Violin Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)

Violin Sonata
No. 8
by Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven portrayed in 1801
Key	G major
Opus	30
Composed	1801 (1801)–1802
Dedication	Alexander I of Russia
Published	May 1803 (1803)
Duration	18 minutes
Movements	3

The Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Op. 30, No. 3, by Ludwig van Beethoven, the third of his Opus 30 set, was written between 1801 and 1802, published in May 1803, and dedicated to Tsar Alexander I of Russia.

Structure

The sonata has three movements:

1. Allegro assai
2. Tempo di minuetto, ma molto moderato e grazioso – in E-flat major
3. Allegro vivace

This sonata is characteristic of early/middle Beethoven in its solid sonata structure, just beginning to get adventurous in syncopation, with some extraordinary off beat sforzandi.

The work takes approximately 18 minutes to perform.

Notable recordings

Famous recordings of the sonata include one by Fritz Kreisler with Sergei Rachmaninoff at the piano.

External links

• Violin Sonata No. 8: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Heeney, Eimear (2007). Beethoven's Works for Violin and Piano (PDF) (M.A.). Waterford Institute of Technology.