Tuesday, December 14, 2010

12/14 Piano Sonata 3, Annotated Breakdown

(Would Beethoven have used an iPad?)
Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 3 In C, Op.2, No.2 (1795) is one of my favorites of his early sonatas.  It's got power and wit to spare.  I did a casual annotated breakdown with help from Donald Tovey's notes in the video below.

Beethoven: Sonata No.3 in C Major, Op.2 No.3 - I. Allegro con brio.
Elena Kuschnerova's performance at the 1990 Tchaikovsky Competition, first round.
Ms. Kuschnerova is a fantastic pianist who I just discovered from Youtube.  Looking forward to checking out her other recordings, especially as this is 20 years old now...
http://radio-elena.com/classic-radio.php


Exposition
Theme 1
  Pt 1 - Main motif
   Pt 2 - Hammerblows add dramatic energy
Modulating bridge based on 2 sets of sequences
Theme 2 - contrasting theme in dominant key
Cadence Section 
  Pt 1 with hammerblows 
  Pt 2 reprises main Motif from Theme 1

(Exposition Repeat - skipped in this performance)
Development
  Pt 1 - Main motif leads to modulations
  Pt 2 - Modulating with huge scalar runs
  Pt 3 Theme 1 Motif Variations

Recapitulation
Theme 1
  Pt 1 - Main Motif
  Pt 2 - Unexpected Syncopated Variation
Modulating bridge based on 2 sets of sequences
Theme 2 - contrasting theme in home key
Cadence Section 
  Pt 1 with hammerblows 
  Pt 2 reprises main Motif from Theme 1

Coda
  Pt 1 - Sudden Evasion of closed cadence signals Coda
  Pt 2 - cadenza-like fantasia
  Pt 3 - Main motif returns to wrap up the sonata wittily.

1 comment:

  1. this Beethoven 3 1st mvmt is delightful and superb....i just heard on youtube Arrau in the 1st mvt at a concert in Germany....by comparison it was dull, plodding and unimaginative. Also murray perohia on you tube....heard some....too emphatic--more prosaic. Kuschnerova's is enchanting & charming, witty, effervescent--the tempo is fleeting and light but with perfect emphasis--not too harsh or pushed. thanks for posting this.

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