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Thursday, April 21, 2005

Beethoven Piano Sonata no. 1, Op 2, no 1

I love this one.

This group one launches out in fm (4/4, allegro) and ends on a half cadence after 8 measures. Then the theme partly repeats again in cm, but it changes into transition and brings us to the group 2 theme in abminor starting in m20 (though there's a touch of EbM right before ending on a sort of IAC that elides into m20). The theme seems to want to end in EbM in another IAC, but the closing moves straight in at measure 25 and transitions into the relative major of fm, AbM by measure 33, landing a PAC at the beginning of m41. Then there is a coda that goes for seven measures in AbM, ending on a PAC. The development begins and shoots the rocket group 1 off in cm, which goes to gm and then uses those little triplet motives to get into bb minor for a group 2 development, this continues into cm and then switches into the left hand and into bb where it finally hits some major ground and leaves both the groups' material completely. He continues to transition through keys, and eventually brings back small fragments of the group 1 theme (the triplets) which lead us back to recapitulation in m101 in the original fm. The first eight-measure phrase is still the same, but now the transition to the group 2 has changed. He even substitutes with new material allowing the group 2 theme to stay in fm, though the second downward gesture seems to be in C (like a HC). Then the transition to the coda takes us back to a PAC in fm at the beginning of m140 an dwe have the coda (all the while he's been using FF's and SF's galore and continues to do so, and even writes "con espressione" on the coda). The coda halts on a FF in a V65 of V for a whole measures and then resolves quickly and repeats the same rhythmic gesture only with less cadential feeling chords--a little deceptive, and then leaps on pointy feet to the sharp PAC at the end.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was hoping to actually find a measure by measure anlysis of Beethovens sonata no. in f minor op.2 no.1 but what you have is nice just not as detailed as i was hoping for.

Anonymous said...

ahh, me too!

Anonymous said...

4/4? look again

Anonymous said...

Me three! I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do my homework as well, and I could just copy your work; but it looks like I will actually do some real work now

Anonymous said...

Anyone has a more detailed analysis?

Anonymous said...

definitely 4/4

Anonymous said...

If I'm looking at the correct music, that is definitely cut time....