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Ludwig van Beethoven wrote 32 mature piano sonatas between 1795 and 1822. (He also wrote 3 juvenile sonatas at the age of 13 [1] and one unfinished sonata, WoO. 51.) Although originally not intended to be a meaningful whole, as a set they comprise one of the most important collections of works in the history of music. [2]
A chronological list of the sonatas follows, along with the publication date (and composition date, if significantly earlier): Piano Sonata in E-flat Major, WoO 47, “Kurfürstensonata No. 1” (1783) Piano Sonata in F Minor, WoO 47, “Kurfürstensonata No. 2” (1783) Piano Sonata in D Major, WoO 47, “Kurfürstensonata No. 3” (1783)
- Betsy Schwarm
- Pathétique. To single out just a few. The most important of the early Sonatas is the Pathétique. For the first time Beethoven uses a slow introduction, and an introduction of such weight you know something truly significant is going on.
- The Moonlight. The most famous movement of any of the 32 Piano Sonatas is the opening movement of The Moonlight – the Sonata he composed for the woman he wanted to marry, Giulietta Guicciardi [see Chapter 6, Beethoven’s Women].
- Waldstein. We already know the origin of the Waldstein from Chapter 3, The Spaniard. The gloriously spacious theme of the final movement is prefaced by a mysterious, fragmented middle movement, which presages it perfectly.
- Appassionata. Wagner’s favourite was the Appassionata. He loved playing it, and marvelled at the theme of the first movement rising from the depths. Once again, as with the Pathétique, the middle movement is simplicity itself, almost a theme on a single note.
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- Hammerklavier, Piano Sonata Number 29, Op 106. And finally, even though there might be some debate regarding the other sonatas, there is no debate about which one is the greatest and the most challenging.
- Appassionata, Piano Sonata Number 23, Op 57. The Appassionata Sonata is widely regarded as one of Beethoven’s signature works. Unlike the other major middle-period sonatas, this one is one of the darkest compositions he ever performed.
- Waldstein, Piano Sonata Number 21, Op 53. The Waldstein Sonata is one of the marquee compositions of Beethoven’s middle period. Composed in C Major, it is a luminous, happy, upbeat sonata with an average performance taking approximately 24 minutes.
- Les Adieux, Piano Sonata Number 26, Op 81a. Beethoven composed Les Adieux, which translates into The Farewell, between 1809 and 1810. The sonata was composed as Napoleon attacked Vienna, forcing Archduke Rudolph to leave the city.
Dec 17, 2023 · Beethoven’s late piano sonatas. After that, there was a gap of around four years, to 1814, before the first of Beethoven’s “late” piano sonatas, ‘Op. 90 ‘– in two concise movements ...
- Jessica Duchen
Mar 22, 2024 · Some of Beethoven’s later sonatas even have fugue-like sections. In this article, we’ll explore some of Beethoven’s most well-known sonatas: “Pathétique,” “Moonlight,” “Waldstein,” “Appassionata,” and “Hammerklavier.”. A lecture that traces Beethoven’s evolution in style using his first. and last sonatas as examples.
He's recorded three discs of Beethoven sonatas for Globe, a disc of the three Opus 31 sonatas, a disc of Opera 53, 54 & 57, and a disc of the last three sonatas, Opera 109-111. He uses a different fortepiano on each recording, and in each case one that is roughly contemporary with the dates of composition of the works in question.
