History Seminar: Beethoven Piano Sonatas
After the completion of the Hammerklavier, Beethoven’s passion for the piano sonata refused to dissipate. The next three piano sonatas, written over the span of three years, have consecutive opus numbers: Op. 109 in E major, Op.110 in A flat Major, and Op.11 in C minor. Beethoven clearly approached his last three piano sonatas as a single project. In the letters to Adolf Schlesinger dated 30 April 1820 and 20 September 1820, Beethoven mentioned that: “I am also very willing to sell you some new sonatas, but at no other price than 40 florins each, thus perhaps a lot of three sonatas for 120 florins.” “Everything will go more quickly in the case of the three sonatas- the first is quite ready save for correcting the copy and I am working uninterruptedly at the other two.”
Among the three last piano sonatas, Op.111 may have the most interesting history. For example, the primary theme of the first movement appeared in Beethoven’s sketchbook in 1801. According to a nineteenth-century German editor, Gustav Nottebohm, this theme may have been intended for the finale of one of the Op.30 violin sonatas. On 3 July 1822, Beethoven’s publisher of Op.111, Adoft Schlesinger wrote to Beethoven regarding his concern for the two-movement layout, asking if a third movement had been left behind by the copyists. According to Anton Schindler, Beethoven answered casually that he had not had time to write a third movement, and had therefore simply expanded the second. However, two-movement piano sonatas were not unheard of in Beethoven’s oeuvre. Works such as the Piano Sonata Op.54, Op.78, and Op.90 consist of two movements of a much shorter length and lighter weight. In my opinion, the reason that Op.111 is two-movements, besides the extraordinary weight and length of the second movement, is its extra-musical implication composed of a two-movement scheme which will be discussed in a later paragraph.
Op.111 was written between 1821 and 1822 and dedicated to Archduke Rudolf of
Among the three last piano sonatas, Op.111 may have the most interesting history. For example, the primary theme of the first movement appeared in Beethoven’s sketchbook in 1801. According to a nineteenth-century German editor, Gustav Nottebohm, this theme may have been intended for the finale of one of the Op.30 violin sonatas. On 3 July 1822, Beethoven’s publisher of Op.111, Adoft Schlesinger wrote to Beethoven regarding his concern for the two-movement layout, asking if a third movement had been left behind by the copyists. According to Anton Schindler, Beethoven answered casually that he had not had time to write a third movement, and had therefore simply expanded the second. However, two-movement piano sonatas were not unheard of in Beethoven’s oeuvre. Works such as the Piano Sonata Op.54, Op.78, and Op.90 consist of two movements of a much shorter length and lighter weight. In my opinion, the reason that Op.111 is two-movements, besides the extraordinary weight and length of the second movement, is its extra-musical implication composed of a two-movement scheme which will be discussed in a later paragraph.
Op.111 was written between 1821 and 1822 and dedicated to Archduke Rudolf of