Piano Sonata No. 15 (Beethoven)
Encyclopedia
Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28, is a piano sonata
by Ludwig van Beethoven
. It was named Pastoral or Pastorale by Beethoven's publisher at the time, A. Cranz. While nowhere near as widely recognised as its predecessor, the Piano Sonata No. 14
, known often as the Moonlight Sonata, it is admired for the intricacy and technicality in the beauty it portrays. It takes roughly 35 minutes to play the entire work as intended with repeats.
Published in 1801, it is dedicated to the Count Joseph von Sonnenfels
. This sonata was written at a time when Beethoven's alarm at his worsening deafness was increasing. Nevertheless, Beethoven paints a serene image with this sonata.
, and follows the typical four-movement form of the classical sonata
.
The first movement, Allegro, begins in the tonic major
with a repetitive and monotone bass line sometimes described as "timpanic." This droning theme continues in various forms throughout the sonata. On top is the simple primary theme of the movement. It is very simple and quiet, yet cunning. Eventually, the work introduces a second, more tense melody in F-sharp minor, which builds up into a passage of constant quavers, on which is laid a rather simple, yet elegant melody. The development of the movement runs through various minor keys, ever becoming more dramatic and angst-filled as it compresses the main theme into a repeated one-bar rhythm, which gradually fades away. It then recapitulates
back into the sweet and easy-going themes of the beginning.
The Andante movement is more forlorn and subdued. It is in D minor
. The primary feature is the staccato semiquaver bass, giving the sense of a march
. There is a slight diversion in the tonic major involving dialogue between a dotted, staccato
rhythm and a gentle, rather playful set of semiquaver
triplets
. It then returns to the sombre tune with graceful harmonisation and variations of the primary melody. There is a sense of quiet solitude to it, but it is never menacing or overemotional. This movement was Beethoven's personal favourite.
The Scherzo is rather playful, and certainly humorous. The tune is joyous and cheerful yet straightforward. Its most important feature is the contrast between four long notes, each an octave
apart, and a fast quaver melody. The frenetic trio, in B minor, repeats a simple four-bar melody eight times over, with a relentless broken octave/chord bass figuration adding harmonic, rhythmic, and dynamic intensity as the repeats progress. It provides a diversion to the blithe scherzo, contrasting sharply in tone and adding gravity to the prevailing humor. The movement as a whole provides an interesting comparison with the interlude of the second.
The final movement is a lilting rondo
, and is probably the movement which comes closest to the sense of the word 'pastoral'. It sways and moves. Interestingly, out of not only his piano sonatas but all of his published works up to this point, this is the first time that Beethoven
decides to write ma non troppo, therefore this instruction clearly means a lot to him. Some critics attribute the repeating bass line to a bagpipe
, others to a dancing gigue
. Beethoven employs various amusing, interesting and very adventurous episodes, all with different moods, rhythms, and harmonic texture. The finale, played a little faster than the allegro (Più allegro), can be termed as the only 'virtuoso
' passage in the whole sonata. This exciting, brilliant ending rounds off what is generally a calm sonata.
Shortly after Beethoven wrote this piece, he pledged to take on a new path and direction.
' refers to the sense of countryside and nature (the 6th symphony
pastoral sense), or to its sense of calm, simplicity and lightness. Beethoven's publishers had a tendency to name his sonatas without any consultation from Beethoven himself. Beethoven wrote most of his works with greatly contrasting parts, and behaves no different in making this sonata. Though its first and last movements can well be described as "pastorale," the inner two bear no real similarity to the name at all.
Piano sonata
A piano sonata is a sonata written for a solo piano. Piano sonatas are usually written in three or four movements, although some piano sonatas have been written with a single movement , two movements , five or even more movements...
by Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
. It was named Pastoral or Pastorale by Beethoven's publisher at the time, A. Cranz. While nowhere near as widely recognised as its predecessor, the Piano Sonata No. 14
Piano Sonata No. 14 (Beethoven)
The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata , was completed in 1801...
, known often as the Moonlight Sonata, it is admired for the intricacy and technicality in the beauty it portrays. It takes roughly 35 minutes to play the entire work as intended with repeats.
Published in 1801, it is dedicated to the Count Joseph von Sonnenfels
Joseph von Sonnenfels
Joseph von Sonnenfels was an Austrian and German jurist and novelist. He was among the leaders of the Illuminati movement in Austria, and a close friend and patron of Mozart. He is also the dedicatee of Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 15, Op...
. This sonata was written at a time when Beethoven's alarm at his worsening deafness was increasing. Nevertheless, Beethoven paints a serene image with this sonata.
Structure
The whole sonata is in D majorD major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
, and follows the typical four-movement form of the classical sonata
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
.
- Allegro
- Andante
- ScherzoScherzoA scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
: Allegro vivace - RondoRondoRondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also to a character-type that is distinct from the form...
: Allegro ma non troppo
The first movement, Allegro, begins in the tonic major
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
with a repetitive and monotone bass line sometimes described as "timpanic." This droning theme continues in various forms throughout the sonata. On top is the simple primary theme of the movement. It is very simple and quiet, yet cunning. Eventually, the work introduces a second, more tense melody in F-sharp minor, which builds up into a passage of constant quavers, on which is laid a rather simple, yet elegant melody. The development of the movement runs through various minor keys, ever becoming more dramatic and angst-filled as it compresses the main theme into a repeated one-bar rhythm, which gradually fades away. It then recapitulates
Recapitulation (music)
In music theory, the recapitulation is one of the sections of a movement written in sonata form. The recapitulation occurs after the movement's development section, and typically presents once more the musical themes from the movement's exposition...
back into the sweet and easy-going themes of the beginning.
The Andante movement is more forlorn and subdued. It is in D minor
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
. The primary feature is the staccato semiquaver bass, giving the sense of a march
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
. There is a slight diversion in the tonic major involving dialogue between a dotted, staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
rhythm and a gentle, rather playful set of semiquaver
Sixteenth note
thumb|right|Figure 1. A sixteenth note with stem facing up, a sixteenth note with stem facing down, and a sixteenth rest.thumb|right|Figure 2. Four sixteenth notes beamed together....
triplets
Tuplet
In music a tuplet is "any rhythm that involves dividing the beat into a different number of equal subdivisions from that usually permitted by the...
. It then returns to the sombre tune with graceful harmonisation and variations of the primary melody. There is a sense of quiet solitude to it, but it is never menacing or overemotional. This movement was Beethoven's personal favourite.
The Scherzo is rather playful, and certainly humorous. The tune is joyous and cheerful yet straightforward. Its most important feature is the contrast between four long notes, each an octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
apart, and a fast quaver melody. The frenetic trio, in B minor, repeats a simple four-bar melody eight times over, with a relentless broken octave/chord bass figuration adding harmonic, rhythmic, and dynamic intensity as the repeats progress. It provides a diversion to the blithe scherzo, contrasting sharply in tone and adding gravity to the prevailing humor. The movement as a whole provides an interesting comparison with the interlude of the second.
The final movement is a lilting rondo
Rondo
Rondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also to a character-type that is distinct from the form...
, and is probably the movement which comes closest to the sense of the word 'pastoral'. It sways and moves. Interestingly, out of not only his piano sonatas but all of his published works up to this point, this is the first time that Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
decides to write ma non troppo, therefore this instruction clearly means a lot to him. Some critics attribute the repeating bass line to a bagpipe
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
, others to a dancing gigue
Gigue
The gigue or giga is a lively baroque dance originating from the British jig. It was imported into France in the mid-17th century and usually appears at the end of a suite...
. Beethoven employs various amusing, interesting and very adventurous episodes, all with different moods, rhythms, and harmonic texture. The finale, played a little faster than the allegro (Più allegro), can be termed as the only 'virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
' passage in the whole sonata. This exciting, brilliant ending rounds off what is generally a calm sonata.
Shortly after Beethoven wrote this piece, he pledged to take on a new path and direction.
"Pastoral"
It has been speculated whether the title 'pastoralPastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
' refers to the sense of countryside and nature (the 6th symphony
Symphony No. 6 (Beethoven)
Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, also known as the Pastoral Symphony , is a symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, and was completed in 1808...
pastoral sense), or to its sense of calm, simplicity and lightness. Beethoven's publishers had a tendency to name his sonatas without any consultation from Beethoven himself. Beethoven wrote most of his works with greatly contrasting parts, and behaves no different in making this sonata. Though its first and last movements can well be described as "pastorale," the inner two bear no real similarity to the name at all.
Media
External links
- A lecture by András SchiffAndrás SchiffAndrás Schiff is a Hungarian-born British classical pianist, who has won a number of awards including the Grammy and made numerous recordings.- Biography :...
on Beethoven's piano sonata op. 28 - Good informative site with plenty of detail on this sonata, as well as other sonatas
- Online score, posted by Indiana University School of Music. Each page is a 200kB gif image, so some loading time may be required.
- For a public domain recording of this sonata visit Musopen
Articles
- Sonate für Klavier (D-Dur) op. 28 (www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de)
- Beethoven Sonata Pastorale (op. 28) Analysis and commentary by Frederic Horace Clark - Music (Volume 15: Nov 1898 to Apr 1899) edited by W.S.B. Mathews; published by Music Magazine Publishing Company