ma non troppo, A flat major, 6/8, 213 cycles

First Set

The main theorem begins - con amabilità ( gently ) - with a four-bar theme that is harmonized in four-part chorale setting and you can imagine played by an organ, an initial high, quiet solemnity. After a trill and a decaying melodic cadence a simple vocal melody, accompanied by a sixteenth-note figure in the style of Mozart and the main clause begins completed. From bar 12 is followed by an eight-bar transition part, which consists of figuration in on rising and falling thirty-second notes.

After an increase of thirty-second figures in high Diskantregionen there ( bar 20 ) a descending sequence of downward octave leaps, crossed rhythmically occurring in the upper and lower part appears as the beginning of the page set. After their repetition enriched with further sixteenths to a dynamically growing and rhythmically powerful passage (25 to 27 bars ) (cycle 28 to 31 ) developed over a chain of trills in the bass, leading to the first large-scale forte upswing of the sentence. The exposition, which will not be repeated ends, quiet in the dolce piano without a strong or completed second issue would have been clearly visible ..

In measures 36 and 37, a sixteenth chain screwed over a resting -flat major triad gradually over two octaves in the air and opens on the 38th clock in a quiet rhythmic bound octave leap, which also included the bass and in the next cycle by a tone is repeated. This is followed by the only disputed by the motif of the two opening measures of implementation ( from bar 40). A total of eight times this motif is repeated starting with F minor in alternating harmonic lighting, first combined support in the unmet crescendo with the vibrant " Mozartian ", then in the remaining piano and backed by bound scale figures.

Upon entry of the recapitulation ( from bar 56) the subject is accompanied by the Zweiunddreißigstelfigur of exposure, then repeated an octave lower, with the thirty-second change in the Diskantregion. A modulation leads to Des -Dur, in which now appears the Cantilena of the main clause, but so changed towards the end that is modulated to E major.

The further course of the recapitulation corresponds largely transposed to A flat major exposure and leads to a phase of quiet rest (measure 101 to 104, pianissimo, E-flat major ). The subsequent Coda first takes on the Zweiunddreißigstelfiguren, lets the sentence but finally quiet in the piano bar. In the last three cycles, however once again builds a tension that it culminates after a leading up to the Forte crescendo that against the bass As1 hear a diminished seventh chord (B- FES1 - g1 - the2 ). The sharpness of this dissonance dissolves successively by two descending Sekundschritte in the relaxed tranquility of the tonic triad on.

Second sentence

Although standing in two-four time, the second set has the character of a gloomy bizarre scherzo. Its rugged dynamic contrasts and its powerful, interspersed with accented syncopated rhythms are in sharp contrast to the lyricism of the first movement.

At the beginning sounds in neighborhoods chordal set motif, the supposedly the popular song "Our cat has had Katzerln underlies". Later, a little tune follows ( from bar 17), which sounds like another popular song ("I am slovenly, you're slovenly " ) and may even simulate a Viennese farce.

The Trio in D flat major ( bar 41 to 95) is characterized by continuous eighths - motor skills, syncope and sharp dynamic accents exacerbate these troubled character.

After repeating the first part of a coda with a sequence commands block-like, the bizarre goings stop, whereupon the whole apparition piano volatilized an ascending bass line from the chain of breaks interrupted Sforzato chords in the ( prescribed ) Pedal fog. The F major of this syllogism emerges then as dominant to the B-flat minor, with the third movement begins.

Third set

Mauser refers to this set as the " perhaps most sophisticated and unusual sonata " in Beethoven's oeuvre, for which alone speaks the fullness of time and key signature changes and going into detail expression marks.

It is divided into the following sections:

• Adagio, ma non troppo, B flat minor, 4/ 4 time, cycles 1 to 7
• Adagio, ma non troppo, Wailing song, Arioso dolente, A flat minor, 12/16 clock, clock 7-26
• Fuga, Allegro, ma non troppo, A flat major, 6/ 8 time, clock 27-114
• L' istesso tempo di Arioso, Exhausted, plaintive, Perdendo le forze, dolente, G Minor, 12/16 clock, clock 114-135
• L' istesso tempo della Fuga, poi poi di nuovo a vivente, Gradually resurgent, G major ( from bar 153 in G minor ), 6/ 8 time, clock 136-168
• Meno Allegro. A bit slower, from bar 174 Flat Major, clock 168-213

Adagio, ma non troppo, bars 1-7

The first movement begins with a more conventional, typical adagio theme, modulated, however, already in the third clock after flat minor. However, to a further development of this opening theme, it is not because Beethoven breaks at this point abruptly. A Recit [ ative ] leads in bar 4 to the so called " vibrato " in measure 5, the key changes over the H- seventh chord to E major ( sign change of center bar 5 to mid- stroke 6 ), but then (from mid -stroke 6) A flat minor. The opening motif of the first three bars of the movement is resumed in the further course at any point and thus subsequently to mere introduction " degraded ".

The clocks 4 and 5 contain every 8 quarter notes, are therefore of double length, are the clock 6 5 quarter notes. The clock change to 12/16 cycle takes place in bar 7, in the first "old clock " in a 2 eighth notes, four sixteenth notes and then - there are six sixteenths - already the uniform chordal accompaniment of mourners singing receiving.

In this beginning of a sentence - of up to a brief exception ( mid -stroke 5) una corda prescribes, so hardly wants to set dynamic accents - falls the large number of speed regulations on ( Adagio, ma non troppo; Piu Adagio, Andante, Adagio; ritard. [ ando ]; Meno Adagio, Adagio, Adagio, ma non troppo ), obviously wants to push through with the Beethoven his very precise idea on the presentation of these early clocks - have rather vague, as if improvised character - particularly through the " recitative ".

Adagio, ma non troppo, Wailing song, Arioso dolente, clock 7-26

This entirely different type of section in 12/16-Takt starts (at a descent through the sounds of the as- minor triad ) slowly building uniform accompaniment in sixteenth notes, which are combined in groups of three, and so to understand triplet, before in bar 9 - which also carries the heading " Wailing song, Arioso dolente " - the melody begins. The chordal accompaniment runs over almost the entire section ( up to bar 24) in the left hand uninterrupted. In some clocks in addition a second voice takes over in the right hand this uniform pulse and adds in bars 21 and 22 by ascending and descending sigh seconds embossed motifs, which counterpoint addition to those sighs of the upper voice and cause an extreme increase in the intensity of expression.

The predominantly descending melodic line of " plaintive song " is variously with Bach's aria " It is finished " brought from the St. John Passion in conjunction. However, Beethoven, this line from the beginning by owning bonds and over rhythmically often deliberately against the triplet guided accompaniment, creating a certain vagueness of the metric flow. At the end of the section is a unison cadence that closes pianissimo with a fermata on the ace.

Fuga, Allegro, ma non troppo, clock 27-114

The theme of the three -part fugue begins - the final note of the preceding section taping - piano in the bass. It consists of a series of ascending fourths ( As - Des, B - It; C - F), completed by a short to c descending motif. Then, the alto voice with a real answer to one (cycle 31), counterpointed by a flowing quaver movement. After a short rückmodulierenden reconciliation, which sequenced the final design of the theme, followed by a soprano use turn on ace. This first implementation (exposure) is a short ( 5 - taktiges ) connects interlude that sequenced the final design of the theme descending on the continuous quaver movement of the two voices in the upper voice.

A crescendo and a trill announce the second development, the weight with the use of the theme begins in measure 45 in the bass, now forte and in octaves. In the course of this first return to the piano redeemed and loosened up by interludes implementation a subject entry in the alto in A Flat Major and a soprano use in E flat major follow. It is noteworthy that do not result as before down but up the now following sequencing of the final thematic motif. A boom is coming up, which will now be made in the third implementation from bar 73 with a bass of the theme addressed. Powerful great circle expands the fortissimo and oktavverdoppelt on G -onset bass the first note to the double length before the ascending Quart jumps begin. There are now, however, not only three quart jumps, but their six piled on each other. Also out of the downward movement at the end of the topic by rhythmic contraction only a peripheral interrupt the stepwise until the continuing rise.

After this tour de force of the remainder of the third implementation and the subsequent interlude acts more as a breather before a crescendo preparation of the fourth and final implementation, which again starts with a oktavverdoppelten bass use (on time ) and the following inserts in the Old (Es) and soprano ( As) into a heap in stretto. The ascending fourths of the soprano insert are rhythmically driven and continued upward. However, the following then embellished with a trill dominant does not lead to the tonic -flat major. Instead, the sound of the dominant seventh is about four and a half cycles are (pedal), initially still alive with a little softer off and ascending arpeggio, then endured only static. Finally, using enharmonic reinterpretation carried a resolution in the six-four chord of G minor. Jürgen Uhde writes: " ... in a terrible attack of weakness, in the fall in the foaming G minor depth all previous effort of the first joint part is suddenly destroyed. "

L' istesso tempo di Arioso, Exhausted, plaintive, Perdendo le forze, dolente, clock 114-135

" The variation of ariosos, the second adagio part, is lower than the first plaintive singing by a half tone. >> This case highlights the << depth of depression that exhausted even in the additional >> << plaintively expressed comes. " The " exhaustion ", the " loss of power ( perdendo le forze ) " " is clearly in a significant increase in " destruction " of the metric flow. Apart from a few exceptions, the voice of the right hand is against the continued passing in sixteenths accompaniment. The sigh of melody interrupted by pauses ( suspiratio ) and reinforced in their intensity of expression.

At the end of the section - from clock 129 - appear only sigh as ersterbende demisemiquaver shreds on the respective third " triplet sixteenth ." The tones of the final cadence drop matt on this unaccented beat there and also the surprisingly deep position in emerging G- major triad is listed as the third Triolensechzehntel. " This rhythm is not more than to make such audible because you can not play marcato a break, just as would be the role of the third Sechzehntels articulate It is a will-less, almost a death rhythm.. ." A gradual crescendo of ten battered G- major triad, " the like bells echoes ," signaled the gradual return to life, which continues in the ascending broken G- major triad and the beginning of the following fugal part.

L' istesso tempo della Fuga, poi poi di nuovo a vivente, By and by auflebend again, clock 136-168

The joint sets in two ways as the inverse one: the issue now comes in the form of descending fourths ( D - A, C - G, H - F sharp ), terminated by a short climb on, and the voting application is also done vice versa: the soprano opened, followed by alto and bass. From cycle 152 ( G minor now ) changes the key of the type of contrapuntal work: the - again rising - fugue theme is rhythmically reduced and now listed with eighths and sixteenths. In this form it is stretto several times in the lower and middle voice, while in the upper voice is heard a rhythmic augmentation with on the clock boundaries tied notes ( dotted totaling Half ). The interval structure is sometimes varied slightly. So the theme already occurs approximately with rising thirds instead of fourths in measure 153 ( Alt ). From the second half of bar 160, the magnification of the subject appears in octaves in the bass, while the upper voices lead the reduction alternately in sixths and thirds parallel. Here, an increasing thematic- motivic reduction takes place, which leads eventually to the point that in the closing bars of this section ( 166 and 167) only have a dialog from and ascending fourths remain alternating against the continued bass themes magnification in alto and soprano left these each use syncopated ahead of time and thus verunklaren the metrical structure.

Meno Allegro. Slightly slower clock 168-213

The lecture called " A little slower " is misleading in this section, since because of the change to shorter note values ​​( eighth sixteenth place ) is a real acceleration of the speed audible. The first compelling motive is a renewed acceleration and compression of the joint - topic: on ( only ) two ascending fourths ( It - As; G -C) followed by a short descent (B - As- G). Counterpointed with this compressed form of the subject 's right hand, the normal onset with dotted quarters in measure 170 Reverse form of the theme in the left hand. The compressed form fits completely on each a touch of "reverse thread ". This position is very difficult to carry out for the pianist, because the compressed theme with right hand turns ( across ) must be played in the bass in the treble and what a savvy jumping technique requires, especially as additional " gradually return quicker " in the sheet music is available.

After passing through all these sales and technical playing complications with reaching the home key A flat major and the [ octave ] bass entry of the subject in the basic shape of the victory is won in clock 174. The joint becomes chordal, busy rushing from [ sixteenth ] figuration piano, the theme of the hymn; with three times -enhancing sequence includes the work triumphantly from, in the fortissimo after a five clocks and more than five octaves from and ascending arpeggiated flat major triad with a fully catchy chord in six -octave spacing.

Interpretations and comments

• The lack of dedication gave rise to the speculation that the musical content of the work is too personal to allow the appropriation to another. It was felt, the Sonata is (similar to the 3rd movement from String Quartet Op 132) to be considered as " Dankgesang a convalescent to the deity ." Beethoven had suffered rheumatic fever and jaundice at this time, and it is possible that the entries in the score of the third sentence (" perdendo le forze, dolente " and " poi poi di nuovo a vivente " ) in connection with these personal hardships and overcoming them.

• Jörg Demus: "It is the uniqueness of this sonata that she proclaims directly, bypassing the intellect their message miterlebenden the listener and player [ ... ]. The content creates its own, unprecedented, unrepeatable shape.. From this I would like to [ ..] derived permission and encouragement, op.110 exceptionally not formally decrypt "At the end of his purely hermeneutic description he states: " I am aware that the vessel of op 110 is too far, as that. its contents, as I tried it just could be retold in words So I suggest everyone put a piece of themselves in this work, only follow some extent its vicissitudes: From the innocence of the beginning about discord and strife, action, suffering. despair and to bold upswing by the power of the Spirit Yes, that seems to me the reason for the harrowing, uplifting effect of Op 110 to be: the Triumph of the Spirit ".