Beethoven was proud of his Op. 22, but it is not often played, possibly because his most popular sonatas are the ones that break the “rules” of the sonata by exploring new musical or expressive ground. While Op. 22 is well-behaved, it nevertheless contains some lovely writing and demonstrates Beethoven’s compositional mastery at working with an economy of material. The development of the first movement, based largely on a rising and falling scale used as the closing theme of the exposition, is dominated by a highly chromatic modulation that descends in both pitch and dynamics to the mysterious nether regions of the keyboard. The following Adagio is poignant and meditative. The minuet and Allegretto rondo that close the work are all Viennese charm, though shades of Beethovenian fury are never entirely absent. Charles Rosen refers to this sonata as Beethoven’s “farewell to the eighteenth century.” Andrew Brownell
Classical Music | Piano Music
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, Op. 22
PlayRecorded on 03/16/2011, uploaded on 09/30/2011
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Beethoven was proud of his Op. 22, but it is not often played, possibly because his most popular sonatas are the ones that break the “rules” of the sonata by exploring new musical or expressive ground. While Op. 22 is well-behaved, it nevertheless contains some lovely writing and demonstrates Beethoven’s compositional mastery at working with an economy of material. The development of the first movement, based largely on a rising and falling scale used as the closing theme of the exposition, is dominated by a highly chromatic modulation that descends in both pitch and dynamics to the mysterious nether regions of the keyboard. The following Adagio is poignant and meditative. The minuet and Allegretto rondo that close the work are all Viennese charm, though shades of Beethovenian fury are never entirely absent. Charles Rosen refers to this sonata as Beethoven’s “farewell to the eighteenth century.” Andrew Brownell
More music by Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19, Third Movement (Rondo: Allegro molto)
Sonata No. 32 in c minor, Op. 111
Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101
Sonata No. 32 in c minor, Op. 111
Fantasie in g minor, Op. 77
33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120
String Quartet No. 11 in f minor, Op. 95, Serioso
String Quartet Op. 131
Sonata for cello and piano in g minor, Op 5, No. 2
Theme and Seven Variations on "Bei Mannern" from Mozart's The Magic Flute, WoO 46
Performances by same musician(s)
Moment musicaux, D. 780 No. 2
Toccata
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