Piano Sonata No. 5 (Beethoven)
The Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10, No. 1, was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is dedicated to Anna Margarete von Browne. The first movement of the sonata has a 3/4 meter, the second movement 2/4, and the final movement 2/2. Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 5 is a first period composition, anticipating more notable C minor works such as the Pathétique Sonata and the Fifth Symphony in its nervous energy.
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[edit] Form
The sonata is divided into three movements:
- Allegro molto e con brio in C minor
- Adagio molto in A flat major
- Prestissimo in C minor
[edit] First Movement
The first movement, in sonata form, opens energetically with contrasting loud and soft phrases. The theme is highly angular, consisting of rising dotted quaver arpeggios. A 24-bar modulating passage provides a quiet contrast before arriving at the second theme in E-flat, which is accompanied by an Alberti bass. In the recapitulation, the second theme is initially in F major before returning to C minor.
[edit] Second Movement
The second movement is a lyrical Adagio with many embellishments. It is in A-B-A-B or "sonatina" form (there is no development section, only a single bar of a rolled V7 chord leading back to the tonic key); an apparent third appearance of the main theme turns into a coda, which slowly fades to a final perfect cadence.
[edit] Third Movement
The third movement is a highly nervous piece in sonata form, making heavy use of a figure of five eighth notes. The short development section contains an unmistakable foreshadow of the theme from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The coda slows the tempo down, leading to a final outburst which fades to a quiet but agitated C major.
[edit] External links
- A lecture by András Schiff on Beethoven's piano sonata op. 10 no. 1
- Recording by Paavali Jumppanen, piano from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- For a public domain recording of this sonata visit Musopen
- Piano Sonata No. 5: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.
