Brief history of the piano sonata
In the Classical era of Haydn and Mozart, piano sonatas had three
movements in fast, slow, fast order. Symphonies and string quartets,
considered more elevated genres, had four movements with a medium
paced minuet (based on a 17th century aristocratic dance in 3/4 time)
as the extra movement. The minuet was usually placed as the third
movement, but sometimes was the second movement. The minuet was
aristocratic, formal and dignified.
Beethoven made two important changes to the piano sonata. First he
made it a four movement work like the symphony and string quartet.
Second, he almost always replaced the minuet with something he called
a scherzo (which means 'joke' in Italian). Beethoven's scherzi were
also in 3/4 time but didn't need to conform to dance music, making his
options in composing the extra movement more flexible. A scherzo was
generally playful and witty.
Both minuets and scherzos were usually in ternary format (A→B→A)
with the 'B' part called a "Trio."
Piano Sonata No. 1 in C minor, Op 4 (1828; pub. 1851)
Chopin composed this at age 18. It is not highly thought of and is one of his
considered more elevated genres, had four movements with a medium
paced minuet (based on a 17th century aristocratic dance in 3/4 time)
as the extra movement. The minuet was usually placed as the third
movement, but sometimes was the second movement. The minuet was
aristocratic, formal and dignified.
Beethoven made two important changes to the piano sonata. First he
made it a four movement work like the symphony and string quartet.
Second, he almost always replaced the minuet with something he called
a scherzo (which means 'joke' in Italian). Beethoven's scherzi were
also in 3/4 time but didn't need to conform to dance music, making his
options in composing the extra movement more flexible. A scherzo was
generally playful and witty.
Both minuets and scherzos were usually in ternary format (A→B→A)
with the 'B' part called a "Trio."
Piano Sonata No. 1 in C minor, Op 4 (1828; pub. 1851)
Chopin composed this at age 18. It is not highly thought of and is one of his
least recorded compositions.
1. Allegro maestoso (C minor)
2. Menuetto (E♭ major) This is the only minuet that Chopin
1. Allegro maestoso (C minor)
2. Menuetto (E♭ major) This is the only minuet that Chopin
is known to have written.
3. Larghetto (A♭ major)
This movement is set in 5/4 time, which is very unusual for
pieces of that era. The third beat of each five-beat bar carries
a secondary accent, which is marked explicitly in certain bars.
4. Finale: Presto (C minor):
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35 (1839–40,
Funeral March composed 1837)
A good article on Piano Sonata No. 2
Chopin's most praised sonata, but other solo works like the Preludes and Études
are even more highly thought of. The third movement is Chopin's famous
funeral march.
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano Seong-Jin Cho, piano
1. Grave – Doppio movimento (B♭ minor – B♭ major) (5:00)
What is sonata-form?
2. Scherzo (E♭ minor with a trio) (3:05)
3. Marche funèbre: Lento (B♭ minor with a trio in D♭ major)
Chopin's funeral march was influenced by the funeral march in Beethoven's
Piano Sonatas No.12 in Ab major, Op. 26 (1800-01).
Chopin's funeral march is in ternary (A-B-A) format. The A section is in a minor key
and has a plodding chord pattern in the left hand that gives the impression of a slow,
The final movement is highly unusual. It is a 90 second continuous
flurry of notes with no discernable melody.
Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 (1844–45)
A good article on Piano Sonata No. 3
Chopin's second most appreciated sonata and one of his more difficult of
his piano works to play. There are some that claim that the technicality
of the piece interferes with it musicality.
1. Allegro maestoso (B minor → B major)
Emil Gilels, piano (10 min)
2. Scherzo: Molto vivace (E-flat major → B major → E-flat major)
3. Largo (B major → E major → B major)
4. Finale: Presto non tanto (B minor → B major)
Rafal Blechacz, piano (5:15)
3. Larghetto (A♭ major)
This movement is set in 5/4 time, which is very unusual for
pieces of that era. The third beat of each five-beat bar carries
a secondary accent, which is marked explicitly in certain bars.
4. Finale: Presto (C minor):
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35 (1839–40,
Funeral March composed 1837)
A good article on Piano Sonata No. 2
Chopin's most praised sonata, but other solo works like the Preludes and Études
are even more highly thought of. The third movement is Chopin's famous
funeral march.
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano Seong-Jin Cho, piano
1. Grave – Doppio movimento (B♭ minor – B♭ major) (5:00)
What is sonata-form?
2. Scherzo (E♭ minor with a trio) (3:05)
3. Marche funèbre: Lento (B♭ minor with a trio in D♭ major)
Chopin's funeral march was influenced by the funeral march in Beethoven's
Piano Sonatas No.12 in Ab major, Op. 26 (1800-01).
Chopin's funeral march is in ternary (A-B-A) format. The A section is in a minor key
and has a plodding chord pattern in the left hand that gives the impression of a slow,
dark march. The volume contrasts indicate different levels of agony.
The B section has a bright, sweet tender melody in a major key over an ostinato left
The B section has a bright, sweet tender melody in a major key over an ostinato left
hand pattern that gives this section a flowing, rather than a plodding, sense.
4. Finale: Presto (B♭ minor) (1:30)
4. Finale: Presto (B♭ minor) (1:30)
The final movement is highly unusual. It is a 90 second continuous
flurry of notes with no discernable melody.
Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 (1844–45)
A good article on Piano Sonata No. 3
Chopin's second most appreciated sonata and one of his more difficult of
his piano works to play. There are some that claim that the technicality
of the piece interferes with it musicality.
1. Allegro maestoso (B minor → B major)
Emil Gilels, piano (10 min)
2. Scherzo: Molto vivace (E-flat major → B major → E-flat major)
3. Largo (B major → E major → B major)
4. Finale: Presto non tanto (B minor → B major)
Rafal Blechacz, piano (5:15)
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