Day 247: Piano Sonatas Op. 10 No. 3, Op. 2 Nos. 2 & 3

BeethovenCD52Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Op. 10 No. 3 starts off with a bang – Movement I carries the tempo “Presto” – and never lets up.

I’ve heard a lot of opening movements in my journeys through all of these composers. I don’t recall too many that began like a race horse out of the gate.

But I do believe that may be the unifying theme on today’s CD.

Each of the piano sonatas on today’s CD begin with a speedier-than-usual opening movement:

Presto
Allegro vivace
Allegro con brio

Respectively.

At least, they all sounded that way to me.

What do I know? I’m not a musicologist.

Here’s what I’m listening to:

Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Op. 10 No. 3

According to its entry on Wikipedia:

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, was dedicated to the Countess Anne Margarete von Browne, and written in 1798. This makes it contemporary with his three string trios of opus 9, the violin sonatas of opus 12 and the violin romance that became his opus 50 when later published. (The year also saw the premiere of a revised version of his second piano concerto, whose original form had been written and heard in 1795.)

Beethoven was 28 years old.

This is a beautiful piece of music, with lots of dynamics.

Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Op. 2 No. 2

According to its entry on Wiki:

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2, No. 2, was published in 1796 and dedicated to Joseph Haydn.

Beethoven was 26 years old. Haydn, his teacher, was 64. I’ve read that Beethoven didn’t get along well with Haydn. One reason may be their age difference and what type of music Haydn represented – the Classical period. Kind of old school. Beethoven composed in a transitional phase in music history, bridging the gap between Classical and Romantic periods.

This particular piano sonata does have a more traditional feel to it, less emotional, more predictable with its dynamics.

Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Op. 2 No. 3

According to its entry on Wiki:

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2, No. 3, is a sonata written for solo piano, composed in 1796. It is dedicated to Joseph Haydn and is often referred to as Beethoven’s first virtuosic piano sonata. It is both the weightiest and longest of the three Opus 2 sonatas. It presents many difficulties, including difficult trills, awkward hand movements, and wrist rotation.

Beethoven was 26.

The most interesting movement of this sonata is Movement IV (“Allegro assai”) because of its great speed and technical difficulty. It’s fascinating to listen to.

The music (recorded in 1962-1964) was supplied by the incomparable Alfred Brendel.

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