Beethoven: Piano Sonata 8 - 11
This third volume in my Works Series series follows Beethoven's piano sonatas from pianist Stephen Kovacevich. This post will cover CD3 in Warner's 2017 set, which includes Piano Sonatas 8 - 11.
For those looking for my generalized thoughts, skip to the bottom. Otherwise, I will do a movement-by-movement breakdown of each sonata for those who wish to listen along. I provided a YouTube playlist at the very bottom of this blog post of Stephen Kovacevich's recorded performances in order to make it easier to follow along with my thoughts.
For those looking for my generalized thoughts, skip to the bottom. Otherwise, I will do a movement-by-movement breakdown of each sonata for those who wish to listen along. I provided a YouTube playlist at the very bottom of this blog post of Stephen Kovacevich's recorded performances in order to make it easier to follow along with my thoughts.
Piano Sonata 8, op. 13
Movement 1
Key: C minor
Meter: Common time & Cut time
Tempo: Grave & Allegro di molto e con brio
BPM: ♪ = 45 - 60 & 𝅗𝅥 = 80
While I might have denigrated the shorter piano sonatas from Beethoven in Vol. 2, Piano Sonata no. 8 is a tightly constructed work, without even a moment of unneeded music. The melodies and themes are perhaps the most winning elements of the music, although the key of C minor has something to do with it as well.
As far as I am aware, neither Haydn nor Mozart composed piano sonatas with a slow introduction, as they would their symphonies. It is perhaps telling that these early piano sonatas from Beethoven are often symphonic in conception as opposed to the later sonatas where the piano sonata genre comes into its own in the hands of Beethoven. This might explain why I will often prefer his four-movement sonatas of this early period, for Beethoven knew how to handle a symphony right out of the box. That said, this is a perfect example of how he used the three-movement model to his advantage.
In any case, this opens in a slow-tempoed introduction of heavy portent and anguished harmonies, something the Allegro proper will shed in favor of forward motion and contrasting sections. More important with Beethoven is that he brings back this slow opening material at important junctions of the music later in the work - between the exposition and development sections, and immediately before the conclusion. It is a masterstroke from the composer, and to have such heady musical elements so early on in his career is telling. For those whom it matters, Kovacevich does not return to the introduction upon the exposition repeat.
Once the introduction subsides, heralded by a quickly falling chromatic scale, the melody of the Allegro shoots up in the style of a Mannheim rocket, although the harmony Beethoven creates alongside the melody is a curious mix of minor and major, often at odds with each other. From the top of the rocket, the melody slowly falls down again, only for Beethoven to try it all over again. In the mix are cascading pairs of half-step chromaticisms, making up an equal amount of the musical personality as the melodic content.
The second thematic area is in E-flat minor, where the right hand melody is shared in both the bass and treble clef areas, while the left hand maintains its middle of the keyboard position steadfastly. Beethoven does make its way to the more expected E-flat Major, but I could hardly call this area as melodic. Instead, it repeats a treble E-flat note in octaves over left-hand gymnastics, picked up from earlier in the movement, where Beethoven did the same idea on a G.
This is the second or third time now where I have noticed Beethoven cancelling out the main key signature for a development, or contrasting, section. I assume this eases the compositional and printing processes, especially since Beethoven enjoys visiting such far-flung key areas. Suffice to say, Beethoven returns to C minor at the recapitulation, and makes fairly taut work of it too. The return of the slow introduction appears before a furious C-minor tag.
This is an exquisite first movement. Not only does the listener receive a structured sonata form, but also an emotional contrast in the form of the introductory material. I still don't find Stephen Kovacevich unnaturally heavy handed here, such as that lone bass note in the introduction, where I though it would really stand out like sore thumb (but doesn't); however Kovacevich does enjoy the stormy, forward-moving attributes of this movement with great relish.
Movement 2
Key: A-flat Major
Meter: 2/4
Tempo: Adagio cantabile
BPM: ♪ = 55
Like many of a certain age, my introduction to this middle movement actually came from Billy Joel's LP An Innocent Man. Time to wheel that one back out again...
Cantabile is an excellent description from Beethoven of this opening melody, capturing the essence of that musical vocabulary vividly. The contrasting sections almost seem impatient, as if waiting out a clock, although these sections also allow Beethoven a few more chromatic liberties in contrast to the main song.
How Beethoven moves between these contrasting sections is a masterclass on musical segues, for he does so with such reverence to the main material. There are no herky-jerky hiccups to take the listener away from the music at any point.
Movement 3
Key: C minor
Meter: Cut time
Tempo: Allegro
BPM: 𝅗𝅥 = 106
The final movement has almost the same impulse of the first movement's Allegro, although here the melody and harmonic setting seems more personable and less irritated. Perhaps the lack of an emotionally heavy introduction help lighten the material here. I love the little triplet figures of the transitional material, which Kovacevich takes a whip-crack pace, wonderfully articulated.
Again, here is a movement which wastes no time in musical excess, an aspect from Beethoven not often found, as he greatly enjoyed developing and exploring a movement. Even the contrasting Rondo sections are rather slim in shape and body. We get a little of his penchant for unexpected exploring right before the final measures, where Beethoven finds himself in A-flat Major, a surprise for one and all. Yet, he manages to smartly pivot towards a brief, but satisfying conclusion.
There are very few works from any composer which I can hum the music from start to finish without help from a recording or print music. Beethoven's Piano Sonata no. 8 is certainly one of them. A touchstone of Classical Music, for sure.
Key: A-flat Major
Meter: 2/4
Tempo: Adagio cantabile
BPM: ♪ = 55
Like many of a certain age, my introduction to this middle movement actually came from Billy Joel's LP An Innocent Man. Time to wheel that one back out again...
Cantabile is an excellent description from Beethoven of this opening melody, capturing the essence of that musical vocabulary vividly. The contrasting sections almost seem impatient, as if waiting out a clock, although these sections also allow Beethoven a few more chromatic liberties in contrast to the main song.
How Beethoven moves between these contrasting sections is a masterclass on musical segues, for he does so with such reverence to the main material. There are no herky-jerky hiccups to take the listener away from the music at any point.
Movement 3
Key: C minor
Meter: Cut time
Tempo: Allegro
BPM: 𝅗𝅥 = 106
The final movement has almost the same impulse of the first movement's Allegro, although here the melody and harmonic setting seems more personable and less irritated. Perhaps the lack of an emotionally heavy introduction help lighten the material here. I love the little triplet figures of the transitional material, which Kovacevich takes a whip-crack pace, wonderfully articulated.
Again, here is a movement which wastes no time in musical excess, an aspect from Beethoven not often found, as he greatly enjoyed developing and exploring a movement. Even the contrasting Rondo sections are rather slim in shape and body. We get a little of his penchant for unexpected exploring right before the final measures, where Beethoven finds himself in A-flat Major, a surprise for one and all. Yet, he manages to smartly pivot towards a brief, but satisfying conclusion.
There are very few works from any composer which I can hum the music from start to finish without help from a recording or print music. Beethoven's Piano Sonata no. 8 is certainly one of them. A touchstone of Classical Music, for sure.
I am much less familiar with the next three sonatas, of which op. 14 covers two sonatas.
The first movement is a delightful contrast to the Pathétique, with the friendly E-Major key shining brightly. Rising bell tones open the movement, set in long-breathed minims. I absolutely adore the three-measure cadence before the restatement of the opening, set in the middle of the keyboard. The said restatement is done so an octave lower, moving the harmonies towards the dominant preparation.
I am less taken with the second motivic area. The theme is stated by itself with no accompaniment. When it too is restated, the melody is given over the left hand, while the right hand imitates, in a simple two-part texture. This imitation creates some awkward dissonances as well, ones which don't really jibe with this listener.
Before the development, in the bass line there are three semiquaver triplet figures. Kovacevich makes the last crotchet in these fast figures very short; if these weren't so pronounced dynamically speaking, I probably wouldn't even notice, but this irks me some. At the very end of the exposition, Beethoven sets the music all in the bass clef, an interesting tessitura to conclude upon.
The rather short development section picks up on the opening bell tones and the concluding bass clef idea most of all. When the main theme returns in the recapitulation, it is done so in block chords instead of octaves, a striking difference. Plus, Beethoven develops the music a fair bit more, with the bell tones again restated in the bass part of the keyboard, but in the key of C Major! The second motive returns as expected, but it is the concluding bass clef idea which gets protracted and developed, with some chromatic left-hand turns.
All-in-all, I found this to be a rather charming movement. Hopefully the rest will equal its charm. I should mention that Kovacevich feels this movement in more of a '2', preferring a light cut-time feel.
Movement 2
Key: E minor & C Major (Trio)
Meter: 3/4
Tempo: Allegretto;
. = 62 - 70
The charm continues in the lightly swinging E-minor Minuet / Scherzo, offset by a C-Major trio. Beethoven composes a little Coda to end the movement, but teasing the listener with a possible return to the Trio, as the Coda uses the C-Major melody to start.
I enjoy the halting quality Kovacevich brings to this Minuet in certainly moments. This reminds of what Adam Fischer brought to Haydn and Mozart's symphony Minuets, a feeling of expectation passed on to the listener.
Movement 3
Key: E Major
Meter: Cut time
Tempo: Allegro commodo
BPM: 𝅗𝅥 = 90
Between the main melody set in octaves, Beethoven injects many quick-moving scales, which become more prevalent as the section moves on.
One of the contrasting Rondo sections changes the key completely to G Major for constantly moving triplet figures in the right hand, while the left hand punctuates or sustains.
The last two movements equal the length of the entire first movement in timing, making the ending seem light and frothy. It works in the scope of a sunny E Major, but I don't know if I would want more of this lighthearted Beethoven for long. At least, the middle E-minor key provides some modal contrast.
The first movement is a delightful contrast to the Pathétique, with the friendly E-Major key shining brightly. Rising bell tones open the movement, set in long-breathed minims. I absolutely adore the three-measure cadence before the restatement of the opening, set in the middle of the keyboard. The said restatement is done so an octave lower, moving the harmonies towards the dominant preparation.
I am less taken with the second motivic area. The theme is stated by itself with no accompaniment. When it too is restated, the melody is given over the left hand, while the right hand imitates, in a simple two-part texture. This imitation creates some awkward dissonances as well, ones which don't really jibe with this listener.
Before the development, in the bass line there are three semiquaver triplet figures. Kovacevich makes the last crotchet in these fast figures very short; if these weren't so pronounced dynamically speaking, I probably wouldn't even notice, but this irks me some. At the very end of the exposition, Beethoven sets the music all in the bass clef, an interesting tessitura to conclude upon.
The rather short development section picks up on the opening bell tones and the concluding bass clef idea most of all. When the main theme returns in the recapitulation, it is done so in block chords instead of octaves, a striking difference. Plus, Beethoven develops the music a fair bit more, with the bell tones again restated in the bass part of the keyboard, but in the key of C Major! The second motive returns as expected, but it is the concluding bass clef idea which gets protracted and developed, with some chromatic left-hand turns.
All-in-all, I found this to be a rather charming movement. Hopefully the rest will equal its charm. I should mention that Kovacevich feels this movement in more of a '2', preferring a light cut-time feel.
Movement 2
Key: E minor & C Major (Trio)
Meter: 3/4
Tempo: Allegretto;
. = 62 - 70The charm continues in the lightly swinging E-minor Minuet / Scherzo, offset by a C-Major trio. Beethoven composes a little Coda to end the movement, but teasing the listener with a possible return to the Trio, as the Coda uses the C-Major melody to start.
I enjoy the halting quality Kovacevich brings to this Minuet in certainly moments. This reminds of what Adam Fischer brought to Haydn and Mozart's symphony Minuets, a feeling of expectation passed on to the listener.
Movement 3
Key: E Major
Meter: Cut time
Tempo: Allegro commodo
BPM: 𝅗𝅥 = 90
Between the main melody set in octaves, Beethoven injects many quick-moving scales, which become more prevalent as the section moves on.
One of the contrasting Rondo sections changes the key completely to G Major for constantly moving triplet figures in the right hand, while the left hand punctuates or sustains.
The last two movements equal the length of the entire first movement in timing, making the ending seem light and frothy. It works in the scope of a sunny E Major, but I don't know if I would want more of this lighthearted Beethoven for long. At least, the middle E-minor key provides some modal contrast.
Piano Sonata 10, op. 14 no. 2
Movement 1
Key: G Major
Meter: 2/4
Tempo: Allegro
BPM:
= 82An odd, broken up figure makes up the main melody. It consists of six equal semi quavers made up of an upward octave, followed by two lower, but upward-moving half-steps. More strangely, this content is written 'across the bar', making it rhythmically weird, with the half-steps making it harmonically weird. Of course, these six-notes move by so quickly, they end up as little ornamented blips, rather than a sustained melodic feature. On the other hand, the legato nature makes my description a little more coherent when put into action.It is actually the material which immediately follows, one which contains repeated notes in the treble, that sounds more singingly melodic to my ears, even if it is more transitional than motivic. The second D-Major motivic area is made of thirds, which continues the operatic idea presented immediately beforehand, but almost as a duet for the fingers. Later on, after some fast scale work, this finger duet seems to continue on, but set towards the middle of the keyboard and echoed by the left hand. In the case of these two motivic areas, it seems Beethoven has created a second counterpart for both of his melodies, ones which are equally song-like.
I wonder if Beethoven fleshed out his melodic content to be able to withstand minor-keyed realizations, for the opening melody works nearly better than it does in major. Here in the development section, Beethoven exploits those half steps to move to the parallel key of G minor, although he also uses the second motivic area as well, but not the secondary portions I mentioned earlier.
The recapitulation comes off more or less as expected, although Beethoven extends the cadential material compared to the exposition. This first movement is a rather gentle musical musing, much more so than I expected. In that way, the Op. 14 sonatas are of a piece.
Movement 2
Key: C Major
Meter: Common time
Tempo: Andante
BPM
= 120Here is Beethoven's first appearance of a theme and variations in his piano sonatas. I could tell this was the form Beethoven was going for almost immediately, for the opening material was unusually diatonic, with little in the way of melodic ornamentation or harmonic elaboration.
A cutesy, nearly humorous little march informs the theme, with only the second-half containing some interesting harmonic motion, an aspect which will be appreciated over the variations to come. The second half also contains the only bit of legato in the theme, whereas most of the music is short and detached.
Beethoven generally keeps the variations light and cheery, only adding the lightest of chromatic touches upon each subsequent variation. Eventually, Beethoven brings back the light march in the final measures of the last variation.
Movement 3
Key: G Major
Meter: 3/8
Tempo: Allegro assai
BPM:
. = 72 - 80If I thought it odd how Beethoven wrote across the bar in the first movement, he injects a hemiola feel into the single melodic line without accompaniment in the start of the last movement. This feeling really disrupts the placement of the beat in what would otherwise be a lilting '3' feel.
If Stephen Kovacevich isn't the wittiest in this movement, he certainly brings out the sforzandos strongly, particularly the leaping right-hand melody in the very last section of the movement. Appreciably, one can tell the difference of weight Kovacevich brings to the sforzando notes versus the note which immediate succeeds it, showcasing intelligence in his music making.
Overall, I was more charmed by Op. 14 no. 1 than its No. 2 brother sonata here. The quirks of this particular sonata are not especially endearing to me, but more befuddling.
Piano Sonata 11, op. 22
Movement 1
Key: B-flat Major
Meter: Common Time
Tempo: Allegro con brio
BPM:
= 152Beethoven's Eleventh Piano Sonata is the first four-movement sonata we have had since his Seventh. With this first movement, one can already sense a grander formal scope and purpose from the composer than the op. 14 set.Like op. 14 no. 2, though, the first melodic area of the opening movement is made up of small, disconnected cells, yet their diatonic nature here makes them more affable to me, plus they exist 'on the beat' comparatively. The second half of the opening motivic material is more lyrically melodic, yet hardly seems the focus from the composer.
Beethoven moves to C Major as a dominant preparation at some point, and his harmonic motion to transition there is simply confounding. Another transition to the second motivic area later on, one as equally befuddling, displays short moments of off-color harmonic temperament from the composer, I think.
The second motive, a musical idea with unadorned pairs of notes set in thirds in both hands, is given a foretaste to the listener earlier in the transitional material, where the right hand contains two notes underlaid by fast left-hand scale work. The actual motivic statement is almost fanfare-like in quality, although it doesn't sound quite majestic enough for such an adjective. The restatement is bouncier, with syncopated imitation between hands, followed by a long protracted area of octave work to finish off the exposition.
The development seems more intent on fleshing out the second half of the fanfare idea, one which uses falling dotted rhythms in intervals of inverted thirds. Aside from this, a few of the small opening burbles appear, although stripped down in texture, as well as these banging sforzando octaves which Kovacevich seems to really enjoy hitting hard.
The recapitulation is relatively similar to the exposition, with a little elaboration on those confounding cadential harmonies I mentioned earlier, plus a short wrap up to close off the movement.
Movement 2
Key: E-flat Major
Meter: 9/8
Tempo: Adagio con molto espressione
BPM: ♪ = 100
For me, this slow movement in E-flat Major is a little emotionally distant, not finding the soul from some of Beethoven's earlier sonatas. I can't quite pin down quite why I feel this way, and I don't think I can put the blame here on Kovacevich either.
In many ways, this movement has all of the elements of his others of this ilk. A singing melody with elaborate ornamentation and searching harmonies. It goes by lovingly enough, however, it doesn't reach the depths of his other creations. Even the short E-flat minor excursion doesn't raise the temperature all that much. Oh well...
Movement 3
Key: B-flat Major & G minor (Trio)
Meter: 3/4
Tempo: Menuetto
BPM:
= 120A genial melody arises in this third-movement Minuet. I really enjoy the unstable semiquavers in the second half of the Minuet, otherwise, this is a fairly gentrified Minuet.
I could imagine a stormier G-minor Trio from Kovacevich, where he really lays into the rhythms of the left hand, but he keeps the music within reach of the contrasting Minuet. The second half of the Trio reminds me some of Bach's two-part Inventions, and perhaps that is where Beethoven is going with this Trio's musical intent.
Movement 4
Key: B-flat Major
Meter: 2/4
Tempo: Allegretto
BPM:
= 70At first listen, this final movement seems a bit restrained for a finale, and maybe in the end it is. The rather tempered Allegretto tempo is used I assume to accommodate the flourishes of demisemiquavers which appear throughout the movement.
Another rather stark episode in E-flat minor is once again set in pairs of thirds in both hands, put in relatively close imitation as well. Such textures are becoming common usage in this volume of Beethoven's sonatas I am noticing.
For the final melodic statement, Beethoven varies his material quite a bit through further ornamentation, an appreciated change in a modest finale.
While I appreciate a piano sonata on a grander scale, I can't say this one wins me over completely.
Final Thoughts
I haven't mentioned it thus far, but I have taken some thought as to Kovacevich's pedaling in Beethoven. Compared to the late Alfred Brendel's nearly pedal-less Baroque approach, Kovacevich is fully Romantic. While this latter element is a preference of mine, sometimes Kovacevich hangs onto the pedal a bit too much for even my tastes. This can work oppositely for me too, as sometimes Kovacevich's staccato can be too much for me as well.
In one of the earlier sonatas, I almost commented on a dissonant overhang as a result of Kovacevich's pedaling, a striking dissonance which would otherwise have been cleared. I feel his pedaling more in the Op. 14 duo, but nothing which has overly frustrated me to any degree as of yet. As we venture on with these volumes of piano sonatas, I will try and chime in more on this subject.
Maybe because they exist in the shadow of the great Pathétique, I wasn't overly enraptured with either the simpler Op. 14 pair, nor the grander Op. 22 sonata. If I had to choose my favorite of the latter three, it would be the simplistic charm of the Ninth Piano Sonata which I enjoyed the most here. As it is, though, Sonata no. 8 in C minor is the perfect musical package from Beethoven, one everyone should know.
As I always, I look forward to the next volume with you my friends!
Cheers!
Work Series
Vol. 3 from Beethoven Piano Sonatas on Warner
Works
Piano Sonata 8 in C minor 'Pathétique', op. 13 (18.32)
Piano Sonata 9 in E Major, op. 14 no. 1 (12.51)
Piano Sonata 10 in G Major, op. 14 no. 2 (14.25)
Piano Sonata 11 in B-flat Major, op. 22 (23.54)
Soloist
Stephen Kovacevich, piano
Label: EMI / Warner
Year: 2002-03; 2017
Total Timing: 70.07
Find more Beethoven recordings HERE!
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