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Brian Stevens

Intro to Research in Music

Dr. StanleyProgram Note Draft 1

10/12/201

Who knows where inspiration comes from. Perhaps it arises from desperation. Perhaps it comes

from the flukes of the universe, the kindness of the muses.

- Amy Tan

!s summer a""roache# in 1$20% Beethoven foun# himself in a state of #es"eration. &irst

there ha# 'een the lengthy court 'attle for custo#y of his ne"he(% )arl% (hich too* a toll

"hysically% emotionally an# financially on the com"oser. +e ha# ta*en a#vances from "u'lisherson the "romises of ne( (or*s. ,ut of this #es"eration% the com"oser emerge# motivate# an#

ins"ire#% to give the (orl# (hat (oul# 'e his last% an# "ossi'ly greatest set of "iano sonatas -o".

10111. his can 'e seen from the com"osers o(n vie( of the last sonatas. +e consi#ere#them not only his best"iano (or*s% 'ut also his self"roclaime# last (or*s for the instrument.By this time in his life% it (as *no(n that Beethoven ha# gro(n frustrate# (ith the limitations of

the "iano as 'oth an instrument for com"osing an# "erformance. here are numerous anec#otes

of him #amaging "ianos an# 'rea*ing strings (ith the sheer ferocity of his "laying% an# his "ianocom"ositions ha# 'ecome increasingly virtuosic an# orchestral.

hepiano sonata op. 10certainly can ualify as 'oth virtuosic an# orchestral. 3e nee#

loo* no further than the first movement to recogni4e the com"le5% 'eautiful an# virtuosica""roach to the instrument that Beethoven ha# achieve# 'y 1$20. !t first glance% it a""ears to 'e

in a freeform similar to a rha"so#y or fantasia. +o(ever% the e5traor#inary s*ill (ith (hich

Beethoven #isguises his concentrate# use of the sonataallegro form in the movement is evi#ence

of his re"ute. he o"ening nine measures "resent the first thematic grou" consisting of t(onotealternating "atterns in a 'ris*% vivacetem"o. he "assage flutters 'y the listener % (ith a

(himsical sim"licity% until the secon# thematic grou" interru"ts (ith an em"hatic #iminishe#

seventh chor# an# a tem"o change to ada!io espressivo. his section a""ears very rha"so#ic an#im"rovisatory% an# in#ee# reuires a virtuosic comman# of the instrument% 'ut also has startling

moments of counter"oint reminiscent of a chorale. he #evelo"ment section 'egins (ith a return

of the first thematic grou" material in an altere# state 'y inverting the registration of the original"attern. It is in the #evelo"ment section that a *een listener (ill notice the allusions to a chorale

li*e "attern mel#e# into the first thematic grou" 'y Beethoven. 3hen the reca"itulation arrives%

it occurs in a much higher register% an# lea#s to the secon# thematic grou"% this time in a ne(*ey. he movement finishes (ith an e5ten#e# co#a 'ase# on the material from the first thematic

grou"% 'ut a##ing a short choraleli*e section% "erha"s revealing a moment of religious reflection'y the com"oser in this time of har#shi".

3ith a flourish% the scher4oli*e secon# movement charges ahea# at itsprestotem"o in6/$ meter. his is a highly unusual occurrence% as the ty"ical sonata scheme features the secon#

movement in a slo( tem"o% follo(e# 'y a minuet an# trio in the thir# movement. he scher4o

ty"ically re"lace# the minuet an# trio in the thir# movement of the classical sonata. +ere% thecom"oser is clearly announcing his intentions of straying from the acce"te# formal norm. +e

#oes retain the general formal structure of the scher4o ho(ever% as the movement is in an !B!

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#esign% (ith the contrasting Bsection recalling fourth s"ecies counter"oint "ractice of the

Renaissance% 'efore theprestoscher4o material of the !section returns.

he thir# an# final movement is in the form of a theme an# variations. he theme is intri"le meter an# is a choraleli*e in construction. his remin#s us of not only of the choraleli*e

moments earlier in the sonata% 'ut also that Beethoven (as also in the mi##le of com"osing his

"issa #olemnisat the same time% an# may have #ra(n some influence from his great sacre#master(or*. It is (orth noting that each of these variations is "resente# in a contrasting (ay%

(ith "articular highlighting of the setting of the secon# variation% (hich connects to the o"ening

of the first movements first thematic grou" of the e5"osition.

Beethovenspiano sonata op. 10 is clearly a master"iece of the re"ertoire% not only for

its virtuosity% construction an# a""eal% 'ut also for its "lacement in the com"osers out"ut. It 'ore

out of a time of great angst an# stress for the Beethoven. 7et% it is in these times of great #is"arity

that some of the most effective art is create#. his sonata% (ith its unusual e5"osition in the first

movement% scher4oli*e an# ra"i# secon# movement instea# of a ty"ical slo( movement% an# the

final theme an# variations of the thir# movement% ma*es this (or* stan# out amongst its

contem"oraries% an# stan#s a challenge to the "erformer an# listener to#ay.