Piano Sonata No. 26 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 26 in E♭ major, Op. 81a, known as Les Adieux ("The Farewell"), was written during the years 1809 and 1810. This sonata was influenced by Jan Ladislav Dussek's sonata with the same nickname.
The title Les Adieux implies a
On the first 1811 publication, a dedication was added reading "On the departure of his Imperial Highness, for the Archduke Rudolph in admiration".
An average performance of the piece lasts about 17 minutes. The sonata is one of Beethoven's most challenging sonatas because of the mature emotions that must be conveyed throughout as well as the technical difficulties involved. It is also the bridge between his middle period and his later period and is considered the third great sonata of the middle period.
Form
The three movements of Les Adieux were originally written in German and French, and the last two movements are described in German because of the unusual tempo. The translation in English shown in italic as below:
- Das Lebewohl (Les Adieux – The Farewell): Adagio – Allegro (in E♭ major)
- Abwesenheit (L'Absence – The Absence): Andante espressivo (In gehender Bewegung, doch mit viel Ausdruck – In walking motion, but with much expression) (in C minor)
- Das Wiedersehen (Le Retour – The Return): Vivacissimamente (Im lebhaftesten Zeitmaße – The liveliest time measurements) (in E♭ major)
I. Das Lebewohl
The sonata opens in a 2
4 time
![cut time](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Allabreve.svg/11px-Allabreve.svg.png)
The first movement oscillates between a turbulent first subject which portrays deep disturbance and a second subject which is more lyrical in nature and gives the impression of reflections. The rhythmic figure of two short notes and a longer note which is used repeatedly in the first subject is developed inexorably through the "development" section with rich harmonies and discords which are harmonically closer to the later period of Beethoven's compositions than the middle for their intellectual penetration.
The movement has a surprisingly long coda which occupies over a quarter of the movement's length. The coda encompasses both the subjects in a display of powerful mastery over composition. Typically the movement played with the expected repeats lasts a little over 7 minutes.
II. Abwesenheit
The Andante espressivo is harmonically built on variations of the diminished chord and the appoggiatura. The movement is very emotional and is often played with
III. Das Wiedersehen
The finale, also in
Relation to Dussek's Sonata
It has been said that this sonata was influenced by Dussek's own Les Adieux.
The pianist Frederick Marvin said that Dussek's sonata could "have been a model for the Les Adieux Sonata by Beethoven ten years later." Marvin further points out the similarities in motives and form in Beethoven's sonata to Dussek's.[3]
References
- ^ Kolodin, 1975.
- ^ Jaynes, Edwin Thompson (1991). The Physical Basis of Music. Unpublished. p. 798. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ Archambault, Paul (1979). "In the Footsteps of Jan Ladislav Dussek: An Interview by Paul Archambault". Syracuse Scholar. 1 (1).
Sources
- Kolodin, Irving (1975). The Interior Beethoven. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-394-46626-2.
External links
- A lecture by András Schiff on Beethoven's piano sonata Op. 81a
- Piano Sonata No. 26: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Piano sonata no. 26 in E♭ major, op. 81a (interactive score) on Verovio Humdrum Viewer
- Recording by Paavali Jumppanen, piano from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- Articles
- Sonate für Klavier (Es-Dur) Op. 81a (www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de)
- Sonate Characterisque (Op. 81) Analysis and commentary by Frederic Horace Clark - Music (Volume 15: Nov. 1898 to Apr. 1899) edited by W.S.B. Mathews; published by Music Magazine Publishing Company