CCXLVI. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, Op. 12, No. 2

CCXLVI. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827)

Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, Op. 12, No. 2 (1798)
1. Allegro vivace
2. Andante, più tosto allegretto
3. Allegro piacevole
Leonidas Kavakos, violin
Enrico Pace, piano
(17:13)

Beethoven was a I-V, V-I guy.

Many long stretches of his music can be identified with this simple tonic to dominant (or vice versa) progression. Sounds boring, huh? Why even kids in garages know at least three chords, right?

LOL.

**

The Opus 12 quartets were dedicated to his teacher Salieri. [Beethoven refused to believe the rumors about him poisoning Mozart.]

Let's take a closer look:

First Movement

While the violin chops away, the piano outlines a descending tonic chord with the second note of the two-note motif -- E/C-Sharp/A/E -- E/C-Sharp/A ... and then (at Bar 5) descends with a dominant chord -- again with the second note of the two-note motif: D/B/G-Sharp/E -- E/B/G-Sharp.

This playfulness is extremely delightful to the ear.

And note in Bar 17, the violin takes up the initial part of the phrase, and the piano finishes it -- again in simple I-V harmony!

Second Movement

In the parallel minor, Beethoven presents us with a simple V-I pattern, of course with the richness of the minor mode.

Our interest is piqued by the dotted rhythms:

Third Movement

Again, Haydn-like simplicity, but note the introduction of the lightning-quick triplets at Letter A:

Look at this cool enharmonic transition -- from F Major back to A Major!