Music #345 - Beethoven - Sonata & Concertos

Ludwig van Beethoven  

(1770 – 1827)   

Violin Sonata No.5

- aka the "Spring" sonata
Mvt.1 Allegro 
Mvt.2 Adagio molto espressivo
Mvt.3 Scherzo: Allegro molto
Mvt.4 Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo

Violin Sonata No.9

- score subtitle “written in a molto concertante style,

 as though a concerto”

- aka the "Kreutzer" sonata

- dedicated to violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer, who thoroughly disliked the piece and refused to play it

- an 1803 sonata for violin and piano notable for its technical difficulty, unusual length (around 40 minutes), and emotional scope

Mvt.1 Adagio sostenuto – Presto

Mvt.2 Andante con variazioni

Mvt.3 Presto

All 32 piano sonatas

Violin Concerto

Mvt.1 Allegro ma non troppo
Mvt.2 Larghetto 
Mvt.3 Rondo. Allegro

Three "Rasumovsky" String Quartets

* No. 1: String Quartet No. 7 in F major
* No. 2: String Quartet No. 8 in E minor
* No. 3: String Quartet No. 9 in C major

Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano

- more commonly known as the Triple Concerto  

Piano Trio No.4

- aka "Gassenhauer"

Piano Sonata No.3   

- Mvt.2 Adagio

Piano Sonata No.8

- aka Sonata Pathétique
* Mvt.1 Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio
* Mvt.2 - Adagio cantabile
* Mvt.3 Rondo: Allegro --- or digital

 or Leezy

Totaling about 19 minutes

Piano Sonata No.14 

- aka "Quasi una fantasia" / "the Moonlight Sonata"
* I Adagio sostenuto
* II Allegretto
* III Presto agitato --- or appreciate its digital dimension
Totaling about 16 minutes

(L) I & III

 

(R) I

Piano Sonata No.17

Piano Sonata No.21 Op.53

- aka “The Waldstein” (dedicated to Count Waldstein) 

 

Piano Sonata No.23 Op.57

- aka “Appassionata” (passionate) 

I. Allegro assai  Almost using the keyboard as an orchestra

II. Andante con moto  A calm theme develops into a series of 3 variations

III. Allegro ma non troppo  Continues from mvt.II and towards a relentless finale

Piano Sonata No.26 Op.81a

- aka Les Adieux ("The Farewell")

 

BBC. Barenboim's Masterclass on Beethoven's Sonatas

Piano Concertos 

Standard Classical/Romantic-era concertos are in three movements: 
1) allegro con brio  2) largo  3) rondo. allegro

Piano Concerto No.1   

 * Alice Sara Ott

Piano Concerto No.2 

 

Piano Concerto No.3

 

Piano Concerto No.4   

Piano Concerto No.5 

- aka the "Emperor" 

- Beethoven, too deaf to perform it himself, had it premiered by his pupil, Carl Czerny (familiar name?)

 

(R) Excerpt from "Immortal Beloved" (1994 movie), in which Beethoven premiered himself but could not hear the orchestra.

 

(R) Friedrich Gulda