Piano Sonata No. 6 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major, Op. 10, No. 2, was dedicated to the Countess Anne Margarete von Browne, and written from 1796 to 1798.
The sonata spans approximately 14 minutes.
Form
The sonata is divided into three movements:
- Allegro in F major
- Allegretto in F minor
- Presto in F major
First movement
The first movement is in sonata form. The development is based on the C-G-C tag which concludes the exposition, with no clear use of any other material from the exposition. However, it creates many wonderful melodies, some of which can be moderately difficult to play. The recapitulation is unusual because the 1st theme is in D major before modulating back to tonic for the 2nd theme.
Second movement
The second movement is in A-B-A form, with the return of the first section strongly embellished. It is more reminiscent of Beethoven's Bagatelles than of most of his scherzi. The middle section, in D-flat, has a hint of anticipation of the third movement of the First Symphony.
Third movement
The third movement is in sonata form, with a fugal development. The recapitulation is unusual because the 1st theme is a fugal variation instead of a literal repeat.
External links
- A lecture by András Schiff on Beethoven's Piano Sonata, Op. 10, No. 2
- For a public domain recording of this sonata visit Musopen
- Free scores by Piano Sonata No. 6 at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)